Brisket: Fat up or down?

[mdgoos]

How does everyone else do their brisket? I learned to do it fat on top and let juice from the fat go down into the meat but have heard others say they do it fat side down. I did one fat side down one time on accident and it did not turn out well. So fat up or down?

 

[lcruzen]

I from the "fat up" school myself. My thinking is to have the fat baste the meat. Not sure what the reasoning is for fat down but I sure someone will chime in to explain it.

Lou

 

[dr. worm]

from what little i've read, i understand that the fat down crowd believes that the fat protects the meat from being scorched on bottom.

 

[abelman]

I have done them fat cap up. Over time, I always do them fat cap down now. Here are a couple of posts where I do them a little different on the smoker as well.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=14764

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=14461

 

[glued2it]

First sear the brisket!

Place brisket in foil pan, fat side up, and smoke, uncovered for 2 hours.
Flip brisket and smoke for 1 hour.
Flip brisket back to fat side up, and cover with foil.

 

[pigcicles]

I'm pretty sure you're gonna get answers both ways on this age old question. Some like the fat up, others down. Some may say it depends on the meat - if it is a flat, point, or packer. Others will talk about styles of cooking which require flipping.

If this thread takes off it is going to get dizzy. But in the end if you like the way your brisket turns out fat up, down, or sideways then do what makes you happy.

To answer your question though. I've done em all three ways and had great results and not so great results. I lay that on the cut of meat and or how old the cow was and maybe I had an off day once.

 

[walking dude]

what pigs said.............this question gets debated here ALL the time.......right up there with soaking wood chip or DON"T soak the wood chips..........at the end of the day.......it boils down to .........what werks for you.........plain and simple

 

[desertlites]

yup I agree with pig & I don't wanna get dizzy today.

 

[blacklab]

lol, Is the glass half full or half empty? For me it's half empty with the fat on top

 

[geob]

The way you like it is the best way to do it. I like fat up. Some say the fats soak down in the meat giving it a better flavor. If you grill hamburgers on the grill, watch the juices, they flow UP away from the heat source. When the juices rise enough to cool off gravity takes over. So up or down, who really knows. Only the person smoking.

geob

 

[richtee]

I start fat up- let it warm up...and about my second mop I flip it. The bark has already started to form at this point, and the crust is set. I let the remainder of the fat drip off.

 

[walking dude]

hehe.......lab, i like naivonjim's sig line

the glass is neither half empty or half full. Some fool designed it with twice the capacity it needed.

 

[capt dan]

I haven't done as many as alot of guys here, but I start mine Fat cap up, and after 5-6 hrs,I turn it over, and start the mopping every 45 min- 1 hr. Then after another 2-3 hrs, I turn it back to fat cap up and finish in a pan, covered with foil, still in the smoker. After it gets to 195 -200, I pull it, re-wrap in new foil, wrap with an old beach towel, and into the cooler for 2 hrs.Thats how I learned to do it. I will probably try a few different ways before I die!

 

[smok'n steve]

I usually do packers fat side down for only the first hour---then flip to fat side UP for the rest of the day!!, baste as needed for the rest of the cook. There's more to this cook, but to answer your question, I like the ring I get this way and the rub seems to bond well when I start it this way:-)

 

[av8tor]

Fat down and mop every hour for me

 

[domn8_ion]

I do mine fat up. But you've already stated that you perfer yours one way already. Stick with that then. The only thing that this group will agree on about the topic is that we will not all agree.

 

[fatback joe]

I am a fat down guy, but I also don't shy away from a right handed brisket either.

Like several have said........what ever works for you.