Thank you for watching this untrimmed brisket video. Check out this video next where I smoked a brisket on my 1962 Weber Kettle. th-cam.com/video/5afJEZcmak4/w-d-xo.html
Trimming it, and then cooking the Trimmings with it works really good too! You get all the flavor, but it's already been cleaned! All the flavor, but the works been done!
I’ve been smoking briskets for almost 15 years. I have never trimmed a brisket. I have never had a bad brisket from not trimming. When I first seen people trim them it freaked me out because you lose the flavor. For me anyways. Great video. Glad you finally tried it.
Same. My dad use to smoke lots of briskets and I honestly can not remember him trimming the fat off. I only started trimming the fat after the wife commented about all the fat while I seasoned it.
@@clos5700 that’s why a lot of these people go from a 17lb brisket to 13lb. They trim off so much fat they leave the meat exposed then they have to add fat to make it juicy lol. Blows my mind
@@paullopez6620 My guess it comes from the "fat is bad for you" movement. The first time I saw someone trim a brisket...only to re-add tallow later to keep it moist I was like, well this is the dumbest thing I've seen today.
I like this guy. He isn't so full of himself that he will try other things to see for himself. Many of these backyard cooks act like they are culinary gods and don't dare contradict them. As a father of a trained Chef, this gentleman has my respect.
What's great about this one is how he proves that you don't need to trim in order to turn out great results! The only disadvantage of this video is the music.
I am from Texas & never saw a brisket trimmed until I started watching cooking shows & TH-cam videos. Needless to say, I have never trimmed a brisket, also never had a complaint about the brisket either. Brisket is so easy, all you need is your favorite seasoning, smoke, a good bit of time & a cooler of beer to pass the time with friends & family plus the dogs loves all of the heathy eaters that won't eat fat. When I fire up the pit, the dogs know there is something good showing up in their bowl this evening.
Ditto here from Abbott Texas. I am smoking one today for Labor Day ( tomorrow) . No trimming, just mustard and my Rub, I am not a competition cooker just a Texad with a off-set smoker . I prefer oak for heat and pecan for smoke. But today I am using hickory. I am open to suggestions
I'm from the northern midwest, where we don't have much for regional barbecue styles, but I'd suggest the true healthy eaters don't mind fat. Sugar is what we avoid. Joe said our parents' generation might have been less inclined to trim fat, but I've seen the opposite. Younger generations have learned the "food pyramid" was a lie. The health problems formerly commonly associated with "fat" were caused by trans fats made by chemically modifying otherwise unpalatable seed oils. The increase in obesity not due to consumption of fat but rather the ubiquity of excess sugar in processed foods.
My dad and I owned and operated a BBQ in K C Ks for 50 years. I did the smoking for 35 years. I never trimmed a brisket and we smoked 3 cases a day. We trimmed it before we threw it on the slicer. The brisket you smoked was a beautiful thing!
Geday from Australia just did my first brisket yesterday and because of my disability i didnt trim my brisket and it was fantastic. then i saw your video and was so happy thx.
I just smoked my very first brisket this past weekend after purchasing a pellet grill a couple of weeks ago. After watching this, I decided to try it without trimming it. Boy, am I glad I went that route! It was so much more flavorful than any brisket I've ever had, and everyone else at the family party agreed! It practically fell apart as I was taking it out of the butcher paper. I would say it was a home run for the smoker rookie. I will definitely be doing it this way next time!
@thefaz012 :: When I first saw the preparation phase of a brisket ( especially the trimming ) I was wondering why do they trim the fatty part ... chefs are always talking about fat providing so much flavor ; but brisket _is_ trimmed so it must be because it would be too fatty. The chefs/cooks must know what they're doing. This is my first time watching a brisket being cooked and not trimmed. I read your comment and was glad to read that it works very well. Not trimming the brisket makes sense ... the original meaning of fat providing the most flavor.
@@cliffgaither yeah I decided I'm not gonna trim too much fat off my brisket. Then I'm gonna use my pan drippings with my leftover wings marinade to make a sauce for my chicken wings.
Everytime I saw a brisket being trimmed I thought why are you doing that, after all you are cooking it for a minimum of 9 hours, so it's almost a guarantee it will render, and be the juiciest brisket you could hope for. Joe, you just proved my point, and I would give it a 10! Thanks for giving it a shot.
Trim some of the fat so the rub doesn’t fall off like the one spot where he said idk what happened to the rub? My guess it fell off when the fat rendered. Prob won’t be as juicy but the bark will be better I think but I’m no pro
I'm sure it was nice but let's be honest that was a pretty gnarly looking brisket. Multiple places where the rub came off due to pooling, some really overly dark spots, and some super dry looking slices on the flat end. Besides that, when you trim you get multiple uses out of the brisket (tallow, burger meat etc) rather than just the one and done cook. There's good reasons to trim, if you can't be bothered then you do you.
I put my brisket in an aluminum roasting pan from the dollar tree and cover it with tin foil. To catch all the juice that comes out. I pour it into a jar and allow it to separate. There's a wonderfully Rich beef stock that settles to the bottom. I mix it in with my favorite barbecue sauce . And sometimes I'll some for making a fantastic beef gravy. Left over brisket with mash potatoes and gravy is just about as good as barbecued brisket.
@@allupinya5938 I sear it over the fire first . And the smoke still gets into the pan . But after a good searing you can finish it off in the oven. I've done it that way when the weather was crappy.
I saw trimming become a youtube/Instagram thing about 8 years ago when a gentleman that ran a smoking channel claimed to be a fitness instructor, and he would say, "There just no reason for all this extra fat; it will not all render and is bad for the body." at age 51 growing up working BBQ joints and owning one now, I only trim brisket if I need fat for sausage as I was taught by some old timers who in my opinion were the best in the business. Think about it, you're trimming it, then placing it back in beef tallow at a higher cost. Even if you're making your own tallow, it still costs money to gas/power the stove and space in the fridge to keep it; just leave the fat on the meat.
I'm a newbie here. Also relatively new to smoking. Maybe 4 years now. I just purchased a 12-pound brisket and wanted to find out a proper method to do it which is how I found this channel. My hat is off to you for a beautifully presented video. You rock! Yes, I subscribed.
My dad never trimmed his briskets and they always turned out great. So, I did the same.And only seasoned with S-P-G. Never added any tallow and wrapped in plain old aluminum foil. Always perfect. Too many people try to over think it, or try to improve on an already proven method. And in the end- Taste and tenderness is all that matters!
Amen, these TH-cam cooks do it for the views, in reality nobody does this. No trim, tin foil, no frills, no fuss, tastes better than any pretentious cook does on TH-cam.
@@larrytischler570is 275 degrees for 7-9 hours really a low temp? Result is a 204 degree internal temperature which seems too high to really be tender.
I was taught by my old school uncles to never trim your brisket. Of course we have always cooked for large groups, but the fat is the key to see if you have cooked a good brisket. Of course having a show like your Joe. You can do it different ways. Keep On Grindin my brother.
Congratulations on your discovery! 😁 When I first started smoking nearly 20 years ago, I did not trim my brisket. Shortly after I started, someone told me "you're supposed to trim it". I tried it once and it did not seem to make a difference, as a matter of fact, I didn't think it was as good. So, that was the one and only brisket I ever trimmed. And yes, I am a born & raised Texan!
You know, I really have to give you credit for being so open to try different things. So many of the experts on TH-cam have no ability to consider anything other than what they think but you are very open to trying different ways for the sake of learning. That is very beneficial to all of your followers and I really appreciate it.
I have been considering not trimming my Brisket, now that I've seen your video I think that I will do my next one right out of the package. My only concern would be the hard fat, I didn't see much on the one you did. I already smoke hot and fast at 300F so dropping to 275F won't be a problem for me.
You know what I love about this channel You made a video where you learned something new Most channels and people try to look perfect You have my respect
BBQ purist here from Texas. My family has been in the BBQ business for 80+ years and we have never trimmed a brisket or used any seasonings or rubs on it prior to smoking. We let the smoke do all the work and every one has come out great. Experimenting with an untrimmed brisket is a step in the right direction! Thanks!
I think it really depends on what kind of pit you are using. Parents had a BBQ / grocery store and we never trimmed the brisket or season the fat side. Had stick burner with the fire box on the outside and had a water pan and we smoke the brisket for 8 to 12 hrs. We never checked the temperature just go by how the bark looked and what it felt like when sticking a fork in it. Didn't use any binder. We would smoke 250 to 300 lbs of brisket at one time .
When I was in the bbq business, I smoked mine only slightly trimmed. I cooled it off afterwards and refrigerated it until the next day. I then sliced it to about 1/2” thick. To serve, I put down a little oil on a hot (375°) flat top until it crisped up slightly. Served it on a plate or sandwich. None of the problems associated with holding at temp and I had almost no complaints. This was before TH-cam and the advent of BroBQ. I did serve it occasionally traditionally as a special once a week and on a Thursday night buffet, with pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and all the usual stuff.
@@davidwellbrock395 are you in the business? I'm in the food business. And bbq is a tough genre of the food industry. Takes a lot time, ingredients aren't cheap at all, location, pricing is beyond tough, customers gripe about the price without taking into context what(cost) went into the end product.
Trimmed brisket is something that came along when people tried to make something simple seem complicated so they could claim to know some "magical secret". I've never seen a trimmed brisket out in the wild and that's where some of the best is found
Great vid! Our family grew up loving a nice layer of fat in proportion to the meat... cooked right, it's like meat butter! So we've never trimmed the fat from any of our meats whether brisket, tri-tip, ribeye, and chuck. We love to taste that nice buttery portion of fat with a big bite of juicy tender meat. As far as our family (and many friends who eat with us) are concerned, the fat is an integral part of the whole thing. It's especially great when the fat is seared and has a crispy taste. But we understand that most people prefer trimmed meat. And no, we are not obese because of the fat we eat. I'm glad you showed that not trimming the fat is not necessarily a bad thing! Thanx for the great vid! That brisket looked really delicious ... a testament to your great technique!
When I go out to eat i beg the smoke house to add fat to the meat. Finally found one place that would do it cause they saw the weight loss from eating carnivore! My bp dropped 40 pts in the last year. So heck yes keep that fat on the meat you are so right it is like butter.!! 🇱🇷🙏🇱🇷
I've started trimming less fat off briskets lately. I've found that it helps keep it "juicy" and most of it renders off anyways. The results are better I feel. Thanks for the video!!
Often the only difference between screwing around and science is documentation. Thanks for doing this! I'm going to have to try my next brisket without trimming!
As a child (I'm 55 now) my grandparents and parents always told me the best flavor is in the fat . It took a few years but once I grew past the texture I now realize they were right ...when weren't they . So when my kids didn't want there's I offered to take it . After a while they cought on and now I don't get it as much . One child still will not eat it . She sits next to me .lol great video bud !👍👍👍🍻
I’m just getting into trying a brisket and you have saved me from butchering up a brisket badly trying to trim it. Thank you very much for this video. 🙏🏾
I started smoking Brisket about 20-years ago, taught by a Texan and was never told to trim a brisket first… always came out decent. Drawbacks for me was a perceived “less smoke ring” and also the additional smoke time needed given the extra “mass.” I trim my briskets now and am happy to do so… but certainly trimming is NOT required IMO.
Personally I have never been able to get my eyes to taste anything so I have never been very concerned with seeing a smoke ring as long as the flavor is there. I have always enjoyed untrimed over trimmed. Also, if you don't trim the there is no need to add tallow, the brisket makes it's own. Trimming is waste and waste is bad. If you're worried about a pretty smoke ring for a competition or something then you are cooking for the wrong reasons and I personally would question the validity of the judges.
I think a lot of young new BBQ'ers that are coming up don't realize that trimming packer briskets was not a common thing. Nor was wrapping your brisket, at least not in butcher paper, foil maybe, but sometimes no one ever even got around to wrapping it. Salt, pepper, smoke, and time was all we used. Most of us didn't even have working thermometers on our pits, we knew the pit so well that we could tell what it needed just by lookin at the fire. This whole thing with letting your brisket rest over night, my goodness, no one could ever wait that long.
100% when i take a brisket off i put on at 8am, I give it 2 hours at most, sometimes I'll admit i give it an hour, it smells so good its hard to resist
Thank you for this video! My family owned a small convenience store many years ago. I smoked over 1600 un-trimmed briskets during that time. It was years later I “refined” my smoking style. After watching this, I’m going to do my next smoke “old school “ Thanks brother!
Finally a video that shows the correct way to bbq a brisket. Cook it , don't smoke it. I have cooked brisket for over 50 years. Never trimmed one of them. The fat keeps it moist. If you don't like the fat trim it off after you have cooked it. It still be moist. If you like a dried up piece of meat with little flavor, go ahead and trim the fat off before cooking it. Go ahead, your choice.
@@donaldkasper8346 most of us have smokers with catch pans guy. You running a charbroiler? Lol I can see you outside with a foil pan under your burning Lowes BBQ. 🔥
@@Shepardofman Catch tray is dangerous. It will catch grease then catch fire. My grill has scoria lava rock. This is a porous lava rock. It traps the grease, distributes the gas flame heat, and lets very little grease through. BBQ source? I think Home Depot. Lowes did not come to our area until later.
The first time I saw someone trim a brisket prior to smoking, I almost had a heart attack! I just kept thinking they were cutting off all the flavor. Glad you tried this. It's the only way I've ever done briskets, and yes, I'm in TX.
I loved your presentation. Our local Walmart has brisket for $4/lb. Although my camp chef is temporarily out of order my charcoal offset smoker is fine, and I think that Thursday will be a perfect day to replicate your smoking job. Nothing quite like smoked brisket sandwiches...
Very nice! People over think it! I usually do minimal trimming because it seems like insanity to cut all the meat off a brisket so it is “aerodynamic!” I am not cooking to win a competition, I bbq and smoke to enjoy it with friends and family! Great job!
When I first started smoking brisket I asked my brother if he trimmed his, He said he never did as best I recall. I'm pretty sure my dad didn't trim either. I do recall there being places where the fat was a little thick in spots. I would just cut some off if needed before eating. I trim mine but not to the extent like you or Bradley (Chubs BBQ) does. I'm not concerned with a perfect shape. I do mine on a Weber Kettle.
Excellent video! I’m on the side of those who, after trimming, are unsure if the trimming was correct or not. I won’t trim anything. That brisket of yours looks amazing.
I'm ok with not trimming it... but I've never cooked one at that temp. I was always taught lower temp (200-210) for a longer time and that takes care of that fat rendering down, keeping everything juicy, and keeping the remaining fat from hardening up. Typical cook time in the 14-17 hour range depending on the weight (with additional time for the burnt ends of course)
Really, you can go as hot as you want without buring your product while still giving enough time to render the fat. You'll render faster a higher temp at the risk of burning. It's a balance if you want a faster cook. Also different cookers will prefer to cook at different temps, especially if you're trying to keep a clean smoke.
Great video man! That looked fantastic! I learned my lesson on trimming briskets with my first attempt trying to cook one in my pellet cooker instead of my stick burner since it weighed 18lbs and I didn't feel like sitting up all night tending the fire. I followed one of the "pro" recommendations on removing the fat-cap down to a 1/4", center fat, corners, and all the other tricks of the trade. I've never trimmed another one since! Much better NOT trimmed! Now whether or not I'm using the pellet or stick burner, I hit it with a binder, seasoning, and toss it on the cooker. And yes, liberal amounts of tallow in the wrapping phase is the key to greatness! 😍
Greetings from the Texas Hill Country!. I learned a lot about BBQ from an old Tejano. My rub starts with a little lard. The spices are sea salt,sage, rosemary,thyme and allspice.I use untrimmed brisket. I try for 250 degrees temperature.I go for an hour per pound.
Good job!!! I'm kind of a novice, but followed your simple instructions using my pellet smoker and cooked the best brisket I've ever eaten. So tender, so juicy. I couldn't be happier. Thanks buddy.
Yeah buddy! Welcome to the club and never trim a brisket you're about to smoke. The fat on top, and let it melt into the meat. Juicier, more flavorful, just better all around.
@@toriless Sorry to disgust you buddy. But it was truly delicious. I'm going to cook another on as soon as they go on sale again. If you you live near me in eastern NC, you'd be welcome to our place for dinner. Take care.
@@kevinmalott Pellet is great for ribs and other smaller cuts but for big cuts they don't seem able to create a bark. My weber kettle does a much better job.
This was another amazing video. I am going to cook a 17 lbs. 1 oz. brisket tomorrow for everybody at work and I pray that it works because I’m not gonna trim mine either. I’ve taken your word. 🎉
So glad to find your channel. I have been wondering about trimming and everytime I chicken out and do the cut. My next brisket, I'll season it and leave it alone. Thanks for taking the challenge for the rest of us
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ Yep, I followed your video and only cut off a few slices of the really dense fat. I did the same for Dino Ribs. Both came out fantastic. Kudos to you and your channel!
I've been doing it that way for 25 years, trimming it down looks pretty for the cameras but that's about it. To me if you trim it down all the way you taking out all the good fat that melts down into the meat. I must be doing something right like I said 25 years in business. 😁 Great show by the way.
Did my first brisket yesterday and it turned out amazing. I chose to go with the no trim method along with your no wrap overnight cook. Overall the bark on the brisket was beautiful and with the no wrap method it was a little more crispy, but my friends that I made it for actually said they liked that crispy on the bottom. Thanks for the great vid. I might be posting a YT short over how this turned out.
Looking good. I don’t mind trimming because you get more rub/bark per bite, and all the trimmings eventually get ground into burger/sausage or eaten by the dog. But it is great to know that in a pinch, I can just chuck an untrimmed brisket straight on the smoker. Thanks for experimenting!
My brisket from last weekend I decided to give no-trim a try. It was a complete win. My wife likes the extra fat on it anyway and she loved it. It all comes down to personal preference I suppose, so I'm going to mix it up depending on the brisket itself.
when you consider the flavour is in the fat .... leaving the fat on will let the flavour infuse into the meat as it slowly smokes ... long gone are the days of dry aged beef with loads of flavour ... now we have injected meat with fake flavours and loads of water and other chemicals ...
try smoking even lower temps for days ... and DONT add salt to it ... use sea driftwood if you must but mix sweet woods and hardwoods together for the smoke and flavour and natural salts ... a good starting place would be pork belly ... this way you make proper bacon and NOT the italian porchetta version we get in stores ... . thats right smoked salted pork belly is porchetta NOT BACON ... bacon is ONLY smoked ... Panchetta is only salted ...
I've smoked untrimmed brisket and was great! I also did one in a cast iron dutch oven in the oven. Was even more tender cooking slowly in its own juices
This was incredible brother! Watched the whole vid, and was totally enthralled!! We’ve been asked to do a brisket. Was totally wondering how the untrimmed brisket would go - great work fam, you know we smashed the like button!!🔥🔥
What a great video! I’ve thought about this over the years. Great idea. It definitely opens the door to brisket for those that are nervous about the trimming.
I've smoked brisket in Houston / Galveston area for almost 40 years and I never trimmed one. For first 25 I smoked it fat side down for 18 to 20 hours without wrapping. Then for about 5 years I wrapped after 9 hours or so and still cooked for a total of 18-20 hours. For the last 10 years I put in an aluminum pan covered with foil after smoking for 9 or so hours then cooked for another 9 hours in smoker or oven at 225. This method keeps all the rendered fat and juices that I separate then pour over the sliced brisket. It's fall apart delicious and doesn't need a knife or fork, you can cut with a spoon. I do the same for pulled pork, just not as long. Here at the VFW in Galveston I'm getting ready to cook both and my homemade sausage to give away to first responders on September 11th. Everyone who has tried my smoked meats says it's the best they have ever tasted.
Thanks for sharing. I think the longer cook makes all the difference. If you don’t trim AND don’t render the fat it’s a mess and does the untrimmed brisket a disservice.
I’m a lead chef at an American Legion and doing this for a weekend special dinner. Never trimmed it more than the loose hanging fat. I put those bits into a pan with water in the smoker. I also use a little bacon grease instead of pickle juice.
I have always wondered why people cut all the flavor off. I’m definitely not a chef, and have never attempted to do a brisket because I thought I would ruin a $75.00 piece of meat . Now you just proved to me that I don’t have to take a 20 semesters of meat cutting to do a brisket. Thanks a million. New subscriber. This also makes me think, this is another thing people make more of an ordeal of just to make them look good.
I appreciate this video because I have been thinking about not trimming my briskets seeing as how much time it takes. I love the fact that Joe used a Choice quality of meat rather than the Prime that Dawgfatha used. It's much more realistic for most of us to buy Choice with these rises in cost.
I’m glad I came across this video. I was over here thinking about how I was probably gonna mess up trimming a brisket and now I don’t gotta worry about that anymore 💪🏽
Got 1 on sale here for $3.99 Cdn./lb. Left it sitting in the fridge for a week, cryovaced; aging, ;), while I researched how to cook it on Webby. Just trimmed it; my 1st today. Doing a dry brine tonight with Kosher salt & then hack Canadian cooking it on my Weber Gas Grill Tomorrow with some wood pellets in foil.. Don't have a "pit". Don't feel so bad about my 1st trim now. Pretty sure it will turn out good. Making some burgs & tallow out of extras & big bowl of fat. Hacked a good part of fat seam out of seam between point & flat and salted in there too. Bitta scalp here and there, but oh well. Pre-burnt Webby off and checked temp settings for cooking at 5C outside here. Supposed to be sunny and decent tomorrow, so this 1st baby of mine going on at 6:00 for same day eating. Don't like this, " rest til next morning" stuff. Then what? Eat at 8:00 am? Also, I think to cook them "untrimmed", you need to pick a really good lookin one out, at the store. The one I picked had only a bit of fat on meat side & usual humps on fat side. Pretty easy trimmin., but, probably could've/should've smoked it as-is. 1st time smokin Joe, Canada.
I really appreciate this video. I'm new to brisket but have cooked pork shoulders for decades now. Similarly, some people think you have to dig into the fat cap, "false cap," etc. whatever, but I've always believed in less (trimming) is more with pork. I feel better knowing brisket trimming is very much the same, and I'm not gonna ruin my brisket if I don't do a competition trim.
Thanks for doing this video! I am following a carnivore way of eating and have wanted to do a brisket this way. Need all the fat! Besides I love brisket. Now I know it is possible to cook the brisket without trimming it. Thank you again! 🇱🇷🙏🇱🇷
100 thumbs up Joe!!! Glad to finally see somebody out there doing brisket the way i`ve done it for many decades! I think people tend to over think all this Smokin & BBQ`ing.
@@just_a_guy13 Yep! I actually cooked a brisket in three pieces (flat, and two halves of the point) on my tall, narrow electric smoker and it turned out great. Takes way less time than doing the whole thing too, and you can take the flat off before it gets dry.
@@JonathanAwesomeify did you just go by temp then? I've thought about smoking it for 3-4hrs and putting it in a sous vide for a day but I have no idea what the heck I'm doin lol any help is appreciated. I'd like to be able to smoke some brisket for Halloween, veterans day, my bday, the day after .. pretty much all the time lol
@@just_a_guy13 The most important thing is to not rush: If you try to time it to have on the table for exactly 6 p.m., you'll end up over cooking it or not having it done in time. Encourage your guests to relax with their beverages of choice while you all wait. Here's what I did, and it turned out really nice: 1: Cut the brisket horizontally along the fat between the point and flat muscles to separate them. 2: Cut the point in half, and trim the huge, suet-thick chunks of fat. Now you have 3 pieces of roughly equal size. 3: Season them the way you like. I just use a dry rub, no binder. 4: Start smoking at 225. 5: When they hit about 140-150, (after maybe 3 hours? go by temp, not time) wrap with butcher paper or foil. 6: Cook until they reach the mid-high 190s. (maybe another 2 hours?) 7: Take them out and place them, still wrapped, in a cooler to rest for at least an hour. 8: Enjoy!
I laughed out loud when you said, "It is killing me not to trim this brisket.". I never trim my briskets because I'm cheap and hate seeing the amount fat being removed. It's not really waste, but in my mind it is. Great video!
It’s not a waste if you toss all the trimmed fat in the grinder, then render it down into oil in a sauce pan over low heat. It’s my primary source of cooking oil!
I have one for you. One year around July 4th my mom and I were shopping. Brisket is something we usually couldn't afford, but with the holiday sale, it was actually cheaper than hamburger, so we bought two. One we cut into roasts, but the other we put through her meat grinder. OMG, I've never had a better burger! Something to try one day if you're curious.
I was raised in Texas and trimming was considered something a "yankee" would do to a brisket. However, I moved to Colorado and after a few years of continuing to cook untrimmed, I decided to try trimming. Had two main motives for doing that. 1. I found that the fat layer prevents some of the smoke flavoring from penetrating the meat so trimming can allow more smoke flavor overall, especially for folks who are "put off" by the fat and won't eat it. 2. I have a Brinkman smoker that uses charcoal and whatever wood I add. Smoking for 9 - 10 hours requires frequently going out and keeping the fire stoked. I found that if I allow the trimmed brisket about 3 hours on the smoker, that's all the time it needs to acquire the smoke flavor. Then I can bring it inside and place in a roasting pan in our oven and leave it for the next 6 hours to finish off and it still comes out juicy and flavorful and I could ignore it for most of the day.
I don't know, I never trim and I still get decent smoke on the meat, but I never finish off in the oven either. All day in the smoker, just check on it every so often.
I do the same thing. I smoke for 3-4 hours, depending on internal temp, then put in oven to get to that done temp then let sit in cooler. Saves me a lot of stick and time doing this.
I’ve cooked a lot of brisket over te years and trim little to none. I’ve never added tallow since so much fat is there and when wrapped in foil, it contains it. Try some red Chile powder or some cayenne powder. It enhances the flavor. Thanks for sharing! Hope you’re acclimating to not going to work everyday. It takes awhile. I’d wake up and shower and dress as if I was going in and finally got out of that habit. If you need or want to try pecan, I still have some.
The addition of Red Chile powder or Cayenne Powder for someone like me who is on the long haul end of Covid where I've lost a little taste and smell (Both are needed for full enjoyment of food) sure sounds like the ticket, and I just bought a Brisket two weeks ago I believe I'll try it
Wow! Brilliant! It's never occurred to me to not trim a brisket. It all makes sense though, if your temperature is right you'll render the fat. Great job and awesome looking brisket....I just froze a whole packer that I'll have to try this on. 👍👍👍
Great video! I'm so glad you did this. I've always trimmed my brisket because for no other reason than, "this is how we've always done it". I didn't have the guts to put a $75+ brisket on the smoker without using proven methods, but seeing this has sparked my curiosity. I think I'm going to experiment with at least leaving a good portion of the fat on the brisket just to see if that makes a difference to the "juiciness" factor. Thanks for this!
Massive Brisket!!! Fat is flavor, I’ve had briskets with a 2”+ fat cap in spots, and also really thin flats. Not sure if the friends and family would wanna go through all that. Personally I’m going to keep trimming, but good to know I don’t have to! Great video!
God? Who? Oh the imaginary sky wizard. So how’s it feel to be part of a death cult? I mean you people can’t wait till everyone dies so that’s pretty much a death cult. Grim.
I rarely trim the fat off. It protects the outer meat from getting dried or burnt. Depending how it cooks down it can be separated, mashed and a dollop spread on the meat serving, or added to a gravy for potatoes.
I think we lose a bit of bark/smoke ring by leaving it untrimmed. Some BBQ joints don’t trim anything except the oxidation and they season it and let it roll….better “yield” and less “waste”. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Joe. Have a great week my brother 🤘
@@joekerrytorres3027 on a brisket, when the packer is removing it from the breast bone, on both sides, you’ll notice a grayish color and a bumpy texture, which doesn’t look like the rest of the meat….this is the oxidation that I’m speaking of.
As a person who never smoked a brisket, I think the trimming is for appearance in competition and having a consistent slice measurement. Much like serving St. Louis style ribs. Just a thought.
I think it's also done so you can get more for your meat, since alot of places take the trimmings and will make it into sausage (I think it's sausage, I can't remember exactly)
I have literally bought 25 of those briskets. They were on sale for $3/lb. Well over $1,200 worth. Now I have a whole bunch of roasts, jerky, dried meat, fried fat, and 8+ gallons of lovely tallow! I put the tallow in everything to add some energy and flavor. And the fried trimmings is just like bacon, and it's great in literally everything. I hope people don't typically throw away the trimmings, there's so much value in it. Every single bit of that whole brisket is delicious and nutritious.
Outstanding! Gotta say this, though. I’ve smoked some big briskets but can’t remember ending up with flat slices so big! Like you said, “monster slices”, right? So from the thickness of the flat and knowing the weight I can tell you for sure that your packer came already trimmed compared to the ones we typically get, especially the ones from Kroger. Really appreciate the experiment, though, because it tells me I can at least trim a lot less!
Great video Joe. I started to cook my brisket’s un-trimmed, and have like the results. As you said, “you can cut away any part of the fat that you don’t want to eat”. I look forward to your future videos.
The philosophy though is that any fat cut away is also removing flavor; smoke and seasoning. I don't know if that holds water though. It's not that much of the slice of brisket, but then again, that philosophy applies to guests. When I am eating brisket I won't trim that fat I will mix that part with a "leaner" bite.
Great video as always! I continue to admire your use of mustard as a binder. I didn't start smoking brisket until 1999-2000ish, and I was taught to use mustard as a binder, and that trimming wasn't really necessary unless you were in competition, for smoke ring and other aesthetic considerations.
I've never had brisket at a bbq competition that was anywhere near as good as my uncle's, or mine. As always happens, once people turn it into a competition, all sorts of dumb arbitrary characteristics become more important than whether it tastes good. I brought some in to work once, and one guy started critiquing everything about it. Come to find out, everyone else was giving him crap because he was known as "the bbq guy" due to his regular bbq completion wins...they were telling him that mine was better than his, so he had to tell me everything I did "wrong".
This is very impressive. I’m new to the game and have watched many videos on how to trim. Yours is the first video I’ve seen that experimented with the no trim premise. I thank you so much, you have alleviated a lot of concern I had. I’ve been doing my homework, but my pellet stove is arriving this afternoon and I’m anxious to get started.
Hi Joe! 🌟New Subscriber🌟 I just adapted the carnivore diet and want to learn how to cook meats in a very delicious way, I am also packing carnivore lunches for my 29 year old son for his truck driving job. I just bought my first 15 lb beef brisket that I don't know anything about. Hope to learn a few things on your channel💯🔥Thank you for your info👍
Excellent! A very well done video. That brisket is money. Let the render trim the fat. I was happy to see you still had a good smoke ring, even through all that "fluff". The fluff is the stuff that gives you flavor and juice.
Joe, You Nailed that brisket cook!!! Making me rethink my “ Modified Comp Trim”. My last 2 angus came out a little drier than I’m used to. Probably going to leave all the fat between the point & flat next time. Thank You for this video!!
I like the no trim brisket, something to think about on food truck. I know when I do brisket I want to try this. I think this is more beneficial to back yard bbqer, you can always trim fat off cut slices if need be but you don't sacrifice and meat. If you make hamburger or sausages might be different story. I seen Dog Father's version, I liked the crispy aspect of his, I would think there are better shaped briskets for this, yours seemed like it had more blunt edges and I thought it came out great. I have a question that pertains to a brisket that is trimmed, is your experience after trimming and cooking the final Product is 50% lighter. 16lb raw brisket cooked brisket 8lbs. You have Great Channel Joe. Many successes on your new Venture.
This is almost how I cook all my briskets and for a home cook like me, the results are plenty good. I might trim just the nasty edges from the vaccuum seal and easy to reach big chunks of fat if I'm feeling fancy. I can't really tell the difference between this a full trim. It's great to see a real pitmaster do this experiment and confirm my suspicions!
I'm surprised a pitmaster hasn't tried it before. Like what, did they get a recipe one time and never experiment to see what tastes better/worse for the next 20 years?
Thank you for watching this untrimmed brisket video. Check out this video next where I smoked a brisket on my 1962 Weber Kettle. th-cam.com/video/5afJEZcmak4/w-d-xo.html
Brother I wish I could cook like you I would have my wife on cloud nine. HOW could you not love this man laid back and can cook!
Too much fat not the cook the brisket! well both really!
I use my Weber kettle for smoking. I have never used the smoker I bought 4 years ago...
Trimming it, and then cooking the Trimmings with it works really good too! You get all the flavor, but it's already been cleaned! All the flavor, but the works been done!
What was your average cooking temperature?
I’ve been smoking briskets for almost 15 years. I have never trimmed a brisket. I have never had a bad brisket from not trimming. When I first seen people trim them it freaked me out because you lose the flavor. For me anyways. Great video. Glad you finally tried it.
Same. My dad use to smoke lots of briskets and I honestly can not remember him trimming the fat off. I only started trimming the fat after the wife commented about all the fat while I seasoned it.
@@clos5700 that’s why a lot of these people go from a 17lb brisket to 13lb. They trim off so much fat they leave the meat exposed then they have to add fat to make it juicy lol. Blows my mind
30 years, never trimmed one in my life.
Same here. Never understood why theses "professionals" think it is necessary.
@@paullopez6620 My guess it comes from the "fat is bad for you" movement. The first time I saw someone trim a brisket...only to re-add tallow later to keep it moist I was like, well this is the dumbest thing I've seen today.
I like this guy. He isn't so full of himself that he will try other things to see for himself. Many of these backyard cooks act like they are culinary gods and don't dare contradict them. As a father of a trained Chef, this gentleman has my respect.
Absolutely. A closed mind cannot grow, learn and evolve.
And save that delicious fat. I use it for tacos and the shells,sauces and other things. It is liquid gold.
Man, I TOTALLY agree!!! With everything your comment stated.
Nice job and a beautiful looking piece of meat
What's great about this one is how he proves that you don't need to trim in order to turn out great results! The only disadvantage of this video is the music.
No fat, no flavor. Mouth watering video sir.
Thanks for watching 👍
Exactly!
I love eating the gelatinous smoked fat from a brisket!
Lots of people do. 👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ I don't trim my brisket.
I am from Texas & never saw a brisket trimmed until I started watching cooking shows & TH-cam videos. Needless to say, I have never trimmed a brisket, also never had a complaint about the brisket either. Brisket is so easy, all you need is your favorite seasoning, smoke, a good bit of time & a cooler of beer to pass the time with friends & family plus the dogs loves all of the heathy eaters that won't eat fat. When I fire up the pit, the dogs know there is something good showing up in their bowl this evening.
Ditto here from Abbott Texas. I am smoking one today for Labor Day ( tomorrow) . No trimming, just mustard and my Rub, I am not a competition cooker just a Texad with a off-set smoker . I prefer oak for heat and pecan for smoke. But today I am using hickory. I am open to suggestions
well said.
Gotta love a guy that looks after his dogs. Well played sir.
I'm from the northern midwest, where we don't have much for regional barbecue styles, but I'd suggest the true healthy eaters don't mind fat. Sugar is what we avoid. Joe said our parents' generation might have been less inclined to trim fat, but I've seen the opposite. Younger generations have learned the "food pyramid" was a lie. The health problems formerly commonly associated with "fat" were caused by trans fats made by chemically modifying otherwise unpalatable seed oils. The increase in obesity not due to consumption of fat but rather the ubiquity of excess sugar in processed foods.
@@timewave02012 you hit it right on the head. I’ve stop arguing with people about this.
My dad and I owned and operated a BBQ in K C Ks for 50 years. I did the smoking for 35 years. I never trimmed a brisket and we smoked 3 cases a day. We trimmed it before we threw it on the slicer. The brisket you smoked was a beautiful thing!
What is the name of your BBQ, I live in Kansas City
@@bluebeans2427 or for making talo
@@Mike-oh9yg Ronnie's House of Lies and Phantom BBQ. Could never find the place though.
We use our trimmings in our deer burger and bologna
You had me smiling at "house of lies " .... laughter ensued at phatom bbq
Awesome idea to smoke a brisket right out of the packaging. Satisfaction level 8 is good enough for me.
i always have when i can find them
Geday from Australia just did my first brisket yesterday and because of my disability i didnt trim my brisket and it was fantastic. then i saw your video and was so happy thx.
Thank you for watching. Nice job buddy. 👏
I'm hoping brisket is not a foreign concept to me friends down under. It's too beautiful to be missed in life.
I just smoked my very first brisket this past weekend after purchasing a pellet grill a couple of weeks ago. After watching this, I decided to try it without trimming it. Boy, am I glad I went that route! It was so much more flavorful than any brisket I've ever had, and everyone else at the family party agreed! It practically fell apart as I was taking it out of the butcher paper. I would say it was a home run for the smoker rookie. I will definitely be doing it this way next time!
How long did you smoke it for... did you wrap it, what temperature? Lemme know!
@thefaz012 :: When I first saw the preparation phase of a brisket ( especially the trimming ) I was wondering why do they trim the fatty part ... chefs are always talking about fat providing so much flavor ; but brisket _is_ trimmed so it must be because it would be too fatty. The chefs/cooks must know what they're doing.
This is my first time watching a brisket being cooked and not trimmed.
I read your comment and was glad to read that it works very well. Not trimming the brisket makes sense ... the original meaning of fat providing the most flavor.
@@cliffgaither yeah I decided I'm not gonna trim too much fat off my brisket. Then I'm gonna use my pan drippings with my leftover wings marinade to make a sauce for my chicken wings.
Looks great. I’ve never cooked a brisket and have always wanted to. This summer I will
Everytime I saw a brisket being trimmed I thought why are you doing that, after all you are cooking it for a minimum of 9 hours, so it's almost a guarantee it will render, and be the juiciest brisket you could hope for. Joe, you just proved my point, and I would give it a 10! Thanks for giving it a shot.
I do not have a smoker so I trim but yes leave it on if smoking but desilver the other side for better marinated flavor
Bark
charleshowells250
Say what? Sorry I don't understand why you said bark.
My comment had nothing to do with the bark. Cheers
Trim some of the fat so the rub doesn’t fall off like the one spot where he said idk what happened to the rub? My guess it fell off when the fat rendered. Prob won’t be as juicy but the bark will be better I think but I’m no pro
I'm sure it was nice but let's be honest that was a pretty gnarly looking brisket. Multiple places where the rub came off due to pooling, some really overly dark spots, and some super dry looking slices on the flat end. Besides that, when you trim you get multiple uses out of the brisket (tallow, burger meat etc) rather than just the one and done cook. There's good reasons to trim, if you can't be bothered then you do you.
I put my brisket in an aluminum roasting pan from the dollar tree and cover it with tin foil. To catch all the juice that comes out. I pour it into a jar and allow it to separate. There's a wonderfully Rich beef stock that settles to the bottom. I mix it in with my favorite barbecue sauce . And sometimes I'll some for making a fantastic beef gravy. Left over brisket with mash potatoes and gravy is just about as good as barbecued brisket.
Just put it in the oven at that point this is bbq homes!
@@allupinya5938
I sear it over the fire first . And the smoke still gets into the pan . But after a good searing you can finish it off in the oven. I've done it that way when the weather was crappy.
Wow! You shole know how to eat!! Sounds tasty!
I'm definitely gonna try adding the juice to my barbecue sauce next time I make a brisket that sounds amazing
I also use a cheap roasting pan for the first half of the smoke but I don’t cover it. Good gravy
I saw trimming become a youtube/Instagram thing about 8 years ago when a gentleman that ran a smoking channel claimed to be a fitness instructor, and he would say, "There just no reason for all this extra fat; it will not all render and is bad for the body." at age 51 growing up working BBQ joints and owning one now, I only trim brisket if I need fat for sausage as I was taught by some old timers who in my opinion were the best in the business. Think about it, you're trimming it, then placing it back in beef tallow at a higher cost. Even if you're making your own tallow, it still costs money to gas/power the stove and space in the fridge to keep it; just leave the fat on the meat.
There is a bit of hard fat that doesn't render. That's about it
I'm a newbie here. Also relatively new to smoking. Maybe 4 years now. I just purchased a 12-pound brisket and wanted to find out a proper method to do it which is how I found this channel. My hat is off to you for a beautifully presented video. You rock! Yes, I subscribed.
My dad never trimmed his briskets and they always turned out great. So, I did the same.And only seasoned with S-P-G. Never added any tallow and wrapped in plain old aluminum foil. Always perfect. Too many people try to over think it, or try to improve on an already proven method. And in the end- Taste and tenderness is all that matters!
Briskets your dad bought are NOT the same as the ones you can buy today. You should know that.
@@foobarmaximus3506 🙄Whatever! I guess we have brand new cows then.
Amen, these TH-cam cooks do it for the views, in reality nobody does this. No trim, tin foil, no frills, no fuss, tastes better than any pretentious cook does on TH-cam.
I always thought it started with the contests. So they could cook faster.
Agree. My dad never trimmed or added anything fancy and it was fabulous
We have been cooking low & slow untrimmed briskets since 1980... Glad you shared with the world! Best to you and yours...🤠
I honestly didn't know iw how popular this method of cooking briskets was until this video. 👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ I think it is that you are a professional and like presentation for show but long as it is good who cares
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ 00:10 Is that what caused you to grow horns?
Low and slow is the key. Too much heat on the fat is arson waiting to flame up.
@@larrytischler570is 275 degrees for 7-9 hours really a low temp? Result is a 204 degree internal temperature which seems too high to really be tender.
I was taught by my old school uncles to never trim your brisket. Of course we have always cooked for large groups, but the fat is the key to see if you have cooked a good brisket. Of course having a show like your Joe. You can do it different ways. Keep On Grindin my brother.
Thanks so much Jay!🤘
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ Your welcome brother. You and T&T have inspired me to do more catering and private cooks.
I think of all time and meat I've wasted trimming a brisket when it wasn't even necessary. Life changing!
I mean, you can take the trimmings, roast them off, and use them to make beef stock. No trim ever goes to waste if you use it right.
Congratulations on your discovery! 😁 When I first started smoking nearly 20 years ago, I did not trim my brisket. Shortly after I started, someone told me "you're supposed to trim it". I tried it once and it did not seem to make a difference, as a matter of fact, I didn't think it was as good. So, that was the one and only brisket I ever trimmed. And yes, I am a born & raised Texan!
You know, I really have to give you credit for being so open to try different things. So many of the experts on TH-cam have no ability to consider anything other than what they think but you are very open to trying different ways for the sake of learning. That is very beneficial to all of your followers and I really appreciate it.
I have been considering not trimming my Brisket, now that I've seen your video I think that I will do my next one right out of the package. My only concern would be the hard fat, I didn't see much on the one you did. I already smoke hot and fast at 300F so dropping to 275F won't be a problem for me.
You know what I love about this channel
You made a video where you learned something new
Most channels and people try to look perfect
You have my respect
BBQ purist here from Texas. My family has been in the BBQ business for 80+ years and we have never trimmed a brisket or used any seasonings or rubs on it prior to smoking. We let the smoke do all the work and every one has come out great. Experimenting with an untrimmed brisket is a step in the right direction! Thanks!
I think it really depends on what kind of pit you are using. Parents had a BBQ / grocery store and we never trimmed the brisket or season the fat side. Had stick burner with the fire box on the outside and had a water pan and we smoke the brisket for 8 to 12 hrs. We never checked the temperature just go by how the bark looked and what it felt like when sticking a fork in it. Didn't use any binder. We would smoke 250 to 300 lbs of brisket at one time .
would y’all wrap or let it go?
Binder not required if done right
When I was in the bbq business, I smoked mine only slightly trimmed. I cooled it off afterwards and refrigerated it until the next day. I then sliced it to about 1/2” thick. To serve, I put down a little oil on a hot (375°) flat top until it crisped up slightly. Served it on a plate or sandwich. None of the problems associated with holding at temp and I had almost no complaints. This was before TH-cam and the advent of BroBQ. I did serve it occasionally traditionally as a special once a week and on a Thursday night buffet, with pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and all the usual stuff.
“When I was” is they key phrase here.
@@davidwellbrock395 as opposed to someone who never did?
@@davidwellbrock395 are you in the business? I'm in the food business. And bbq is a tough genre of the food industry. Takes a lot time, ingredients aren't cheap at all, location, pricing is beyond tough, customers gripe about the price without taking into context what(cost) went into the end product.
Thank you for your service.
@@hogsandsooners touché
Totally talked me into smoking my first brisket. Thanks for the simplicity
Nice! 🤘
Thanks!
Trimmed brisket is something that came along when people tried to make something simple seem complicated so they could claim to know some "magical secret". I've never seen a trimmed brisket out in the wild and that's where some of the best is found
Was the cook time honestly 9,1/2 hours for a 17 lb brisket at 275' ?
@@paulmitchell6595
Im amazed. Your seeing what im seeing.
I think im being punked.
You nailed it👍😎
@@paulmitchell6595 That is why this is best done on a Friday night w beer and friends
I have never trimmed my brisket. For what reason
Great vid! Our family grew up loving a nice layer of fat in proportion to the meat... cooked right, it's like meat butter! So we've never trimmed the fat from any of our meats whether brisket, tri-tip, ribeye, and chuck. We love to taste that nice buttery portion of fat with a big bite of juicy tender meat. As far as our family (and many friends who eat with us) are concerned, the fat is an integral part of the whole thing. It's especially great when the fat is seared and has a crispy taste. But we understand that most people prefer trimmed meat. And no, we are not obese because of the fat we eat. I'm glad you showed that not trimming the fat is not necessarily a bad thing! Thanx for the great vid! That brisket looked really delicious ... a testament to your great technique!
When I go out to eat i beg the smoke house to add fat to the meat. Finally found one place that would do it cause they saw the weight loss from eating carnivore! My bp dropped 40 pts in the last year. So heck yes keep that fat on the meat you are so right it is like butter.!! 🇱🇷🙏🇱🇷
I've started trimming less fat off briskets lately. I've found that it helps keep it "juicy" and most of it renders off anyways. The results are better I feel. Thanks for the video!!
Just did this with a flat this past weekend and was very happy with the result...
Often the only difference between screwing around and science is documentation. Thanks for doing this! I'm going to have to try my next brisket without trimming!
Thank you. 👍
As a child (I'm 55 now) my grandparents and parents always told me the best flavor is in the fat . It took a few years but once I grew past the texture I now realize they were right ...when weren't they . So when my kids didn't want there's I offered to take it . After a while they cought on and now I don't get it as much . One child still will not eat it . She sits next to me .lol great video bud !👍👍👍🍻
I’m just getting into trying a brisket and you have saved me from butchering up a brisket badly trying to trim it. Thank you very much for this video. 🙏🏾
moral here is to trim a bit for a even all around cook, but dont trim too much.
What temp are you smoking this at. Only 9 hours?
@@kennyef 275
Really?? Brisket is easy to trim !
@@toriless Yeah, just trim off anywhere that looks like it has way too much fat, and leave the rest. If you're taking meat off, STOP THAT! lol
I started smoking Brisket about 20-years ago, taught by a Texan and was never told to trim a brisket first… always came out decent. Drawbacks for me was a perceived “less smoke ring” and also the additional smoke time needed given the extra “mass.” I trim my briskets now and am happy to do so… but certainly trimming is NOT required IMO.
I can see trimming for a better smoke ring but as you mentioned, it's not 100% required. 👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ The smoke ring is tasteless. It adds no flavor. For cosmetic appearance only.
Never trimmed my briskets. Come out way more moist in my opinion.
I never trim mine and always get fat smoke rings
Personally I have never been able to get my eyes to taste anything so I have never been very concerned with seeing a smoke ring as long as the flavor is there. I have always enjoyed untrimed over trimmed. Also, if you don't trim the there is no need to add tallow, the brisket makes it's own. Trimming is waste and waste is bad. If you're worried about a pretty smoke ring for a competition or something then you are cooking for the wrong reasons and I personally would question the validity of the judges.
I think a lot of young new BBQ'ers that are coming up don't realize that trimming packer briskets was not a common thing. Nor was wrapping your brisket, at least not in butcher paper, foil maybe, but sometimes no one ever even got around to wrapping it. Salt, pepper, smoke, and time was all we used. Most of us didn't even have working thermometers on our pits, we knew the pit so well that we could tell what it needed just by lookin at the fire. This whole thing with letting your brisket rest over night, my goodness, no one could ever wait that long.
So true. I appreciate you watching. 🤘
100% when i take a brisket off i put on at 8am, I give it 2 hours at most, sometimes I'll admit i give it an hour, it smells so good its hard to resist
lol
Ol school
@@candle86 So how long did you cook until taking it off.
Thank you for this video! My family owned a small convenience store many years ago. I smoked over 1600 un-trimmed briskets during that time. It was years later I “refined” my smoking style. After watching this, I’m going to do my next smoke “old school “
Thanks brother!
Finally a video that shows the correct way to bbq a brisket. Cook it , don't smoke it. I have cooked brisket for over 50 years. Never trimmed one of them. The fat keeps it moist. If you don't like the fat trim it off after you have cooked it. It still be moist. If you like a dried up piece of meat with little flavor, go ahead and trim the fat off before cooking it. Go ahead, your choice.
Yeah and put a pan under your smoker or roll it to the lawn, because it is going to pour grease all over.
@@donaldkasper8346 most of us have smokers with catch pans guy. You running a charbroiler? Lol
I can see you outside with a foil pan under your burning Lowes BBQ. 🔥
@@Shepardofman Catch tray is dangerous. It will catch grease then catch fire. My grill has scoria lava rock. This is a porous lava rock. It traps the grease, distributes the gas flame heat, and lets very little grease through. BBQ source? I think Home Depot. Lowes did not come to our area until later.
The first time I saw someone trim a brisket prior to smoking, I almost had a heart attack! I just kept thinking they were cutting off all the flavor. Glad you tried this. It's the only way I've ever done briskets, and yes, I'm in TX.
I loved your presentation. Our local Walmart has brisket for $4/lb. Although my camp chef is temporarily out of order my charcoal offset smoker is fine, and I think that Thursday will be a perfect day to replicate your smoking job. Nothing quite like smoked brisket sandwiches...
Very nice! People over think it! I usually do minimal trimming because it seems like insanity to cut all the meat off a brisket so it is “aerodynamic!” I am not cooking to win a competition, I bbq and smoke to enjoy it with friends and family! Great job!
I was a bit nervous to trim my brisket. I was delaying. This gave me confidence to just do my thing. Thanks SJ!
So, you usually don’t trim your brisket. But now, after watching this video, you’re going to start trimming your brisket?
Great brisket. And I agree. I have done hundreds of them and never trim anything except some silver skin if it is present.
When I first started smoking brisket I asked my brother if he trimmed his, He said he never did as best I recall. I'm pretty sure my dad didn't trim either. I do recall there being places where the fat was a little thick in spots. I would just cut some off if needed before eating. I trim mine but not to the extent like you or Bradley (Chubs BBQ) does. I'm not concerned with a perfect shape. I do mine on a Weber Kettle.
Very nice. The Weber is a heck of a smoker. 👍
I just did this 11/15/23...BEST BRISKET EVER!!!!
Excellent video!
I’m on the side of those who, after trimming, are unsure if the trimming was correct or not.
I won’t trim anything.
That brisket of yours looks amazing.
Thank you Edwardo 👍
I never understand why people trim all the fat when smoking a brisket. I'm glad this video confirm it for me. Thanks.
My brother inlaws mom taught me this years ago before she passed away. Seasoned exactly the same way. I season my ribs this way also. It never fails.
I'm ok with not trimming it... but I've never cooked one at that temp. I was always taught lower temp (200-210) for a longer time and that takes care of that fat rendering down, keeping everything juicy, and keeping the remaining fat from hardening up. Typical cook time in the 14-17 hour range depending on the weight (with additional time for the burnt ends of course)
My smoker can’t even cook that low. My coal bed is depleted by the time I get down to 250. Big smokers cook hotter and faster. They move a lot of air.
THANK YOU! Minimum 13hrs
I would at least do 225°. 200-210 is a danger zone.
@@LisaCSCO Danger zone is above 40° and below 140°
Really, you can go as hot as you want without buring your product while still giving enough time to render the fat. You'll render faster a higher temp at the risk of burning. It's a balance if you want a faster cook. Also different cookers will prefer to cook at different temps, especially if you're trying to keep a clean smoke.
I’ve been wanting to try smoking a brisket without trimming it. You gave me the inspiration to try it now!!👍🏼👍🏼
Great video man! That looked fantastic! I learned my lesson on trimming briskets with my first attempt trying to cook one in my pellet cooker instead of my stick burner since it weighed 18lbs and I didn't feel like sitting up all night tending the fire. I followed one of the "pro" recommendations on removing the fat-cap down to a 1/4", center fat, corners, and all the other tricks of the trade. I've never trimmed another one since! Much better NOT trimmed! Now whether or not I'm using the pellet or stick burner, I hit it with a binder, seasoning, and toss it on the cooker. And yes, liberal amounts of tallow in the wrapping phase is the key to greatness! 😍
Bien hecho, Jose. I been cooking professionally for over 20 years and I have never trimmed a brisket. It's a beautiful thing
Gracias mi Carlos. 🤘
Greetings from the Texas Hill Country!. I learned a lot about BBQ from an old Tejano. My rub starts with a little lard. The spices are sea salt,sage, rosemary,thyme and allspice.I use untrimmed brisket. I try for 250 degrees temperature.I go for an hour per pound.
Good job!!! I'm kind of a novice, but followed your simple instructions using my pellet smoker and cooked the best brisket I've ever eaten. So tender, so juicy. I couldn't be happier. Thanks buddy.
Yeah buddy! Welcome to the club and never trim a brisket you're about to smoke. The fat on top, and let it melt into the meat. Juicier, more flavorful, just better all around.
Pellet !! Disgusted, get a real BBQ
@@toriless Sorry to disgust you buddy. But it was truly delicious. I'm going to cook another on as soon as they go on sale again. If you you live near me in eastern NC, you'd be welcome to our place for dinner. Take care.
@@kevinmalott Pellet is great for ribs and other smaller cuts but for big cuts they don't seem able to create a bark. My weber kettle does a much better job.
I’ve never trimmed the fat on a brisket and have never had a problem, it’s not an 8 you know it’s a 10!!!
This was another amazing video. I am going to cook a 17 lbs. 1 oz. brisket tomorrow for everybody at work and I pray that it works because I’m not gonna trim mine either. I’ve taken your word. 🎉
So glad to find your channel. I have been wondering about trimming and everytime I chicken out and do the cut. My next brisket, I'll season it and leave it alone. Thanks for taking the challenge for the rest of us
Thank you for watching!👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ Yep, I followed your video and only cut off a few slices of the really dense fat. I did the same for Dino Ribs. Both came out fantastic. Kudos to you and your channel!
Love the moist cuts from an untrimmed brisket .
Never trimmed brisket, just smoked long enough to render fat
The fat vein deep inside will not render.
I've been doing it that way for 25 years, trimming it down looks pretty for the cameras but that's about it. To me if you trim it down all the way you taking out all the good fat that melts down into the meat. I must be doing something right like I said 25 years in business. 😁 Great show by the way.
Thanks so much Shane. 🤘
Did my first brisket yesterday and it turned out amazing. I chose to go with the no trim method along with your no wrap overnight cook. Overall the bark on the brisket was beautiful and with the no wrap method it was a little more crispy, but my friends that I made it for actually said they liked that crispy on the bottom. Thanks for the great vid. I might be posting a YT short over how this turned out.
Looking good. I don’t mind trimming because you get more rub/bark per bite, and all the trimmings eventually get ground into burger/sausage or eaten by the dog. But it is great to know that in a pinch, I can just chuck an untrimmed brisket straight on the smoker. Thanks for experimenting!
That's exactly what I been thinking... My dog is gonna hate him for making this vid! Way less trimmings going her way from now on.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For showing me that it’s unnecessary to trim! I’m looking forward to doing my first untrimmed. Continued success!
My brisket from last weekend I decided to give no-trim a try. It was a complete win. My wife likes the extra fat on it anyway and she loved it. It all comes down to personal preference I suppose, so I'm going to mix it up depending on the brisket itself.
when you consider the flavour is in the fat .... leaving the fat on will let the flavour infuse into the meat as it slowly smokes ... long gone are the days of dry aged beef with loads of flavour ... now we have injected meat with fake flavours and loads of water and other chemicals ...
Happy wife happy life you found the secret
try smoking even lower temps for days ... and DONT add salt to it ... use sea driftwood if you must but mix sweet woods and hardwoods together for the smoke and flavour and natural salts ... a good starting place would be pork belly ... this way you make proper bacon and NOT the italian porchetta version we get in stores ...
.
thats right smoked salted pork belly is porchetta NOT BACON ... bacon is ONLY smoked ... Panchetta is only salted ...
@@kaboom-zf2bl Hey Tone, this gabbagool is sayin' we ain't Italian! Yeah, I said ain't!"
My wife like the extra fat on me also! 😊
I've smoked untrimmed brisket and was great! I also did one in a cast iron dutch oven in the oven. Was even more tender cooking slowly in its own juices
This was incredible brother! Watched the whole vid, and was totally enthralled!! We’ve been asked to do a brisket. Was totally
wondering how the untrimmed brisket would go - great work fam, you know we smashed the like button!!🔥🔥
Guys untrimmed is the way to go.
Now I can see a few touch ups here and there but nothing excessive.
What a great video! I’ve thought about this over the years. Great idea. It definitely opens the door to brisket for those that are nervous about the trimming.
I've smoked brisket in Houston / Galveston area for almost 40 years and I never trimmed one. For first 25 I smoked it fat side down for 18 to 20 hours without wrapping. Then for about 5 years I wrapped after 9 hours or so and still cooked for a total of 18-20 hours. For the last 10 years I put in an aluminum pan covered with foil after smoking for 9 or so hours then cooked for another 9 hours in smoker or oven at 225. This method keeps all the rendered fat and juices that I separate then pour over the sliced brisket. It's fall apart delicious and doesn't need a knife or fork, you can cut with a spoon.
I do the same for pulled pork, just not as long.
Here at the VFW in Galveston I'm getting ready to cook both and my homemade sausage to give away to first responders on September 11th. Everyone who has tried my smoked meats says it's the best they have ever tasted.
Thanks for sharing. I think the longer cook makes all the difference. If you don’t trim AND don’t render the fat it’s a mess and does the untrimmed brisket a disservice.
Thanks for the info. How long do you cook pork?
I like my brisket with a small bite/pull, never falling apart.
I’m a lead chef at an American Legion and doing this for a weekend special dinner. Never trimmed it more than the loose hanging fat. I put those bits into a pan with water in the smoker. I also use a little bacon grease instead of pickle juice.
Way to go, looks great!
I have always wondered why people cut all the flavor off. I’m definitely not a chef, and have never attempted to do a brisket because I thought I would ruin a $75.00 piece of meat . Now you just proved to me that I don’t have to take a 20 semesters of meat cutting to do a brisket.
Thanks a million. New subscriber.
This also makes me think, this is another thing people make more of an ordeal of just to make them look good.
I appreciate this video because I have been thinking about not trimming my briskets seeing as how much time it takes. I love the fact that Joe used a Choice quality of meat rather than the Prime that Dawgfatha used. It's much more realistic for most of us to buy Choice with these rises in cost.
Agreed - 120 bucks for a brisket is out of my league....
I’m glad I came across this video. I was over here thinking about how I was probably gonna mess up trimming a brisket and now I don’t gotta worry about that anymore 💪🏽
Got 1 on sale here for $3.99 Cdn./lb.
Left it sitting in the fridge for a week, cryovaced; aging, ;), while I researched how to cook it on Webby.
Just trimmed it; my 1st today.
Doing a dry brine tonight with Kosher salt & then hack Canadian cooking it on my Weber Gas Grill Tomorrow with some wood pellets in foil.. Don't have a "pit".
Don't feel so bad about my 1st trim now.
Pretty sure it will turn out good.
Making some burgs & tallow out of extras & big bowl of fat. Hacked a good part of fat seam out of seam between point & flat and salted in there too.
Bitta scalp here and there, but oh well.
Pre-burnt Webby off and checked temp settings for cooking at 5C outside here.
Supposed to be sunny and decent tomorrow, so this 1st baby of mine going on at 6:00 for same day eating.
Don't like this, " rest til next morning" stuff.
Then what?
Eat at 8:00 am?
Also, I think to cook them "untrimmed", you need to pick a really good lookin one out, at the store.
The one I picked had only a bit of fat on meat side & usual humps on fat side. Pretty easy trimmin., but, probably could've/should've smoked it as-is.
1st time smokin Joe, Canada.
This has literally been me all day. I’m down with this.
I really appreciate this video. I'm new to brisket but have cooked pork shoulders for decades now. Similarly, some people think you have to dig into the fat cap, "false cap," etc. whatever, but I've always believed in less (trimming) is more with pork. I feel better knowing brisket trimming is very much the same, and I'm not gonna ruin my brisket if I don't do a competition trim.
Thanks for doing this! Still going to trim my briskets but going to trim a WHOLE lot less. Looks delicious!
What parts would you still trim on your briskets?
Thanks for doing this video! I am following a carnivore way of eating and have wanted to do a brisket this way. Need all the fat! Besides I love brisket. Now I know it is possible to cook the brisket without trimming it. Thank you again! 🇱🇷🙏🇱🇷
100 thumbs up Joe!!!
Glad to finally see somebody out there doing brisket the way i`ve done it for many decades! I think people tend to over think all this Smokin & BBQ`ing.
Retired cet here. I have a small filter so we can't eat a whole brisket. Can I cut my brisket in half and smoke it in 2 separate sessions?
@@just_a_guy13 Yep! I actually cooked a brisket in three pieces (flat, and two halves of the point) on my tall, narrow electric smoker and it turned out great. Takes way less time than doing the whole thing too, and you can take the flat off before it gets dry.
@@JonathanAwesomeify did you just go by temp then? I've thought about smoking it for 3-4hrs and putting it in a sous vide for a day but I have no idea what the heck I'm doin lol any help is appreciated. I'd like to be able to smoke some brisket for Halloween, veterans day, my bday, the day after .. pretty much all the time lol
@@just_a_guy13 The most important thing is to not rush: If you try to time it to have on the table for exactly 6 p.m., you'll end up over cooking it or not having it done in time. Encourage your guests to relax with their beverages of choice while you all wait. Here's what I did, and it turned out really nice:
1: Cut the brisket horizontally along the fat between the point and flat muscles to separate them.
2: Cut the point in half, and trim the huge, suet-thick chunks of fat. Now you have 3 pieces of roughly equal size.
3: Season them the way you like. I just use a dry rub, no binder.
4: Start smoking at 225.
5: When they hit about 140-150, (after maybe 3 hours? go by temp, not time) wrap with butcher paper or foil.
6: Cook until they reach the mid-high 190s. (maybe another 2 hours?)
7: Take them out and place them, still wrapped, in a cooler to rest for at least an hour.
8: Enjoy!
@@JonathanAwesomeify so you keep it at 225 the while time?
thank you, I'll be doing this probably next weekend. I'll let you know how it comes out.
thank you for this video. I used to know an old butcher who used to swear buy not trimming brisket
This is almost exactly how I do brisket. Even the seasoning is the same. I trimmed for a while, but friends and family preferred untrimmed.
I laughed out loud when you said, "It is killing me not to trim this brisket.". I never trim my briskets because I'm cheap and hate seeing the amount fat being removed. It's not really waste, but in my mind it is. Great video!
Yea, I feel like I'm wasting meat when I trim
Why not just buy a whole cow then. You'd be amazed what gets wasted.
It really is a lot
It's all in the fat that makes the meat taste so good :)
It’s not a waste if you toss all the trimmed fat in the grinder, then render it down into oil in a sauce pan over low heat. It’s my primary source of cooking oil!
With an untrimmed brisket, it really doesn’t require the extra tallow applied to it. The extra fat does the job of basting. Great video😎
I only added tallow because portions of the briskets were a little dry. 👍
Exactly!
People created a problem by trimming and then had to fix the problem.
I have one for you. One year around July 4th my mom and I were shopping. Brisket is something we usually couldn't afford, but with the holiday sale, it was actually cheaper than hamburger, so we bought two. One we cut into roasts, but the other we put through her meat grinder. OMG, I've never had a better burger! Something to try one day if you're curious.
That’s definitely how we do it. We don’t buy ground beef. If way cheaper of your have the equipment to grind your own meat. Thanks for the comment 👍🏼
I was raised in Texas and trimming was considered something a "yankee" would do to a brisket. However, I moved to Colorado and after a few years of continuing to cook untrimmed, I decided to try trimming. Had two main motives for doing that. 1. I found that the fat layer prevents some of the smoke flavoring from penetrating the meat so trimming can allow more smoke flavor overall, especially for folks who are "put off" by the fat and won't eat it. 2. I have a Brinkman smoker that uses charcoal and whatever wood I add. Smoking for 9 - 10 hours requires frequently going out and keeping the fire stoked. I found that if I allow the trimmed brisket about 3 hours on the smoker, that's all the time it needs to acquire the smoke flavor. Then I can bring it inside and place in a roasting pan in our oven and leave it for the next 6 hours to finish off and it still comes out juicy and flavorful and I could ignore it for most of the day.
Yankee here, never have I or anyone I know trimmed a brisket.
Smoke without trimming. Serve it straight from the smoker and save the fat on your plate for Spaulding to eat.
I don't know, I never trim and I still get decent smoke on the meat, but I never finish off in the oven either. All day in the smoker, just check on it every so often.
I do the same thing. I smoke for 3-4 hours, depending on internal temp, then put in oven to get to that done temp then let sit in cooler. Saves me a lot of stick and time doing this.
@@chuckmacias I'm trying this method today as we speak!! What temp do you set the oven to?
I’ve cooked a lot of brisket over te years and trim little to none. I’ve never added tallow since so much fat is there and when wrapped in foil, it contains it. Try some red Chile powder or some cayenne powder. It enhances the flavor. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you’re acclimating to not going to work everyday. It takes awhile. I’d wake up and shower and dress as if I was going in and finally got out of that habit.
If you need or want to try pecan, I still have some.
The addition of Red Chile powder or Cayenne Powder for someone like me who is on the long haul end of Covid where I've lost a little taste and smell (Both are needed for full enjoyment of food) sure sounds like the ticket, and I just bought a Brisket two weeks ago
I believe I'll try it
Thank you so much for watching 👍
@@fsbirdhouse p
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@@fsbirdhouse I remember T-Roy cooks mentioning that in the past about cayenne really bringing out the flavor in beef. Thanks for sharing the tip!
Wow! Brilliant! It's never occurred to me to not trim a brisket. It all makes sense though, if your temperature is right you'll render the fat. Great job and awesome looking brisket....I just froze a whole packer that I'll have to try this on. 👍👍👍
Nice Paul, come back and let me know how it turned out. 👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ You bet I will!
I just trimmed and smoked a brisket about the same size took 4 or 5 lbs of fat off. It was a total fail glad I came across your video. Thank you
Trimming some off is okay 👍
Great video! I'm so glad you did this. I've always trimmed my brisket because for no other reason than, "this is how we've always done it". I didn't have the guts to put a $75+ brisket on the smoker without using proven methods, but seeing this has sparked my curiosity. I think I'm going to experiment with at least leaving a good portion of the fat on the brisket just to see if that makes a difference to the "juiciness" factor. Thanks for this!
My suggestion is to trim the very hard un rendering fat on the left or right side of the point. Then just slap it on the pit.
My cigar bill for 2 days is more. Come on man!
There’s flavor in fat and bone. Most of the fat cooks away and leaves you more tender goodness. You won’t regret not trimming it.
Massive Brisket!!! Fat is flavor, I’ve had briskets with a 2”+ fat cap in spots, and also really thin flats. Not sure if the friends and family would wanna go through all that. Personally I’m going to keep trimming, but good to know I don’t have to! Great video!
I agree, my only reservation would be friends and family having to trim off the delicious bark. 👍
I've never wasted the rendering goodness of my brisket. I'm in my 60s, and I'll never waste the goodness that GOD gave us. Enjoy!
I agree! Do you have a smoker or how do you cook your?
God? Who? Oh the imaginary sky wizard. So how’s it feel to be part of a death cult? I mean you people can’t wait till everyone dies so that’s pretty much a death cult. Grim.
I rarely trim the fat off. It protects the outer meat from getting dried or burnt. Depending how it cooks down it can be separated, mashed and a dollop spread on the meat serving, or added to a gravy for potatoes.
I think we lose a bit of bark/smoke ring by leaving it untrimmed. Some BBQ joints don’t trim anything except the oxidation and they season it and let it roll….better “yield” and less “waste”.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Joe.
Have a great week my brother 🤘
Correct, there is literally so much fat that it washes off some of the bark. Thanks for watching 👍
What is oxidation?
@@joekerrytorres3027 on a brisket, when the packer is removing it from the breast bone, on both sides, you’ll notice a grayish color and a bumpy texture, which doesn’t look like the rest of the meat….this is the oxidation that I’m speaking of.
Ok. Ty very much!
Smoke rings are an over rated feature. People think smoke rings are all that matters then serve you beef jerky.
As a person who never smoked a brisket, I think the trimming is for appearance in competition and having a consistent slice measurement. Much like serving St. Louis style ribs. Just a thought.
I think it's also done so you can get more for your meat, since alot of places take the trimmings and will make it into sausage (I think it's sausage, I can't remember exactly)
Make sense
Then why do all the places in Texas trim their briskets for lunch service?
From Texas here and I love smoked fatty brisket
I have literally bought 25 of those briskets. They were on sale for $3/lb. Well over $1,200 worth. Now I have a whole bunch of roasts, jerky, dried meat, fried fat, and 8+ gallons of lovely tallow! I put the tallow in everything to add some energy and flavor. And the fried trimmings is just like bacon, and it's great in literally everything.
I hope people don't typically throw away the trimmings, there's so much value in it. Every single bit of that whole brisket is delicious and nutritious.
Outstanding! Gotta say this, though. I’ve smoked some big briskets but can’t remember ending up with flat slices so big! Like you said, “monster slices”, right? So from the thickness of the flat and knowing the weight I can tell you for sure that your packer came already trimmed compared to the ones we typically get, especially the ones from Kroger. Really appreciate the experiment, though, because it tells me I can at least trim a lot less!
Great video Joe. I started to cook my brisket’s un-trimmed, and have like the results. As you said, “you can cut away any part of the fat that you don’t want to eat”. I look forward to your future videos.
The philosophy though is that any fat cut away is also removing flavor; smoke and seasoning. I don't know if that holds water though. It's not that much of the slice of brisket, but then again, that philosophy applies to guests. When I am eating brisket I won't trim that fat I will mix that part with a "leaner" bite.
post-trimmed brisket 😂😂😂
Great video as always! I continue to admire your use of mustard as a binder. I didn't start smoking brisket until 1999-2000ish, and I was taught to use mustard as a binder, and that trimming wasn't really necessary unless you were in competition, for smoke ring and other aesthetic considerations.
Thanks for watching James. 👍
I use brisket tallow to bind my seasoning! Try it wow!
I've never had brisket at a bbq competition that was anywhere near as good as my uncle's, or mine.
As always happens, once people turn it into a competition, all sorts of dumb arbitrary characteristics become more important than whether it tastes good.
I brought some in to work once, and one guy started critiquing everything about it. Come to find out, everyone else was giving him crap because he was known as "the bbq guy" due to his regular bbq completion wins...they were telling him that mine was better than his, so he had to tell me everything I did "wrong".
This is very impressive. I’m new to the game and have watched many videos on how to trim. Yours is the first video I’ve seen that experimented with the no trim premise. I thank you so much, you have alleviated a lot of concern I had. I’ve been doing my homework, but my pellet stove is arriving this afternoon and I’m anxious to get started.
Hi Joe! 🌟New Subscriber🌟 I just adapted the carnivore diet and want to learn how to cook meats in a very delicious way, I am also packing carnivore lunches for my 29 year old son for his truck driving job. I just bought my first 15 lb beef brisket that I don't know anything about. Hope to learn a few things on your channel💯🔥Thank you for your info👍
Awesome buddy! Welcome. Good luck 👍
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ Thank you💯
Excellent! A very well done video. That brisket is money. Let the render trim the fat. I was happy to see you still had a good smoke ring, even through all that "fluff". The fluff is the stuff that gives you flavor and juice.
Yes sir, thanks for watching 👍
I did it last weekend, just watched this. Mine turned out amazingly well. Just watched this, feel justified by this.
8:25 that looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this video. Very helpful! Thumbs up.
Joe, You Nailed that brisket cook!!! Making me rethink my “ Modified Comp Trim”. My last 2 angus came out a little drier than I’m used to. Probably going to leave all the fat between the point & flat next time. Thank You for this video!!
Thank you for watching 👍
I like the no trim brisket, something to think about on food truck. I know when I do brisket I want to try this. I think this is more beneficial to back yard bbqer, you can always trim fat off cut slices if need be but you don't sacrifice and meat. If you make hamburger or sausages might be different story. I seen Dog Father's version, I liked the crispy aspect of his, I would think there are better shaped briskets for this, yours seemed like it had more blunt edges and I thought it came out great.
I have a question that pertains to a brisket that is trimmed, is your experience after trimming and cooking the final Product is 50% lighter. 16lb raw brisket cooked brisket 8lbs. You have Great Channel Joe. Many successes on your new Venture.
This is almost how I cook all my briskets and for a home cook like me, the results are plenty good.
I might trim just the nasty edges from the vaccuum seal and easy to reach big chunks of fat if I'm feeling fancy. I can't really tell the difference between this a full trim.
It's great to see a real pitmaster do this experiment and confirm my suspicions!
I'm surprised a pitmaster hasn't tried it before. Like what, did they get a recipe one time and never experiment to see what tastes better/worse for the next 20 years?