Untrimmed Brisket?

[TheRicker]

Do any of you cook your briskets without trimming them at all? Or maybe just a little where the fat is real thick? Or do you trim it “intensely”?

I recognize that (1) I don’t want to spend an hour trimming a brisket. And (2), I’m not confident in trimming a brisket down to a gnat’s ass to 1/4” or something like that.

While in my head I’d like to do competition quality Q, the reality is it takes a lot of work. I’m just looking for good eats. (At the risk of being shunned from this forum, I don’t take the membrane off the underside of ribs. I do remove silver skin from other cuts of meat.)

Anyway…I welcome the wisdom from yall…before I run up to Costco to buy brisket.

 

[epcotisbest]

I don't trim brisket at all, even the hard fat people keep talking about. For me it is easier to just trim off the excess fat after cooking and resting. Besides, what I do trim off after cooking is a small amount of the thickest fat because I like the fat. It gives a lot of flavor and I'm thinking it helps retain moisture too.
If I am having a hard time removing the membrane on ribs, I just leave it on. Does not seem to make a lot of difference.
Here is a photo of a recent half brisket cook. You can see the untrimmed thicker fat in the upper center of the photo and thin fat layer across the top of the rest of the brisket.

 

[Greg Jones]

I’m a heavy trimmer myself. I like to remove all the oxidation on the side, the excess fat on the cap, and trim all the thin sections on the end that just burn up anyway. The oxidation I throw away, the rest of the trim I save for tallow and/or to grind with chuck roast to make tasty ground beef. I will add that I’m not a big fan of brisket anyway, so it’s not like I’m trimming one or two every week or two.

Someone posted here recently, and I apologize I don’t recall who, that either Sam’s or Costco overs a pre-trimmed option now.

 

[Pacman]

Someone, maybe here, shared a video of (maybe) the Mad Scientist cooking a completely untrimmed brisket successfully. I'd guess that a large fat cap might impact your cooking time a bit, but I don't know. I trim off the obvious stuff and don't sweat the details too bad at this point as I am usually cooking pretty high quality (expensive) briskets which are more forgiving. I may do four or five briskets a year and usually for special occasions.

 

[Jim6820]

Well, here’s my take. I fall mostly in the same camp as @Greg Jones, except that I AM a big fan of brisket. That said, I’m not a big fan of cooked brisket fat.

Now, I think the most significant factor is in SELECTING the brisket in the first place. I’m afraid I drive people at the Costco meat cases crazy because I check out each brisket carefully, looking for one that is already fairly well-trimmed and has the thickest possible flat. I’m also looking at marbling levels and the smallest fat pocket between the point and flat. That’s why I usually prefer USDA Prime over USDA Choice because it comes closest to meeting the pre-trim criteria I’m looking for. Once-in-a-while, I find a USDA Choice brisket that meets my basic criteria and don’t hesitate to buy it.

As for the actual trimming, my first priority is in shaping the brisket, especially the flat end. I eliminate all loose flaps, corners and sharp edges. My preference is to round the end of the flat to eliminate those areas that I know will cook to a crisp. @Greg Jones mentioned this as well.

Once shaped to my liking, I then remove the hard outer shell of the fat cap, leaving a quarter inch or so where possible. Trim scraps are vacuum-sealed and frozen for when I need to make tallow.

 

[Greg Jones]

Someone, maybe here, shared a video of (maybe) the Mad Scientist cooking a completely untrimmed brisket successfully.

I’ve met Jeremy, at a charity event he cooked in Kentucky last year. While he has done conventual stuff (mostly) successfully and unconventional stuff (at least once) successfully, it would be helpful to watch the procedure he follows most often. One can’t be called the Mad Scientist without breaking the rules occasionally. Spoiler alert, he aggressively trims to an aerodynamic brisket.

 

[TheRicker]

Well, here’s my take. I fall mostly in the same camp as @Greg Jones, except that I AM a big fan of brisket. That said, I’m not a big fan of cooked brisket fat.

Now, I think the most significant factor is in SELECTING the brisket in the first place. I’m afraid I drive people at the Costco meat cases crazy because I check out each brisket carefully, looking for one that is already fairly well-trimmed and has the thickest possible flat. I’m also looking at marbling levels and the smallest fat pocket between the point and flat. That’s why I usually prefer USDA Prime over USDA Choice because it comes closest to meeting the pre-trim criteria I’m looking for. Once-in-a-while, I find a USDA Choice brisket that meets my basic criteria and don’t hesitate to buy it.

As for the actual trimming, my first priority is in shaping the brisket, especially the flat end. I eliminate all loose flaps, corners and sharp edges. My preference is to round the end of the flat to eliminate those areas that I know will cook to a crisp. @Greg Jones mentioned this as well.

Once shaped to my liking, I then remove the hard outer shell of the fat cap, leaving a quarter inch or so where possible. Trim scraps are vacuum-sealed and frozen for when I need to make tallow.

Jim…did you mention in another post, somewhat recently, that you look for a specific or target weight of the brisket? It may have been someone else.

And all are welcome to respond to this question…is there a target weight you’re after?

 

[TheRicker]

I thank all of you for your responses. It’s very helpful.

With Memorial Day coming up, I think I’d like to do a brisket. My (regular) Costco had both choice and prime briskets last week. I think I want to grab one soon.

 

[AlphaPapa]

I just saw that Kroger has choice brisket for $2.99 /lb this week here in middle GA.

 

[Jim6820]

Jim…did you mention in another post, somewhat recently, that you look for a specific or target weight of the brisket? It may have been someone else.

And all are welcome to respond to this question…is there a target weight you’re after?

Yes, I prefer full packers in the 10-12 pound range when I can find them. I will go up to 15 pounds in a pinch. Just my preference and it works well for the two of us that I cook for most of the time.

 

[SmokeZilla]

I thank all of you for your responses. It’s very helpful.

With Memorial Day coming up, I think I’d like to do a brisket. My (regular) Costco had both choice and prime briskets last week. I think I want to grab one soon.

TheRicker,
I know all Costco’s stock a little differently but I don’t think I have seen any “small” full packers. They typically range from 14-25lbs in my area. From a prep perspective, for a backyard trim you will lose about 12% and for a competition trim you will lose about 18-20%. That does not include the Deckle because I toss that into the trash as it is not quality fat. I usually don’t like the competition trim because it takes a little more babysitting since you remove more of the fat that can make the cook more forgiving. As a tip, the smaller the flat, the more you will need to inject to keep the temps consistent from flat to point. If you add a little Wagyu tallow in your injection, the flat won’t typically dry out prematurely and the render will be much better. YMMV.

 

[Elias]

I don't trim brisket at all, even the hard fat people keep talking about. For me it is easier to just trim off the excess fat after cooking and resting. Besides, what I do trim off after cooking is a small amount of the thickest fat because I like the fat. It gives a lot of flavor and I'm thinking it helps retain moisture too.
If I am having a hard time removing the membrane on ribs, I just leave it on. Does not seem to make a lot of difference.
Here is a photo of a recent half brisket cook. You can see the untrimmed thicker fat in the upper center of the photo and thin fat layer across the top of the rest of the brisket.

View attachment 21757

I don't trim too much either.