Vent: A competition in Austin changed how I look at brisket trimming

I was down at the Franklin Barbecue invitational in Austin last fall, helping a buddy with his team. We had our brisket all ready, trimmed nice and thin, about a quarter inch of fat cap. Then a dude from a team that placed top three walked over and told us we were leaving way too much fat on the point end. He said to go down to an eighth of an inch and really feather the edges so it renders even. I thought he was crazy, but we tried it on a second brisket for fun. That thing came out so much more even in texture, no chewy spots at all. Now I'm wondering if other folks here have messed with super thin trimming or if it's just a competition thing that doesn't translate to home cooking?

3 comments

3 Comments

loganburns20d ago

That's rough when someone points out something you've been doing wrong all along, but good on you for actually trying it. Sounds like a solid tip even if it stung a little at first.

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aaron89620d ago

That's the thing about learning though, sometimes you gotta get knocked down a peg before you REALLY see what you've been missing. The sting usually means it's something worth paying attention to. Once you push past that initial embarrassment, it's like a whole new world opens up. You start noticing all these little mistakes you were making and wonder how you didn't see them before. It's HUMBLING but that's how you actually get better, not just going through the motions.

skyler_anderson6520d agoMost Upvoted

Used to roll my eyes at people saying failure was the best teacher. Thought it was just something people said to make themselves feel better about messing up. But honestly, this post kinda flipped a switch for me. That moment when it finally clicks and you realize you've been doing it wrong the whole time is brutal, but the stuff you learn from that pain sticks way longer than anything easy.