Trimming a Brisket

[rcger]

My local Super Wally World has some packer cuts for a pretty good price.  The problem is, I have no idea how to separate the point from the flat and generally trim it up.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Can you point to any posts on the forum that might have some pictures posted?  Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, I smoked my first ABTs this weekend.  I used some Andouille sausage mixed with some Sharp Cheddar and Cream Cheese.  Needless to say, they were fabulous.  I had them in the BDS for about 3 1/2 hours.  The bacon was perfect!!!

[Buck36]

Westexasmoker did an incredible post about that.....

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=7825.0

[rcger]

Westexasmoker did an incredible post about that.....

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=7825.0

Thanks, Buck.  I actually found that post shortly after I did my post.  I'll have to give it a full read.

[Pachanga]

The following trimming method works for me but there are lot of differing opinions from experienced smokers and, like a rub, everyone's recipe is the best.  However, most of the pros and BBQ joints advocate a similar approach to the following.

After smoking a lot of briskets and trying various methods I've landed on the side of making it simple. I don't spend a lot of time trimming anymore.  The only reason to trim at all is to make the fat thin enough to allow some smoke and rub to penetrate into the beef.  Even so, smoke and rub are merely condiments and should not overpower the natural beef flavor.  It is a fact that too much trimming will ruin a brisket while too much fat being left on the brisket will hurt very little.  I do my trimming at the store and pick out briskets that are not overly fat capped.  I wet age for a while and then trim any brown meat off and trim overly thick fat off the deckle (thick) end where the two main muscles join.  But this is just the thick surface fat.  The fat should still cover the deckle by 1/4 inch. I do not trim into the meat between the muscles more than one inch and mostly less nor do I separate the two pieces. If I have a thin flat, I use any trimmed fat to protect the lean side a little more.  Don't worry about uneven cooking between a thin flat and a thick deckle.  Science and experience tells us the fat and marbling in the deckle are going to bring the temp up quicker in the thicker parts and everything is going to come out just right.  The fat cap should be around  ¼ inch thick but I do not get fanatic about it.  Just trim a little on the deckle, probably little to no trimming on the flat and just walk away.  A little more or a little less is not going to ruin the process.  I figure my guests can trim on the plate and fat always means flavor.  As slow as the Bradley smokes, the fat renders down to a thin coating anyway, both inside and out.  I’ve never had any complaints and usually, plates come back empty, fat and lean both gone.  Anything that does come back goes to the bird dogs, already cooked and ready to eat.  If the brisket is too big for the Bradley my trimming solution is in the following thread: http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=7735.0 ;

Good luck and slow smoking

Pachanga

[Habanero Smoker]

You can also find the instructions on WTS's way of smoking/cooking briskit here: WTS- Brisket. As with all the majority of pictures on the recipe site, click on the picture to enlarge.