Wife bought a brisket pre-trimmed. I was going to smoke it. What adjustments do I need to make to prevent ruining it?

2.67 lbs
Komodo Joe Large
Chunk charcoal and mesquite

Couple pounds of bacon or fatback on top. Or go to a butcher and get beef fat scraps.

I've never done a pre-trimmed. You mean it has NO fat? Or less than 1/4"? Just wondering.

I would recommend going slow with it, cook very low and even as you possibly can. Laying some bacon on it is a good idea as the previous poster suggested- how could it hurt? Watch for flare ups if that is an issue in your cooker with bacon dripping. A water pan is a MUST with a brisket you are worried about drying out.

You could even try smoking it some, then crutching it in foil (gasp, sin, I know!), then finish it with some smoke and heat to firm the bark back up. I've done that before with modest success.

It's got nothing on it. I can barely tell which side was the fat side.

Yeah, I'll have the water pan going. Can probably swing some bacon.

Was anticipating cooking at 200-225. Not sure I can keep it lower than that. Cook time has to be, what, 3 hrs?

Kramer said:

---

It's got nothing on it. I can barely tell which side was the fat side.

Yeah, I'll have the water pan going. Can probably swing some bacon.

Was anticipating cooking at 200-225. Not sure I can keep it lower than that. Cook time has to be, what, 3 hrs?

---

You be good with that. I wouldn't go below 200 anyways.

Mayonnaise...lay it on as thick as you like your fat cap to be

Yup, gotta put it in the crockpot. Can't smoke that.

I would rub down with your normal seasoning and cook open for 8 hours low heat (225). If possible keep tray of water in cooker to help with moisture, if not oh well. After 8 hours look for a solid bark to have formed, if not go another 1 hour. After bark is good, pull, lay brisket on double sheet of foil and apply about 1 cup of duck fat. If you cannot find duck fat where you are use a mixture of bacon renderings and olive oil. Wrap very tight and return to cooker for 3-4 hours or until 195-200 internal temperature is reached and sustained for 30-60 mins.

Let us know what you decided to do and how it turned out.

I just noticed the small size of brisket. Reduce your initial check time to 6-7 hours and watch the internal temp close. You really want to introduce the added fat at about 175 and wrap it tightly. My two cents!

I would say you need to go to the store and buy a packer. Don't tell your wife though. Just man up and do it. Cook as normal and put the other thing on at the same time. When that other thing (which I refuse to actually call a brisket) hits 200 (which will be in the morning if you time this right), pull it and make breakfast tacos out of it. Finish the real brisket for later in the day.

Ok. This is turning into an interesting challenge. It's been rubbed and wrapped. Yellow mustard and dry spices.

dlance said:

---

Kramer said:

---

It's got nothing on it. I can barely tell which side was the fat side.

Yeah, I'll have the water pan going. Can probably swing some bacon.

Was anticipating cooking at 200-225. Not sure I can keep it lower than that. Cook time has to be, what, 3 hrs?

---

No fat and 2.67 pounds is an oven roasted or crockpot brisket.

---

I missed the size somehow in OP. This is your best advice for guaranteed good food. Lots of risk putting that on the smoker.

I've smoked "pre-trimmed" briskets in my KJ before with no issue. But they were ~8lbs, not 2.67, and still had a fat cap, it has just been trimmed down, as well as much of the deckle removed. Great size for the KJ, but a little pricier.

Cube it. Burnt ends?

You guys would probably be shocked to see some of the competition briskets that get turned in and win big with no fat at all. I'm talking meticulous trimming to get every thing off and deep trimming to get out the fat between the point and flat.
Exterior fat will not melt and soak into the meat. It just runs off the outside. It's the marbling that melts and provides juices and flavor.

OP, you sure you don't have a steak?

No reason it won't cook up just fine. Just do 200-225 for about ~4 hrs. If you assume 2hrs per pound and round down you won't be far off what it takes.

You should deep fry it...for science, I've always wanted to try that.

Turn it into corned beef or pastrami. No point trying to rectify an issue that is beyond remedy.

Surprised Sousvide for 10 hours at 155 and then smoked for a few hours has not been brought up.

carl spacklers hat said:

---

Turn it into corned beef or pastrami. No point trying to rectify an issue that is beyond remedy.

---

this.

It really looks like a steak! It's a beautiful cut, it's just not really a brisket anymore.

I think I'm going to smoke it. Keep it low for however long it takes to get internal to 175-180. I'll be packing the KJ with the deflectors/water pan. I even have an extra pizza stone I could throw in but I don't think it would really help.

I'll do a bunch of bacon in the morning and have the renderings to use if I think it needs it.

Agree with dlance and ogre, there is nothing you can do that will successfully smoke that brisket. Crock pot.

AllTheFishes said:

---

You guys would probably be shocked to see some of the competition briskets that get turned in and win big with no fat at all. I'm talking meticulous trimming to get every thing off and deep trimming to get out the fat between the point and flat.
Exterior fat will not melt and soak into the meat. It just runs off the outside. It's the marbling that melts and provides juices and flavor.

---

Maybe it doesnt, but that doesnt mean a fat cap isnt useful in other ways. It will act as a nice heat shield during the cooking process. And if you get a good trim to around a 1/4 of an inch it will render down and leave a nice, thin glistening strip on the top side of a slice that makes for a great bite when you eat it, especially if its from the flat.

I dont do competition bbq, but from what I've seen people do and heard described, most comp bbq isnt something you would want to serve for a meal to a bunch of people anyways. Usually loaded up on injections and all sorts of other stuff to try and make it stand out for the one bite judges are going to take of it.

And count me in the crowd that would cook it in the oven or crockpot, just dont see how you are going to get anything good out of smoking it. I'm sure it will be edible, but I dont think it will come out good. Tell your wife to stay in the kitchen and let you do the bbq buying in the future.

Quote:

---

Maybe it doesnt, but that doesnt mean a fat cap isnt useful in other ways. It will act as a nice heat shield during the cooking process. And if you get a good trim to around a 1/4 of an inch it will render down and leave a nice, thin glistening strip on the top side of a slice that makes for a great bite when you eat it, especially if its from the flat.

---

I agree and this is why I cook with fat cap down. But watch out someone is going to come on here with a hot take on fat cap up like you called their baby ugly.

Quote:

---

I dont do competition bbq, but from what I've seen people do and heard described, most comp bbq isnt something you would want to serve for a meal to a bunch of people anyways. Usually loaded up on injections and all sorts of other stuff to try and make it stand out for the one bite judges are going to take of it.

---

I have seen people post this and it is 100% false. Competition BBQ is delicious (at least what I have tried) it's just more work and fiddling than most people would ever be willing to do for a nice family meal.

Quote:

---

And count me in the crowd that would cook it in the oven or crockpot, just dont see how you are going to get anything good out of smoking it. I'm sure it will be edible, but I dont think it will come out good. Tell your wife to stay in the kitchen and let you do the bbq buying in the future.

---

Don't know but I hope OP posts his results. Brisket is always hit or miss so who knows. If the meat is from the point and is thick it may taste fine.

Injection with duck fat?

My opinion is that fat should be trimmed by the consumer, not the chef.

Troutslime said:

---

My opinion is that fat should be trimmed by the consumer, not the chef.

---

Then there are folks who think they should be paying a butcher for meat, not fat and will be angry if the butcher leaves a big slab of fat on a cut and tries to sell it that way. No way to please everybody...

Quote:

---

I have seen people post this and it is 100% false. Competition BBQ is delicious (at least what I have tried) it's just more work and fiddling than most people would ever be willing to do for a nice family meal.

---

Competition BBQ is fantastic, but by design extremely rich. It has to be, as your output is judged by often a single bite from the box you turn in. It's quite different than what you'd be served at a restaurant....for better or for worse.

txags92 said:

---

No way to please everybody...

---

Truth of life.

.......I bet your ass will go to the store next time!!

p.s. I just said that cause I could..

Yeah, can you imagine my wife's reaction to me telling her to stay in the kitchen?

T&P, homie, T&P

cupofjoe04 said:

---

txags92 said:

---

No way to please everybody...

---

Truth of life.

---

I go diving in the Cayman Islands as often as I can afford, and the dive package at the resort we go to includes 3 meals a day served buffet style. A few years back, they had a chef named Anthony who was from NY, and who wasn't averse to having a conversation about his food. I know people read "buffet" and think terrible things about quality, but his offerings really were excellent and there were so many choices for each meal, it was always hard to choose. Most of the time, I came home several pounds heavier than I left despite doing 3 dives a day.

Anthony was talking to us one time and relayed the story of the guest who asked to speak to him and proceeded to complain that there were too many choices on the buffet. He apparently laughed at them thinking it was a joke to lead in to some other compliment or question about the food. But it wasn't...and the guest was quite upset (especially when he laughed at them). They really were actually angry at having too many options to choose from. I just can't imagine what life is like for that person...but they are out there.

Brisket with no fat? I don't know about that nonsense but today Momma cooked the breakfast with no hog.