A guy at the Memphis in May contest changed how I see brisket trimming

I was helping a friend at his tent last year, and this older pitmaster from Texas came over to chat. He saw my brisket on the table, and he said, 'Son, you're leaving way too much fat on that flat.' I was taught to leave a quarter inch for protection, but he argued that in a modern insulated smoker, that much fat just steams the meat and makes it mushy. He said he trims his down to an eighth inch, almost like a competition trim, even for backyard cooks. I tried it on my next three briskets, and honestly, the bark was way better and the meat wasn't dry at all. It goes against a lot of the old school advice you hear. Has anyone else tried trimming that lean and had good results?

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jamies456mo ago

Wait, so we're just out here trusting some random Texas guy at a festival now? I mean, what if he was just messing with you to win next year? Kidding, but it's wild how much stuff we do just because someone said it once. My first brisket looked like I was trying to keep it warm with a fat sweater. Maybe that's why it tasted like pot roast.

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ross.river6mo ago

Watched a guy at a comp trim a brisket so close it looked naked, but man, that thing turned out perfect. Makes you wonder how much old school advice is just habit.

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angelaellis5mo ago

Started trimming my last brisket like that and my wife asked if I was defrosting a science experiment. Guess there's a happy medium between fat sweater and naked brisket.

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