BBQing Reefers - What's on your grill/smoker?

[Opus]

My family and I have done large cuts of meat from another grocery store and used a friends band saw, he got it for processing deer, to cut them into steaks almost no waste at all. Are you talking about de-boning the cuts? Realistically there really shouldn't be much waste at all.

The one I was looking at didn't have a bone in it. The couple of youtube videos I watched they were just using a chefs knife to cut the meat.

 

[Eastlake]

Their probably trimming it up getting rid of the "silver" as well as knocking the fat content down to their liking. If you've ever bought a whole packer brisket and trimmed some of the fat cap off it's almost depressing what the final result looks like after you've taken 5-6 pounds of fat off of it and realized you paid for stuff that will be tossed out.

 

[Opus]

Their probably trimming it up getting rid of the "silver" as well as knocking the fat content down to their liking. If you've ever bought a whole packer brisket and trimmed some of the fat cap off it's almost depressing what the final result looks like after you've taken 5-6 pounds of fat off of it and realized you paid for stuff that will be tossed out.

I don't trim my briskets other than that one junk of fat that is really hard. The fat gives it flavor so I worry about it after I've cooked it. I'm not in a competition so I don't have to worry about presentation.

They were getting rid of the fat but were taking what I thought was too much meat with it. I think I would cut them and then trim off the fat I didn't want. I've noticed when I see good deals on steaks they seem to have a lot more fat on the edges. I figure that way they are making up some of their money by making you pay for more fat content.

 

[Brew12]

I don't trim my briskets other than that one junk of fat that is really hard. The fat gives it flavor so I worry about it after I've cooked it. I'm not in a competition so I don't have to worry about presentation.

They were getting rid of the fat but were taking what I thought was too much meat with it. I think I would cut them and then trim off the fat I didn't want. I've noticed when I see good deals on steaks they seem to have a lot more fat on the edges. I figure that way they are making up some of their money by making you pay for more fat content.

I can respect that with brisket but I do wish people would cut the fat cap off the pork shoulders. I don't feel they need it since they contain so much other fat and you lose 30% of the potential bark you could be getting. To me, the bark is pork candy. Best part of BBQ.

 

[Opus]

Their probably trimming it up getting rid of the "silver" as well as knocking the fat content down to their liking. If you've ever bought a whole packer brisket and trimmed some of the fat cap off it's almost depressing what the final result looks like after you've taken 5-6 pounds of fat off of it and realized you paid for stuff that will be tossed out.

One video I watched they actually tied strings to it every inch or so. Never did understand what they were doing.

 

[Opus]

I can respect that with brisket but I do wish people would cut the fat cap off the pork shoulders. I don't feel they need it since they contain so much other fat and you lose 30% of the potential bark you could be getting. To me, the bark is pork candy. Best part of BBQ.

If I did a lot of briskets I might trim them but I only cook one every 3 months or so since it is such a long process. I know the BBQ places take the trimmings and use them in their sausage.

 

[Eastlake]

I've heard that some cuts are tied to keep them from falling apart but I'm not sure that applies to brisket. It may have something to do with retaining moisture

 

[beaslbob]

FWIW my efforts to fix my pellet grill.

long and funny.

see: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pellet-grill-repairman.435129

 

[gcarroll]

I've heard that some cuts are tied to keep them from falling apart but I'm not sure that applies to brisket. It may have something to do with retaining moisture

I have always been taught that a roast is tied to give it a more uniform shape so the roast cooks more evenly. decreasing the likelyhood of thinner and outlying pieces from getting overcooked.

 

[gcarroll]

I can respect that with brisket but I do wish people would cut the fat cap off the pork shoulders. I don't feel they need it since they contain so much other fat and you lose 30% of the potential bark you could be getting. To me, the bark is pork candy. Best part of BBQ.

Agreed 100%. I started buying my pork buts at costco since they remove most of the fat cap. That way I'm not paying for it either. Sure they are boneless, but because of they way it's butterflied open to cut out the bone just gives more surface area for additional bark. I'll give up the bone to get more bark!

 

[Opus]

I have always been taught that a roast is tied to give it a more uniform shape so the roast cooks more evenly. decreasing the likelyhood of thinner and outlying pieces from getting overcooked.

Maybe that was it. It was the middle part of the long piece of meat they were cutting. They cut steaks out of the first quarter of the the meat then tied up the next 6 or 7 inches and cut that big hunk off and then started making more steaks out of the rest of the meat. I admit I know nothing about steaks and how they are cut. Wish I could pick out a "good looking" steak but I can't. They all look about the same to me. I just know over the years I've always come back to t-bone steaks as my favorite, at least when I cook them.

 

[Opus]

I can respect that with brisket but I do wish people would cut the fat cap off the pork shoulders. I don't feel they need it since they contain so much other fat and you lose 30% of the potential bark you could be getting. To me, the bark is pork candy. Best part of BBQ.

I prefer the fat on mine but maybe the ones you see have more fat? I just cooked one a couple of weeks ago. Took it out of the package, covered in mustard and Rudys and threw it on the smoker for 10 hours. I had very little fat left.

 

[mcarroll]

PORK BELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brew12]

I prefer the fat on mine but maybe the ones you see have more fat? I just cooked one a couple of weeks ago. Took it out of the package, covered in mustard and Rudys and threw it on the smoker for 10 hours. I had very little fat left.

Not my picture, but this is the fat cap I remove.

 

[Brew12]

Would have helped if I actually attached it...

 

[mcarroll]

I know you wish the photos were better.

What you see here gets chilled sliced and fried.

 

[siggy]

I'll give up the bone to get more bark!

 

[Eastlake]

I have always been taught that a roast is tied to give it a more uniform shape so the roast cooks more evenly. decreasing the likelyhood of thinner and outlying pieces from getting overcooked.

AH! So the Flat will cook at the same rate as the point! Next project, tying up my brisket.

 

[siggy]

Here's one Anyone ever do flank steak or london broil ? One of my cook books refers L/B as brisket?

 

[Opus]

AH! So the Flat will cook at the same rate as the point! Next project, tying up my brisket.

Not sure that would matter when smoking a brisket since you are cooking at such a low temp.