In this guide on how to trim a brisket, I’ll explain step-by-step how to get the perfect fat-to-meat ratio. Learning how to trim a brisket will help ensure you get the most out of your smoker/brisket and end up with a fantastic end product.
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How To Trim A Brisket
To trim a brisket, start with the fat cap then round the brisket flat. Then, square the brisket and finish by trimming the fat off of the silverskin and the bottom. Trimming brisket is essential, as large chunks of fat are unappetizing and can prevent the brisket from cooking properly.
Here it is, quick and easy-to-follow steps to properly trim a brisket and plus a bonus tip for separating the brisket flat and brisket point from each other.
These steps can be performed in just about any order, so don’t worry if you do the steps out of order, just make sure removing the brisket from the packaging is done first. These are just the order in which I trim my briskets.
Step 1: Removing Brisket From The Packaging
This is quite an easy step to do. Using a knife, cut open the packaging that your brisket is in. Once out of the packaging, I always grab some paper towels and wipe the packer brisket dry.
Set the untrimmed brisket onto your cutting board and grab your boning/fillet knife to start trimming.
Here Are Some Brisket Recipes Once You Know How To Trim A Brisket
Easy Smoked Brisket Grilled Cheese Recipe
My Best Low And Slow Oven Brisket Recipe
Baked Mac And Cheese With Smoked Brisket
Step 2: Trimming The Fat Cap
I always like to start with the briskets fat side. This is the side of the brisket that has an entire layer of fat on it. What I like to do here is start by making sure that the entire fat cap is roughly 1/4 inch thick. I find this to be a healthy amount of fat to leave behind.
Take your knife and start scanning the edges to see if any areas look too thick. Trim down those areas. Parts in the middle may be too hard to tell visually, so I feel that area by hand, and if the fat feels thick or hard, I trim off a small amount.
If you end up taking too much off and see the meat, just remember it’s fine. Adjust and try to not go down that far in other areas.
Step 3: Round The Brisket Flat
On the flat end of the brisket, often there is an edge that gets slender and the meat becomes quite thin. I normally round this area off with my sharp boning knife. The thinness of the meat causes it to cook too fast and can cause it to burn or be dryer than the rest of the brisket.
On the thinner edge, I do my best to make sure the muscle is at least as thick as the width of my thumb.
The thicker edge of the flat I may trim back as well so that the brisket flat has a uniform shape and can smoke more evenly.
Step 4: Square The Brisket Sides
This step may not be absolutely necessary to some, but I always do it to remove excess fat and give the brisket a better shape. Often the fat along the sides overhangs and removing it allows more muscle to be exposed. This allows the meat to get smoke penetration.
Start off by slicing straight down one side and then the other. Start off by only taking off a small amount and then remove any fat that is too thick or meat that is too skimpy.
This part of trimming may help you see thicker parts of the fat cap that may need more trimming.
Step 5: Trimming The Fat And Silverskin Off The Bottom
Once the entire top to the beef brisket is trimmed up, flip the meat over, and let’s start trimming what we will call the bottom.
On the bottom side, towards the point, there typically is a large hunk of fat sitting on one side, slice this off. Next, any small amounts of fat I slice off to expose the silver skin underneath. Silverskin does not render and can be tough to chew.
Bonus Beef Brisket Trimming Tip
If you know the basics about briskets, then you know that a full-packer brisket is made of two separate cuts of meat called the point and the flat. If you don’t plan on separating the two cuts of meat then skip this part.
Some pitmasters when smoking a brisket will completely separate the two muscles. When looking at the brisket from the side, you should see a section of fat that runs at an angle between the two brisket muscles.
Carefully, using a boning knife, you can start dividing the meat by cutting through the middle of the fat. Try not to remove any fat at this point. If there is too much fat afterward then you can trim it.
If you have completely separated the two muscles you can turn your brisket point and turn it into one of the best appetizers, brisket burnt ends. Click here to find out What are burnt ends.
While smoking your brisket, you will need to learn about when and why it is important to wrap briskets. I go through all of this here, When To Wrap Brisket?
Check Out My Other Cooking Tips Here
- 5 Common Brisket Mistakes to Avoid
- What Is A Brisket?
- When To Wrap Brisket?
- How To Smoke A Brisket Guide
- What Is A Brisket Burnt End?
The Importance Of Trimming A Brisket
I firmly believe you should never smoke a brisket without trimming it first. Leaving large chunks of fat behind is unappetizing to many. With some areas of fat being over an inch thick, no one and I mean no one wants all of that in a single bite.
I once made the mistake of not trimming a brisket the first time I smoked one, it turned out as good as it could but let me tell you, some parts were almost impossible to eat.
Making sure your brisket is properly trimmed is crucial to ensuring you have a brisket that has great bark, cooks evenly, has no burnt edges, achieves rendered fat, and gets proper smoke penetration.
Don’t worry if your first time doesn’t turn out the best, just give it another go and you will be a pro in no time. Practice will also help you know if you are over-trimming or not trimming enough.
If you have questions on what a brisket is, check out What Is A Brisket? where I try to answer all your brisket-related questions.
I Highly Recommend Snake River Farms Brisket! You Won’t Be Sorry!
Why An Untrimmed Brisket Is Bad
- Poor Bark Development
- Uneven Cooking
- Unrendered Fat
- Lack Of Smoke Penetration Of Meat
- Burnt Up Pieces Of Fat Or Meat
- Silverskin Makes Meat Tougher
Don’t let these problems happen to you when smoking a brisket. If you want to avoid other brisket mistakes, check out my 5 most common brisket mistakes to avoid.
Equipment Needed For Trimming
There are not many things needed for trimming a brisket, but here are three items I recommend having from most important to least important when you finally trim one.
Boning Knife/ Fillet Knife: Obviously having a knife is the most important tool to trim briskets. It is especially important to make sure you have a sharp knife like a boning knife or a fillet knife.
Personally, I use a boning knife for trimming meat, but a fillet knife is a great alternative. Heck, I have switched between the two knives before while preparing a brisket.
If you don’t have either of these knives already, Dalstrong has a great selection of both kinds of knives that are high-quality. My favorite is the Dalstrong Valhalla Series Boning Knife. It has a unique design and the blade has an excellent edge.
Cutting Board: Even though a cutting board isn’t absolutely crucial to smoking a brisket, it is a hell of a lot nicer to cut a brisket on a cutting board rather than using your countertop or table. Briskets can weigh up to 20lbs, so make sure to get a large enough cutting board.
Powder Free Nitrile Gloves: Being at the bottom of the list, these are not necessary for trimming briskets, however, these disposable gloves can be nice to have if you want to keep your hands clean. If you don’t want gloves, try keeping one hand clean while you touch the meat with the other.
Now that you have all the tools needed to trim briskets, let’s start.
Final Thoughts On Trimming A Brisket
Alright. now that you have finished all of those steps, it’s now a good time to double-check that you removed everything you wanted to. If you are happy with the results, you can go ahead with seasoning and smoking your brisket.
Don’t forget that trimming a brisket is an essential part of producing a quality smoked brisket. If not trimmed a brisket can end up with poor results and that’s a lot of meat that won’t turn out quite right.
I hope this How To Trim A Brisket: Complete Guide helps you on your journey to making a great brisket. Come back soon to Joshs Coookhouse, where nothing is off the table.
Check out How To Smoke A Brisket Guide to learn how to smoke a juicy and tender brisket!
You Need To Try Snake River Farms Gold Grade Brisket!
How To Trim A Brisket FAQS
Can You Trim A Brisket The Night Before?
Yes, you can trim a brisket the night before. I often do this if I plan to start a cook around 3 or 4 a.m. When I get up all I have to do is season the brisket and get the smoker ready. It is great for saving time.
Why Trim A Brisket?
Trimming a brisket helps create a superior end product. Trimmed beef brisket is allowed to cook more evenly, fat to render faster, create a better bark, and has better smoke penetration.
Should I Trim The Fat Off A Brisket?
You should trim the fat off a brisket to a certain extent. You should trim off any fat thicker than 1/4 inch thick. Any more than that is too much for most people to enjoy. Also, trim off any fat that is dangling off the brisket.
Can You Trim Too Much Fat Off A Brisket?
Yes, you can trim too much fat off brisket. Often pitmasters will leave behind a 1/4 inch layer of fat on the fat cap. If you were to trim all of the fat off a brisket, it would be more likely to dry out or even burn in the smoking process. Most of the fat can come off the point, but the flat does not have nearly enough intermuscular fat to remove all the fat.
Should You Remove The Silverskin From A Brisket?
Often people who are just smoking a brisket for a backyard barbecue may not trim the silverskin, however, the silver skin is a tough tissue that can be tough to chew so I always recommend removing it.
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Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I am very uncomfortable finding the point and the flat, then separating. Can the butcher be trusted to know and do it?
I would assume most butchers should know how to do this. However, if you are feeling uneasy about it, I would just ask the butcher if they have ever done this before and if they haven’t it might be better to look around until you find a butcher that has. I hope this helps.