The Fat Cap Discussion Thread (Applies to Pork too)

[soflaquer]

:D

 

[willkat98]

I'm reviving this thread, for there are plenty of newer folks that I would like to see their opinion on.

The key here is to "try" the fat cap down method.

Its not a replacement to your own, its just a new twist for your cooking arsenal

(I see my original post is not clear. I will trim off some of the very dense and hard fat cap, leaving 1/2" or so, no more)

One of the great advantages is your not left with slices of brisket with 1/4" fat. Wife didnt like brisket for just that reason.

But cap down, rendered off in cook, and she now will eat it.

The kids love it now too.

Enjoy

 

[jminion]

Let me give you a little back ground for fat down cooking. Competition cooking is about repeatable results. Cooking fat side down prevents the drying effect of heat spikes and radient heat.

The science of cooking fat side up does not stand up because the fat simply runs off and baste at most the sides of the brisket. Since I've started cooking fat down results have been very repeatable with less complications.
Jim

 

[willkat98]

Jim,
As noted in my initial post, you taught me this.

Better yet, this latest post just gave me another "duh" moment.

Runs off and bastes at most the sides of the brisket.

Damn, it just makes so much sense.

So there you have it folks. From the man I quoted to begin with.

So you have a $12 piece of meat in front of you.

Please, please try a fat cap down.

Jim mentioned competition consistency, and you can have that in your backyard.

I got a 8# flat going on Memorial Day, fat cap down, of course.

Thanks for the added knowledge Jim

 

[soflaquer]

Glad to see you re-instate this post, Bill! I'm sure it's been buried since, and alot of new members have probably overlooked it.

Jim, you are a welcomed site to our group and I'm glad to see you get involved in the discussion threads. :D

For those of you cooking Fat Cap up (Brisket or Butt), cease and desist! The Pitmasters on this Forum are here to help you, this tip will help you turn out a much finer end product.

Jeff

 

[cruisingca]

Going to Necro this thread saw it linked in another thread and i found some good info in it!

 

[richtee]

Great... an OLD can of worms LOL!

Good discussions tho. I flip mine... hahaaha! Finishes cap down tho.

 

[packplantpath]

Heh, this one keeps coming back.....Sticky???

 

[flash]

Not that we haven't discussed this before

but I go with fat cap down. Protection of the meat plus better bark on the meat. That's it. Now, have I said this before. LOL

 

[cruisingca]

Hey what can i say starting my first brisket tonight and was looking for every bit of information icould get my hands on and this one went counter to just about everything i read elsewhere. but i am going to try it this way simply because i hate following directions.

 

[abelman]

I started fat cap up and have been doing fat cap down for some time. The biggest reason is that I get a better bark and I still get a moist smoke.

I also started playing around with the drippings from say a brisket. So, I place a pan of veggies in apple juice below and leave them on as long as the smoke.

Here's what I end up with as well as a great butt or brisket:



At this point, I always do fat cap down.

 

[jeroom]

WHat are you guys calling "Bark" ?

 

[jdt]

bark is simply the outside of the meat, when cooked properly with a good rub you get a layer built up, many people think the bark is the best part, you'll often see uneducated people say that looks burnt, well its not burnt its bark, not to say that they are the same thing, burnt is burnt lol, basically the black on the outside of the meat. If you mop or spritz you don't get the same kind of bark as if you run dry, of course you can mop and spritz early on then quit and get a bark to form as time goes on. Hope that helps.

 

[cman95]

I am glad this thread was brought back to life. It has started me to thinking and my next brisket will be fat side down for the entire smoke. Man I love this place.

 

[meandmytwodogs]

Me, I'm a bit of a flipper. I mean I like to make sure to get as much smokey char on my meats as I can so for example when doing a butt and I like the dark, red, chewy pieces, I tend to go fat cap up, but then go fat cap down to simma things down a bit. Brisket is almost always fat down until it gets wrapped. Then I go fat up so the the meat can simmer in it's own juice for a while to keep it from getting too dry.

Dave

 

[meandmytwodogs]

Shoot. I'd settle for what you have in the pan here! Lookin good.

Dave

 

[yankeerob]

Fat side up BUT - we remove all but 1/8 inch of it. Specially in between the point and flat and the 2 large sections on a butt.

-rob

 

[jminion]

It's funny to see this thread again, I started posting about fat side down brisket cooks back in 1999. At that time I used to get invited around the country to have my butt kick for even talking about it. Times have changed. LOL