# Smoking a market trimmed brisket?



## txjaws (Apr 30, 2009)

I ordered two briskets and asked them to trim them a little bit for a smoker but when my wife came home with them they are market trimmed with decent marbeling but no layer of fat across the top.  My mistake, I have never gotten them trimmed before and shouldn't have this time apparently.

Now the big question, can I still smoke these or will they dry out too much?  Can I do something like smoke the for 2 hours than move them to the oven?  They were between 6-8 lbs before they were trimmed.


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## roksmith (Apr 30, 2009)

One way to make up for the lack or a fatcap would be to smoke it with a layer of bacon on top of it. That will help keep it from drying out.

You could try a short smoke then foiling it, but you won't get a lot of smoke flavor.

Just moving to the oven won't keep it from drying out.


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## rivet (Apr 30, 2009)

You can smoke them just fine. Low and slow and remember to mop well. If you want, moving them to the oven is fine too, but in some places that's considered "cheatin'"  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






May the TBS follow you where you go!


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## txjaws (Apr 30, 2009)

Thanks for the advice, I saw something about putting the layer of bacon on a turkey to keep it moist so that sounds like it should help.  Will the flavor of the bacon due anything to the taste of the brisket?

Other than the bacon, how are trimmed briskets normally cooked?


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## ronp (Apr 30, 2009)

What he said. Don't worry, just smoke them.


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## afreetrapper (Apr 30, 2009)

I'm with you don't worry just smoke them. And in my world finishing in the oven isn't cheating once you have the smoke which is within the first hour all you need is heat after that. Ive run out of propane and no backup so in to the oven we went.


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## the dude abides (Apr 30, 2009)

I'd smoke it too.  But I'd go a lot longer than an hour if you can before finishing in the oven.  It'll continue to take on the smoke flavoring through the whole time on the smoker.

The creation of the smoke ring will cease after a while but not the flavor of the smoke.


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## azrocker (Apr 30, 2009)

I say just go for it!


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## txjaws (Apr 30, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice.  Has anyone tried the bacon on top idea with a brisket?  It seems logical.  Maybe I will try one with it and one without unless someone says I should definitely do them both one way or the other.  

I am going to get a packer's cut and smoke that with the two trimmed briskets tomorrow.  I feel like I need some extra meat anyways.

I will be smoking them a day in advance so I can smoke the chicken and ribs on Saturday (day of the party).  Any tips on what to do with the cooked brisket?  I guess I am going to throw it in the fridge and then back in the oven to warm the next day.  Does that make sense?

Thanks again for all the responses.


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## the dude abides (Apr 30, 2009)

I wouldn't think the bacon would hurt anything.  You may pick up some of the taste, but don't see how bacon taste would be bad.  
Extra meat already cooked in the freezer is always a good thing for a rainy day.  
You could tent in foil and warm in the oven or steaming seems to be the preferred method.


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## afreetrapper (Apr 30, 2009)

I didn't mean to stop at 1 hour I simply meant that if you have to finish in the oven you  not loosing anything once you reached the point of maximum smoke permeation.  Ive learned from old timers in the business of curing meat (owners and past owners of the locker plant I worked for as well as an acquaintance who ran a smokehouse for Oshe Meat Products/Farmland Foods in Topeka KS) professionally that meat will take smoke only up to a certain point and no more. That the smoke ring represents the depth that the smoke ring hence the smoke flavor has reached its maximum depth. That this tends to occur in the first hour.


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## ddave (Apr 30, 2009)

Perhaps it's time to revisit this thread again. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=61546

Dave


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## txjaws (May 2, 2009)

Ok, all three briskets were smoked to 190 last night then foiled and into the fridge.  What's the best approach to reheating them?  I'm thinking in their foil at 200-220 in the oven but have no clue how long.

Any advice from the experts?


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## txjaws (May 2, 2009)

Ha, nevermind... I remembered I posted the same question last summer.  I throw it in the oven foiled at 250.


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## richoso1 (May 2, 2009)

Smoke them as usual for half the time, then foil for the remaining time. They shouldn't dry out. Watch your temps by keeping them close to 225 °.


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