When it comes to trimming briskets I try to keep it fairly simple. Some briskets trim up great and some it looks like I hit them with a weed wacker. Each brisket is different and will require different trimming but here is how I generally do it.
First I like to cut off a bit on the long edges of the brisket. Many times these will be a bit off-colored or just look a bit weird. This discoloring is where the carcass has been split into two sides and the edges are treated with some sort of anti-microbial treatment. Lactic acid, hot water, and steam are all regularly used and those all will make the meat a weird brown color. Cutting a small slice off these edges will also give me a good look at the fat cap and let me know how thick that is.
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One side of the brisket will have a substantial fat cap on it. I usually try to trim this down to ¼ to ⅛ inch. I want some fat left but not too much. If you get a bit aggressive when trimming and some meat is showing through it isn’t the end of the world but try to avoid that when all possible. It can be tricky sometimes to see how much fat is left but go slow and err on leaving a bit too much fat. Some people remove the fat cap completely but I like to leave some on there. If you do have a thin flat (less than an inch or so) I would lean more towards ¼ inch of fat cap. If the flat is on the thin side I like to leave a bit more fat on it.
And to dispel a myth, no, the fat cap doesn’t melt into the meat and baste it. But it does add some great moisture and mouth feel to the final product.
There are also some big, thick chunks of fat between the flat and point. I usually try to carve a decent amount of this fat out as it won’t render properly. Sometimes I get aggressive and really dig in there and carve out as much as I can and other times I just cut out what I can do easily.
If the end of the flat is super thin you can just cut an inch or so off of the end. When it is that thin it probably won’t cook well. I also like to round off the corners of the flat a bit.
Other than that I would just go over the brisket and trim out any big chunks of fat, pieces that are sticking out, or flaps of meat that are hanging around. If the end of the flat is particularly thin I will cut that part off as well. For the most part you want a decently shaped brisket with no weird parts sticking out. Try to round off the corners if you can as well.
Keep in mind that every brisket is different and they will all trim up differently. Some of my briskets trim up perfectly and others look like I attacked them with a hedge trimmer. Ultimately I don’t sweat the trimming too much. If I was cooking in a competition or at a restaurant I would try to be a bit more consistent with the trimming but for cooking at home I don’t think you need to go too crazy.
Here is a video from Aaron Franklin from Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX who has probably trimmed more briskets than just about anyone:
Aaron Franklin also has a Masterclass which has a 34 minute video on how to trim a brisket. Overall the Masterclass is excellent and I would recommend spending the $90 on it if you plan on cooking a lot of briskets. Since he trims for a restaurant he probably trims a bit more than I would but who am I to argue with him?
12 Commonly Asked Questions About Brisket
- What is a brisket?
- Where can I buy a brisket?
- What should I look for when buying a brisket?
- How big of a brisket should I buy?
- How should I trim a brisket?
- How should I season my brisket?
- What type of wood should I use when smoking brisket?
- What temperature should I cook my brisket at?
- How long should I cook a brisket?
- Should I wrap my brisket?
- How long should I rest my brisket?
- How should I slice my brisket?
