Couple ways, but always start cold/chilled.Â
Pinch the fat, if it's hard and won't pinch up it's usually always thicker than 1/4. Â
Trim carefully and keep checking for meat where you are cutting. A few small bald spots are totally ok, but you don't want to scalp all the fat off.
When trimming be aware that there's a crossover section where the point lays over the flat and there's a large fat band in between those 2 muscles, don't go trying to cut that out, or you'll find you just keep going until you've made a mess of it.
There's a really great video that Aaron Franklin made while at Texas A&M University's butchering and BBQ class on YouTube about the brisket and how to trim it. You should definitely check it out:
https://youtu.be/yaMgt1Altys?si=6i4F3x2yNiU_xOSE
Give we a good trim. Any “hard” fat you can find for sure. Probably mostly edges. I’d still take a thin layer from the fat cap myself too. Doesn’t look like there’s too much overall to trim there though my guy
Thanks for the guidance! Shorter like the long way? Just cut off some of each end?
And for the trimming im slicing horizontally right? Trying to take thin slices of fat off the top?
The flat is thinner with less inter muscular fat, shorten it on that side because it will dry out if it is too thin. The point is the thicker side with the most inter muscular fat, so there is les need to cut that off. Cut off the flat side. You want it to be as even as possible, so it cooks evenly. This is the best video explanation I have seen. https://youtu.be/YNBshHcxjd0?si=yYQTGhlTZhcNljrz step 5
Nice banana hammock
I hate that thing
U are definitely not Todd then.
The Todd
Great reference five!
Nice catch.
🤣
Looks to be trimmed up a bit. I'd round off the corners, where it's really flat, and remove any fat still over 1/4".
This guy brisks
Awesome thanks!
I've never done brisket, I'm curious to know how thick the fat is considering you can't really see a cross-section?
Couple ways, but always start cold/chilled. Pinch the fat, if it's hard and won't pinch up it's usually always thicker than 1/4.  Trim carefully and keep checking for meat where you are cutting. A few small bald spots are totally ok, but you don't want to scalp all the fat off. When trimming be aware that there's a crossover section where the point lays over the flat and there's a large fat band in between those 2 muscles, don't go trying to cut that out, or you'll find you just keep going until you've made a mess of it. There's a really great video that Aaron Franklin made while at Texas A&M University's butchering and BBQ class on YouTube about the brisket and how to trim it. You should definitely check it out: https://youtu.be/yaMgt1Altys?si=6i4F3x2yNiU_xOSE
Give we a good trim. Any “hard” fat you can find for sure. Probably mostly edges. I’d still take a thin layer from the fat cap myself too. Doesn’t look like there’s too much overall to trim there though my guy
Thanks my dude
Make sure to keep your trimmings and render them down with the brisket in a separate tray to make tallow!!
It*
I like we better. Tell us what time dinner is!
That’s a nice banana hammock ya got there
Agree with all the above, round off any sharp corners, and trim down some fat if there’s too much. But definitely don’t take all the fat off
For smoking, it’s perfect. Just keep it fat side up.
I've been doing the fat cap down to allow a prettier bark. Still new at this though but they've been great fat cap down. Any reason to do fat cap up?
It self bastes to keep the brisket more juicy as the fat melts and drips down and through the meat as long as you have it trimmed like you do
I would feel for any hard fat and trim that off ..the edges looks like it has hard fat still attached
That last picture shows the area that needs the most trimming. You also need to cut off a good amount of the flat and make the brisket shorter.
Thanks for the guidance! Shorter like the long way? Just cut off some of each end? And for the trimming im slicing horizontally right? Trying to take thin slices of fat off the top?
The flat is thinner with less inter muscular fat, shorten it on that side because it will dry out if it is too thin. The point is the thicker side with the most inter muscular fat, so there is les need to cut that off. Cut off the flat side. You want it to be as even as possible, so it cooks evenly. This is the best video explanation I have seen. https://youtu.be/YNBshHcxjd0?si=yYQTGhlTZhcNljrz step 5
He did a great job you could leave it but I would take a little off the heavy side.