Brisket - Fat Up or Down

Mxpunk64 · December 30, 2011, 04:37:50 PM

Okay this seems to be a debateable topic: I have a Brisket to cook, fat up or fat down?! ???

FLBentRider · December 30, 2011, 04:42:42 PM

Down.

Hiram · December 30, 2011, 04:50:13 PM

OK, but why down, seems to me it would dry out, just saying.

FLBentRider · December 30, 2011, 05:04:21 PM

I have done them both ways.

Fat down is no drier than fat up, and the theory is that fat down acts as a heat shield, ala space shuttle. The heat eases into the meat more slowly
and the bottom of the brisket does not have a hard bark.

More of the fat cap renders out in the fat down scenario, less to discard at the carving table.

The moisture in the meat comes from the breakdown of collagen, not fat.

ghost9mm · December 30, 2011, 05:53:04 PM

Quote from: FLBentRider on December 30, 2011, 05:04:21 PM
I have done them both ways.

Fat down is no drier than fat up, and the theory is that fat down acts as a heat shield, ala space shuttle. The heat eases into the meat more slowly
and the bottom of the brisket does not have a hard bark.

More of the fat cap renders out in the fat down scenario, less to discard at the carving table.

The moisture in the meat comes from the breakdown of collagen, not fat.

X 2

Mxpunk64 · December 30, 2011, 09:34:36 PM

I can see how the theory for both methods could work. I like to open my Bradley as few times as possible during the smoke so basting is out for me and that's what brought me to letting the fat cap sit on top. I've done 3 briskets with the OBS fat up and they were very tender but dry. Going to start another early tomorrow morning. I'll give the fat down space shuttle heat shield a try. :D. Thanks for the feedback so far. I'll let you all know the results!

Ka Honu · December 30, 2011, 09:42:16 PM

Fat side up is the only correct way except for fat side down. For additional information, see the definitive reference book for such issues, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships.

Habanero Smoker · December 31, 2011, 02:35:42 AM

On the other hand, having it fat side up, the fat will baste the meat as it cooks.

SouthernSmoked · December 31, 2011, 05:15:01 AM

Quote from: Habanero Smoker on December 31, 2011, 02:35:42 AM
On the other hand, having it fat side up, the fat will baste the meat as it cooks.

Ditto

Ka Honu · December 31, 2011, 05:56:20 AM

And then there's the camp (sometimes including me) that trims the brisket, cooks it fat side down, and puts the trim on a rack over (or lays it on the top, er bottom, of) the brisket to melt and baste. Might be the best of both worlds.

Mxpunk64 · December 31, 2011, 06:48:37 AM

Quote from: Ka Honu on December 31, 2011, 05:56:20 AM
And then there's the camp (sometimes including me) that trims the brisket, cooks it fat side down, and puts the trim on a rack over (or lays it on the top, er bottom, of) the brisket to melt and baste. Might be the best of both worlds.

Ka Honu, you trim off all the fat or do you leave some? The brisket I have has about a 3/4 inch thick fat cap. I was actually going to try to cut some of the fat off and rack it above the meat.

What about throwing some bacon on the rack above?

Ka Honu · December 31, 2011, 02:46:26 PM

I try to leave about 1/4" with some "windows." There's also a bunch of fat you can trim from the ribbon between the point and flat.

I haven't tried it, but bacon works for everything.

Mxpunk64 · January 01, 2012, 09:40:42 AM

Okay so my brisket was amazing using the fat down method. Very moist and tender. I forgot to take a picture! Turned out a lot better then the fat up ones I've done.

Anybody notice that it takes significantly longer to reach temp when the fat cap is down? Maybe it was just a fluke but it took 2.5 hours per pound to reach 180 with the OBS set to 215. Normally only takes me 1.5 hours per pound to reach temp.