18
May
Grill for 40 minutes and begin to check meats internal temperature with a meat thermometer. So it makes sense to orient the brisket fat-cap DOWN towards the fire.
Besides not actually braising the brisket cooking fat-side poses a risk.
Fat cap up or down. Fat cap up Bastes the meat as the fat melts. But this can wash away some of your rub. Fat cap down in most smokers with heat from below uses the fat cap to protect the meat and help prevent it from drying out.
But it can lead to more dripping flare ups etc. Smoking a Brisket Fat Side up vs. Fat Side Down Fat Side Up.
It makes perfect sense. Put a 14-pound brisket in the smoker and pull out 11 pounds of meat or. Heat rising over the brisket is the primary source of drying.
By using the fat cap of the brisket as. This is the part that inspires the fat up or down debate. Some pitmasters prefer to leave the fat cap intact believing that it imparts more moisture and flavor to the cooked brisket.
While its fine to take that approach we prefer to trim some of the fat leaving. In other words placing the fat cap in an upwards position will help to further baste the meat. Placing the fat cap on top of the brisket will also help to preserve it.
Many times if you were to place the fat cap down on a brisket you will certainly help protect the meat itself while sacrificing all of the glorious fat. Its a trade off. Benefits of Placing a Fat Cap Up.
Fat side down also gives you a chance that the fat dripping on a hot drip pan may add some flavor. Its a myth that fat cap up will somehow melt into the meat. What can happen is on a cut of meat that has a heavy does of rub like a pork butt the melting fat can put runs into your rub.
Fat cap down is the preferred method by many smokers because as previously stated the cap if placed up will wash away the rub hence no bark. Also the fat cap when in the down position will help keep the meat moist by preserving more juices than top oriented cap which would allow the juices to end up on the water pan or the fat collector. I usually go fat cap down and spritzbaste a few times.
I did this one fat cap up per something I read supposedly about how Aaron Franklin goes with the cap up to self baste to form bark. Last night I had been socializing with the neighbors til about 930 and had more than my share of cab. Its the collagen within the meat and rendering it to liquid gelatin that makes the meat tender and moist.
However I also dont see the need for a fat cap down either. If you already are cooking indirectly the temp all around the meat its going to be about the same as if it is in an oven which it is if using a kamado with a heat deflector. Therefore the fat cap should be down to allow for easier spritzing of the meat side on top.
Others feel that with or without spritzing they get a better bark formation with the meat side up. Finally another reason to cook fat side down is the fat does not stick to the grate as the meat sometimes does. Trim the fat off then olive oil and dry rub.
I like the initial sear at high temp just for a minute or two on each side pull and rest while the egg drops down to 350-375 and then back in until internal temp gets up to 125 or 130 at the most. My family loves tri-tip and I use Pappys Original seasoning for Santa Maria style. So it makes sense to orient the brisket fat-cap DOWN towards the fire.
The second camp claims the fat-cap should be placed facing UP. As the fat renders it pours over the side of the brisket helping to lock in moisture and blocking juices from evaporating. The thin layer of fat will also insulate the meat and hold in some meat juices.
The other advantage of fat cap down is the extra flavor. When fat drips onto the coals it creates more smoke and more smoke means more flavor. Brisket Fat Cap Up.
Fat will not keep the brisket moist if cooked fat-side up. Besides not actually braising the brisket cooking fat-side poses a risk. The melting fat cap will drip down the meat potentially washing away the seasoning on the beef.
An additional disadvantage of cooking fat-side up is poor presentation. While being smoked the presentation side is on the grill grates preventing the formation of a uniform bark. Fat Cap UP or DOWN.
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475 1960 Views. 28 Votes Place Ball or Tri Tip fat side down on grill. Turn the meat over every 3-4 minutes.
Grill for 40 minutes and begin to check meats internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Place meat fat side down on grill and turn every 3-4 minutes. Many people prefer cooking their pork butt with the fat cap siding down.
They think that the lower fat cap will protect and insulate the meat from direct heat. Moreover your meat wouldnt be dried out unlike cooking fat cap siding up. However no matter how much you think the fat cap will protect the heat from excessive heat.
It will reach the meat if you side the fat cap down for the entire cooking. You can also flip the pork butt from time to time so the fat cap faces both up and down at various intervals. Because most pitmasters have definite ideas about which way the fat cap should be facing this is considered an unorthodox method.
FREE SHIPPING FOR ORDER OVER 85 USA ONLY. Search 000 Cart. I used to be sold on leaving the fat cap on ESPECIALLY on Brisket Flats.
But Andy HoDeDo in the other Fat Cap thread convinced a couple of us to try removing the fat cap in exchange for more bark area. I tried it with the last brisket flat I did. I trimmed off most of the fat then took the fat boiled it to make a fatty broth.