Brisket Trimming Question

[EZCUSE]

So I recently smoked beef dino ribs for Thanksgiving. I trimmed all of the top fat off of the ribs because I've always been told that rub does not stick to fat.

Now I'm thinking of moving to smoking a full brisket. Every video I've looked at with regards to trimming a brisket mentions to keep 1/4" of fat on the top of the entire brisket (point and flat).

I guess my questions are twofold:
1. Why do you keep 1/4" of fat on a brisket?
2. Will the rub stick to the fat?

I think I'm just confused and need someone to explain this to me and why I should treat brisket differently from how I prepped the beef dino ribs.

Thanks.

[RonB]

I don't think that it's a problem for the rub to stick to fat. The problem is that it won't penetrate the fat. Most people do like aat least some fat - especially if it's well rendered.

You can leave as much fat as you'd, (or your family/guests), might want to eat.

[UncleSpike]

I usually trim most of the surface fat off the point and leave more on the flat. The flat tends to dry out more, so leaving 1/4" of fat on will keep it a bit juicier in your mouth.

[rickgregory]

Aaron Franklin has a good video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU that shows him taking a brisket out of cryovac and trimming it, with explanations. The trimming starts at about 1:40 in.

[klflowers]

+1 on the Franklin video. I used his guidance. I generally take most of the fat off though since we don't enjoy eating it.

[Richard Chrz]

+2.

[rickgregory]

One thing about that video - Aaron smokes at 275 which will affect how the fat renders and how fast. If you do 225, I'd trim closer to the meat.

About the rub - the rub won't penetrate the meat in any event. See Meathead's Science Of post on the free side.

[bbqLuv]

There are so many ways to trim a brisket. Follow Malcom Reed's How to BBQ Right video or Harry SOO's Slap Your Daddy video you wont go wrong. Actually, Back yard trim is for me.

[Sweaty Paul]

Franklin’s video is awesome and highly recommend it. That said, I tend to trim all of the fat off of the point and leave a thin layer of fat on the flat.

Good luck!

[gabulldog]

I follow Franklin's trimming advice too, that man is so deliberate about every cut he makes. You'll figure out after a few cooks how much fat you want to leave, but I wouldn't go less than a 1/4" on the top of the flat. That thin layer of fat, if rendered well, adds just the right amount of smokey fatty goodness to each bite of that otherwise lean (and occasionally dry) flat once sliced. If you don't like to eat fat at all, well...that sucks!

[Huskee]

It matters most on the flat, like mentioned above. When you slice the brisket flat, the slices look like thick bacon. One edge of each slice will have that soft gelatinous salty smoky fat on it, and you NEED that on the flat slices to balance the dryness. Me, I like to leave 1/2". You don't really need any on the point, kind of how you don't need it on a pork butt or a chuck (plenty of internal fat) but it looks so nice to just do it uniformly across the whole thing, and it's delicious.

And yes, the rub sticks to the fat and it will delicious. Fat just doesn't form chewy bark. But a packer has plenty of surface area on the one side for bark, so clean up the non-fatcap side as good as you can.

[jharner]

I do leave fat on the flat and concentrate on trimming the fat between the cap and flat. This allows you to get more rub on more meat surface.