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Shoutout to the butcher who told me to stop trimming my brisket so much
I was at a little meat market outside Kansas City last month, buying a packer brisket for a cookout. The guy behind the counter, older fella with a white apron, watches me inspect the fat cap and starts shaking his head. He said I was cutting away all the flavor. I told him I always trim down to 1/8 inch like the competition guys do. He laughed and said 'son, you're not cooking for judges, you're cooking for family.' So I left it thicker, maybe 1/4 inch, and that brisket came out way juicier than any I've done before. Has anyone else had a butcher or pitmaster steer them wrong with that super thin trim advice?
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the_john1d ago
That "insurance policy" line really stuck with me, so true.
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nathana481d ago
@the_john hit the nail on the head with that one. That fat cap is basically a safety net for people like me who aren't watching the smoker every second. Kids need attention, wife needs help, and the brisket just sits there. Extra fat means I got more room to mess up and still have juicy meat at the end. Competition guys can trim razor thin because they're right there the whole time. For the rest of us, leave it thick and sleep better.
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the_jenny1d ago
Grew up in Texas where my granddad ran a whole hog pit for 40 years, and I remember him getting onto me for trimming a pork shoulder the same way. He grabbed my wrist and said, "You're taking off the insurance policy, boy." Turns out he was right - that extra fat isn't just for flavor, it literally protects the meat from drying out during those long cooks when you're not watching it like a hawk. Competition guys trim super thin because they're cooking for judges who take one bite and move on, but your family's eating a whole plate of it. I've been leaving way more fat on since then and my briskets are coming out way more forgiving when I mess up the temperature on my offset.
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