I wonder… is there ever going to be a way to replicate this on a Traeger/Pellet Smoker? Might have to get creative, but I wonder if it could be done… thoughts?
It’s possible but could also create a fire that ruins your cool. Maybe you could soak some of the pellets in a smoke tube with rendered fat? Edit: based on a recent report, I advise not trying the pellet tube with fat. Could go up like a candle. Let me think about the best way to try to incorporate this with pellet smokers and I will do an update.
I haven’t ever added directly to the fire but I usually put my trimmings in a bread pan next to my water pan. I’ve heard the reverse flows sear the fat on the baffle plate and that gives it great flavor so I’m sure this does too!
@@MadScientistBBQ Thanks for the suggestion to use the pellet smoke tube (seems others agree too). Seems the safest way given the mechanics of a smoker. Can't wait to try!
@@Justinjale Hi Jeremy, you have me thinking that I could use this idea and use James from smoking Dad BBQ idea, he put wood chips in the ash tray and I'm thinking I could put fat chunks or thin fat strips on the chips and use that spin. Also use this awesome tip on more proteins if it works. Thank you for educating me tonight while watching BBQ Chopped 😆🤣 . Brad. NJ
Texan here, born and raised, and the evolution of brisket over the last 10 years has really been something. From simple salt, pepper, and smoke for 100+ years to now insane amounts of steps and "newly discovered secrets" is really something to behold. LOL. Good meat, plus a good trim, plus salt and pepper, plus clean smoke, plus a quality cooker equals great food. Simple as that. Love your channel and the content you put out.
@@Viacus I do think a lot of innovation has happened around how to do this stuff most effectively. It’s why I love this channel. But yeah, In the end we are figuring out how to do something others have already done.
@@colinbrash I agree but I could also say the real secret is soaking fat trimmings in liquified wagyu smoked beef tallow that was smoked with post oak on an A5 Wagyu brisket cook that was spritzed with champagne and slow smoked with Blanton’s soaked wood chunks.
If you read the BBQ & grilling sections of Modernist Cuisine-which you totally should, it's right up your alley-it explains that grill flavor comes from fats hydrolizing and vaporizing when they hit the coals.
@@Lilitha11 Look at the Pit Barrel Cooker that he mentioned, that is exactly what happens when you cook with it. I'm in that group on FB, and people rave about the food that they are able to turn out with nearly zero effort.
Minute 2:42... Taking in the Kentucky outdoors, smoking a brisket, chopping wood, enjoying a cigar. Great life! Only thing you're missing is a double of Old Forester 1920.
If you watch Jonny White of goldees bbq he has some videos where he just piles a bunch a tallow in the bottom when starting the fire. Chud also has a video about it
There may be a reason that Weber calls those "flavorizer bars" on the bottom of their grills. Fats and juices drip on to them where they sizzle and are aerosolized back up on to the meat.
@@fr201 I have a reverse flow - I am wondering 2 things - 1. The baffle plate which you have already mentioned - probably takes care of this. 2. The smoke chamber below the baffle plate will probably get covered in an "oily" reside.
Omg Yess when I heard it call "flavorizer bars" I really thought it was just a cheap gimmick name so they can pretend to compete with charcoal, but after this video I wonder if there is actually a real benefit to those bars.
I cannot believe you actually could tell a noticeable difference. That’s crazy to me! Awesome video. PS the face you make after trying your brisket and being impressed always cracks me up.
The video is an advertisement man. Lots of the videos he creates are just ads for his beef tallow distributor, or thermo-pen, or whatever it is. It's in his interest to lie to you so you buy SCP Wagyu Tallow and he gets a large kickback.
@@Administrator288 Horsche-Shit, did you even watch the video? He uses beef fat from his brisket. He does spotlight products he uses, but everyone he uses are quality products. Go troll somewhere else.
That’s why a reverse flow stick burner makes such awesome flavor, the rendering drips on the hot griddle below the racks and rises back up to add flavor to the meat. I love my Lang for that. I never use a water pan, because of how that works. I know you mentioned you have not cooked on a reverse flow but I’d like to see you do it sometime. Great video! The scientist in you never disappoints!
Bradley Robinson touched on this on his Chud’s channel a few months back. Along with the John Lewis Lawrey’s thing. He did so many “secrets” on that video that the fat in the fire tip was kind of glossed over quickly. Love the vids. Keep it up.
This makes perfect sense. My wife and I used to go to this Mexican restaurant that we loved but we would leave our coats in the car in the dead of winter because the smell of the cook just stuck to everything. I even smelled it in my hair taking a shower the next day. I have no doubt fat on a fire adds flavor. The struggle will be managing that fire because the fat will run hot.
I’m glad you mentioned the temperature spikes, because that was my first thought when you mentioned adding fat to the fire. I’ve got four kids and can’t afford a nice offset smoker, so I smoke all of my briskets and pork butts on my charcoal grill. I do fat side down to protect the meat, since it’s right above the coal snake. In my early days, I burnt the fat side of a brisket, because the fat dripped onto the coals, flared up and caught the fat end on fire. lol I’ve since learned some tricks to prevent that, but I still have to monitor the temp closely and sometimes remove some coals because of temperature spikes caused by fat drippings.
@@MadScientistBBQ I have a workhorse pits smoker with a cowboy firebox so I’m thinking of trying to simply lay the fat on the grates in the firebox without just throwing it on the fire. Will still get some flaring but wonder if it’ll be better for temp control. We’ll see. May not matter.
I run a heat management plate in my 500 gallon offset. For the reason when the fat drips down it hits the hot management plate and gives my briskets a seared steak taste. That's my secret👍......it's kinda like mixing Franklin's offset with snows direct coals.
When you mentioned the extra crispy factor I had the same thought you did, the fat, as a fuel, caused high temperature spikes because it burns quicker than wood. Maybe putting in smaller chunks of fat would lessen that effect while still providing the extra flavor. Hang a fat hook (magnetic) from the top of the fire box for a slower drip? Great video, thank you.
I simulate this using a Traeger Timberline 1300 by the following: Trim brisket, placing trimmings in a bowl. Season brisket, place in fridge overnight, along with the trimmings. Next day, pull brisket to reach room temperature. At same time, pull trimmings and place trimmings in a pan on the top of the oven, low to med heat. Use a high sided pan to prevent spattering overflow. Stir to prevent sticking to the pan. This is to begin the fat rendering sooner. Start smoker and place fat trimmings with rendered fat in double aluminum pans for safety. This method is not the same as the fat being burned in the fire, but it adds fat on the surface the same as with a water pan, where it is smoked into the brisket. I then use the rendered fat when wrapping.
@@AB-iv2pg I think Jeremy credits Chud in this video but Jirby straight up dumps loads of rendered tallow on his fire. Tripped me out but seems effective.
Your wife's "Okay. Stop eating it now." at the very end of the video, legit made me LOL. As always great information. I really appreciate the objectivity in all of your videos. You always start off by saying what you heard or observed and then you speculate as to why something might be a certain way and then you see for yourself. It is refreshing to see one be so open minded and willing to adapt. We grill a lot. This summer, we will smoke our first brisket, ribs and chicken. We've been gathering info for months. Your videos have been the most helpful.
Trying the fat trimmings on the fire today on my 15lb brisket. I’m excited to see how it turns out. I’ve learned so much from you Jeremy! Thank you for all you do brother!
from a BBQ science point of view, this will give an effect similar to a 'hill country' pit where the fat from the meat drips down onto the coals below, but the coals are far enough below that you won't get a runaway fat fire. Good method.
So, Rodney Scott talks about this when he's doing a whole hog. He says most of the awesome bbq flavor comes from the fat dripping on the hot coals and creating the flavorful smoke.
OMG I just had a small grease fire on yesterday's cook and ended up with amazing bark! Literally everyone said it's been the best brisket and beef ribs thus far. Definitely adding this method to my future cooks!
Been using the PBC and that fat dripping flavor is the difference you get from any barrel smoker. It's also very efficient with lump/briquettes that you only need a couple of wood chunks for the whole cook.
Love these videos, thanks! Curious, what's your current (typical) brisket punch list? I jump around a lot with your videos, so I think I'm potentially mixing old habits with new learnings. Is this about right? - Trim to aerodynamic perfection - Season (S&P, no binder) - Add fat to your firebox alongside logs - Smoke until bark is right - Wrap in tallow-wetted butcher paper - Smoke until tender - Heated rest until serve (~2-12 hours)
This is interesting. I have a horizon and a pit barrel cooker for when im lazy. The general smoke flavor is always better on my traditional offset but people always love the burnt fat smoke flavor off the pbc. I never thought to do something like this on my horizon. thanks for sharing this!
Do you feel that you get the smoke flavor you are after on the Horizon? I have a 20" Horizon and I would like more smoke, everyone I cook for loves it tho. Could it be that I am just bathing in the smoke all day so I dont notice it?
i'm happy you mentioned the Pit barrel cooker. the entire time you were talking about it I was thinking that's why gas grills have those "flavor bars" and that's exactly what makes the Pit Barrel Cooker special as it creates that Fog of Smoke as fat drips on the coals. Any plans to do a cook using a PBC in the future?
I like your channel, because you use simple direct language to teach newcomers, but don't shy away from more advanced techniques either, and explain them in an easy to digest way. my dad taught me to smoke meat since i was knee high to a grasshopper, and your videos have still managed to improve my bbq. granted I don't just do things how you say now, but there are definitely parts of my smoking that have been changed thanks to your videos, and I think the result turns out amazing. mostly with beef though. I will fight the first person who thinks there is a way to improve my dad's pork. its just not possible.
I knew before I watched this it was going to make a difference as I own 2 gateway drum smokers there is no way to explain that flavor but seriously it’s the number one reason I cook on the drums over any of the other pits I have
Hi Jeremy. I just bought a prime brisket at HEB. I put the fat trimmings in at every new piece of wood. Small pieces. It did change the bark of the brisket tremendously! I smoked the wagyu beef tallow for 6 hours. It came out freaking awesome! Thanks so much for the tips! I would love to join you for some cooking whenever you would like. Let me know!
This why food off the Drums or Weber Smokey Mountains (without water pan) are soooo good to me! I love that backyard grilling Flavor on my brisket! Yes guys on Gateways are winning I think cause Judges come from the backyard
Cooking my 3rd brisket today, my first that's not a flat. Packer brisket so I'm in for my 1st trim. I'm cooking in a weber Jumbo Joe but after seeing this video I will place some fat from the trim over the coals next to the wood chunks and see how it affects this cook. Thanks for the tip!
Check out Chud's BBQ channel. He smokes /grills over fire and talks about the flavor of fat dripping on fire all the time so It makes sense. Nice video!
WOW! I learned that trick 45 years ago from a co-worker from Texas. I never knew it was a secret. I sometimes use pork fat too. Makes brisket a little richer in my opinion. cheers!
I was reading an article on Amazing Ribs and they were talking about how fat renders and what the myths were regarding trimming briskets. They had mentioned that if you really want to utilize fat in a positive way, add it to the fire. Never thought much of what they were talking about until this video. I think there were plenty of clues out there but no one pieced it all together :)
@@MadScientistBBQ Great minds think alike. Your video also reminded me of reading Meathead's advice a while back about adding fat trimmings to the grate above a fire. I think he called it "an offering to the BBQ gods." I've religiously made the offering since then, and the gods have usually smiled upon me. I also enjoy the befuddled look of anyone who happens to witness the act or sees the charred black remains on the bbq grate. I couldn't find the specific article where he calls it an "offering to the BBQ gods", but here's the link to the article about trimming briskets, where Meathead writes, "And what about the fat dripping into the fire and being resurrected as flavorful droplets mixed in with smoke? I save the fat cap and put it on the grate over the fire and let it drip away." Note that elsewhere in the article, Meathead also mentions that too much fat in the fire will cause nasty black soot. amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/myth-melting-fat-cap-penetrates-meat
I put the fat above the brisket on a raised rack any let in drip over the meat during the cook. It helped with the juice and added similar smoked burger flavor and didn't have flare up because it was not in the fire box. And iam going to definitely got to try your method also thank you Jeremy
So there is a BBQ joint in Junction Tx called Coopers BBQ (cant miss the green tin roof) .They have a flavor and yellowish color to the two inch porkchops….they are a dream.
I can attest this adds a lot of flavor! I’ve never let the fat completely burn up though. I’d put it over the fire and let it drip down then take it off before it burnt. It’s good to know that it’s seemingly ok to let it but up completely!
Great video! I tried my first brisket in years on my Weber kettle last weekend. It wasn't perfect, but (thanks to your channel), I know what I need to do next time. Wait until the fat renders wrap, beef tallow, and let it rest a little longer. I wrapped too soon and only rested for about an hour. Thanks for the education!
A couple questions, help me out? 1) With this method, thoughts on not cleaning your grill/smoker as frequently, to keep the residual fat cooking on products? 2) I don't trim too much from Pork Belly (for Pork Belly Burnt ends), but should one do this with the pork belly as well to add additional flavor in your opinion?
Chuds bbq has a video where he goes over all of the secrets he's learned in the industry and applies them all for a brisket cook. Adding fat trimmings into the firebox was one of those tricks. It's a really cool and informative video.
Hmm guess I’ll giver a try. Been waiting for a decent day to do a brisket and I definitely won’t be short on fat trimmings so it should be a nice experiment.
Like this, thought the same. Nothing worse than running hot on brisket. Ruined one in my early que days. Going to try it this way and see if it makes a difference temp wise.
Just wondering if you have a video on smoking a prime rib? Your videos have helped me soo much since I ventured into the realm of smoking meats thank you
Very interesting video! Also another reason for you to test out a Lang smoker. On a Lang reverse flow smoker, as the meat cooks and the fat renders and drips down onto the the super hot “baffle plate” it creates the signature “Lang sizzle” and added flavor throughout the cook.
Have not tried cooking a brisket yet but I now know what to do. I have been learning a lot from your videos so keep the knowledge and wisdom coming it is greatly appreciated.
Great video Jeremy. This just reinforces those country bbq shacks of the south that cook whole hog or shoulders over big pits of wood coals. Their flavor comes from the smoke and all of the dripping fat on those coals spread out on the floor of the pit. 👍
This is along the same lines of flavors developed in Chinese stir-fry, referred to as "FIRE of the WOK" which comes from the burning of oils above the wok when the food is tossed above the flame of the burner and it catches fire briefly above the wok before falling back into the wok.
Okay so... first off, genius, but makes sense when your talking about grilling burgers/bratts over direct coals. Second thought, what if you welded a small shelf or basket to the inside roof of your firebox. slap a chunk of fat up there and let it render and drip direct on the fire instead of sitting direct on the wood/coals. Im curious if something like that would be better or worse than just tossing it on the fire directly, or if its negligible. Great vid, keep up the bbq knowledge and tech for us norm folks trying to hone our back yard skills
Awesome video Jeremy and yes, that’s why drums win consistently in the bbq competition world. Some start the meat on drums and then finish off in an offset. Seen it done before.
I add steak trimmings to my wood chip box on my gas grill when I cook steaks. Smokes better and tastes great. Now all the brisket fat is too much to keep to do that just for the occasional steak. I have a pellet grill, so no way to toss in fat when smoking the brisket. But, yeah, this is a great idea.
I wonder if the heat spikes from adding the fat were what caused the darker bark and not necessarily the fat itself. I think this requires further testing and eating of BBQ
Yeah i was wondering if the average temp was higher on this cook. The brisket seemed a bit dryer than his usual ones (but better than mine!). Not doubting the added flavor but still a legit question.
I always thought of it as 'burnt offerings to the fire'! I believe I first heard about it from Meathead, though I'm not 100% certain on that. I always try to put at least a few meat scraps directly over/into the fire when I'm smoking and it seems to make a difference.
I watched this while enjoying a cigar on the patio. I saw you’re also enjoying one while splitting your oak. Cheers man. If you haven’t yet, try a sobremesa brulee from Dunbarton Tonacco and Trust. Enjoy that Oliva serie V
I’ve thought about this a lot, not for the sake of bark, but for flavor. I accidentally discovered this while doing zone cooking on a kettle grill. I was cooking ribs, with the ribs on one side, and the charcoal and wood fire on the other. I decided to cook some burgers over the fire, while the ribs were still cooking. I was surprised that the ribs became smokier. The smoke flavor was almost too much, but I like lots of smoke flavor. Edit: I think that this method works best when finishing a food with barbecue sauce or glaze because the sauce will quickly absorb the smoke flavor. Edit2: The thing that he said at the end about flare ups is very important. If you use too much fat you can end up with a thick dirty smoke.
I'm glad you tested it. Not really surprised and really like your well thought out approach. I'll definitely see how I can apply this info to the smoking methods I have on hand. I wonder if a cold smoker could handle a little fat in there. Hmm. The reason I'm not too surprised is I've noticed that smokey burned fat flavor on coursely chopped steak burgers cooked over very high heat that I make and missed that flavor when others cook their burgers over lower heat. You need enough heat to burn that fat rapidly when making burgers because of the short cook time. I'm looking forward to applying this next time I smoke some BBQ. Thanks!
This is why I get much better tasting bbq using my wsm's with the fire dial plate instead of the water pan. I will try this on my old country...thanks!
if it was directly over flame it might help crust and flavor. but in an offset i just dont believe it would matter. which is why the pit barrels are on circuit instead of adding fat to offsets
I have stood in/breathed in a side by side comparison of Wood Smoke and Fat Smoke and I prefer the sweet savory aromatic of Fat Smoke over wood smoke hands down. You can breath it in deeply unlike wood smoke. With that said I love Hill Country style bbq. With a little wood smoke from burnt down coals and finished over fat smoke. Great job Jeremy!
Great points made all the way around Jeremy! I just realized this would in theory also work well on a long pulled pork smoke. My pulled pork always comes out great but not overly barky. I bet this would greatly improve the pork butt bark!
I learned to cook brisket (when I was about 10) by having a fire on the ground and shoveling coals into the pit and cooking over direct heat. The meat was about 2 feet above the coals but I've always thought that the fat dripping into the coals was the secret to great brisket. On another note, and I'm not trying to be a hater, I have a question about your slicing technique. I was taught to split the brisket after cooking and cutting each muscle against the grain. If there's both muscles in the same slice one of them was cut with the grain. Your thoughts?
Man I've been preaching this for yrs on here. Still the best way to bbq. As for the slicing, if they do respond, they say the way they are slicing is against the grain. Cutting a brisket in half and declaring one side the flat and the other the point makes me twitch.
I also used to do this with my old char grill bbq. Coals off to one side and would place bacon on the second shelf grate so when the hood closed, the bacon grease would drip onto the coals. Believe it or not. I had the idea before Yoder brought it to you tube!
I wonder… is there ever going to be a way to replicate this on a Traeger/Pellet Smoker? Might have to get creative, but I wonder if it could be done… thoughts?
It’s possible but could also create a fire that ruins your cool. Maybe you could soak some of the pellets in a smoke tube with rendered fat?
Edit: based on a recent report, I advise not trying the pellet tube with fat. Could go up like a candle. Let me think about the best way to try to incorporate this with pellet smokers and I will do an update.
@@MadScientistBBQ im trying this, mixing minced fat into my smoke tube, or maybe placing some fat on top of the tube
I haven’t ever added directly to the fire but I usually put my trimmings in a bread pan next to my water pan. I’ve heard the reverse flows sear the fat on the baffle plate and that gives it great flavor so I’m sure this does too!
@@MadScientistBBQ Thanks for the suggestion to use the pellet smoke tube (seems others agree too). Seems the safest way given the mechanics of a smoker. Can't wait to try!
@@Justinjale Hi Jeremy, you have me thinking that I could use this idea and use James from smoking Dad BBQ idea, he put wood chips in the ash tray and I'm thinking I could put fat chunks or thin fat strips on the chips and use that spin. Also use this awesome tip on more proteins if it works.
Thank you for educating me tonight while watching BBQ Chopped 😆🤣 .
Brad.
NJ
Texan here, born and raised, and the evolution of brisket over the last 10 years has really been something. From simple salt, pepper, and smoke for 100+ years to now insane amounts of steps and "newly discovered secrets" is really something to behold. LOL. Good meat, plus a good trim, plus salt and pepper, plus clean smoke, plus a quality cooker equals great food. Simple as that. Love your channel and the content you put out.
I agree with you that the process can become too complicated. The basics done right are always gonna be good
100million%
I really think a lot of this has been done fore years and years, but with social media the ease of shared information always makes things seem “new”.
@@Viacus I do think a lot of innovation has happened around how to do this stuff most effectively. It’s why I love this channel. But yeah, In the end we are figuring out how to do something others have already done.
@@colinbrash I agree but I could also say the real secret is soaking fat trimmings in liquified wagyu smoked beef tallow that was smoked with post oak on an A5 Wagyu brisket cook that was spritzed with champagne and slow smoked with Blanton’s soaked wood chunks.
If you read the BBQ & grilling sections of Modernist Cuisine-which you totally should, it's right up your alley-it explains that grill flavor comes from fats hydrolizing and vaporizing when they hit the coals.
Makes sense!
That makes it sounds like you can get even better results, if you don't just throw a chunk of fat in the fire but let it drip in instead.
@@MadScientistBBQ same for the baffle plate on a reverse flow. You should give them a long reconsideration… fat dripping onto screaming hot steel.
@@Lilitha11 Look at the Pit Barrel Cooker that he mentioned, that is exactly what happens when you cook with it. I'm in that group on FB, and people rave about the food that they are able to turn out with nearly zero effort.
Wonder if you could put fat on the firebox grate in your Brazos to try this idea out...
In before Harry Soo comes out with a five part series on this... that I'm going to watch because I'm addicted to smoked meat YT, of course.
Look at my comment I just posted before I scrolled down ! lmao
Lol. He sure will
Minute 2:42... Taking in the Kentucky outdoors, smoking a brisket, chopping wood, enjoying a cigar. Great life! Only thing you're missing is a double of Old Forester 1920.
If you watch Jonny White of goldees bbq he has some videos where he just piles a bunch a tallow in the bottom when starting the fire. Chud also has a video about it
There may be a reason that Weber calls those "flavorizer bars" on the bottom of their grills. Fats and juices drip on to them where they sizzle and are aerosolized back up on to the meat.
That also happens with the baffle on a reverse flow.
@@fr201 I have a reverse flow - I am wondering 2 things - 1. The baffle plate which you have already mentioned - probably takes care of this. 2. The smoke chamber below the baffle plate will probably get covered in an "oily" reside.
Omg Yess when I heard it call "flavorizer bars" I really thought it was just a cheap gimmick name so they can pretend to compete with charcoal, but after this video I wonder if there is actually a real benefit to those bars.
Add the fat in the beginning to help with color and can be used to get an extra 15 degrees in the chamber pretty quickly.
Just when I think you have the ultimate brisket all figured out you take it up another level! Amazing! Your logic makes perfect sense.
I cannot believe you actually could tell a noticeable difference. That’s crazy to me! Awesome video. PS the face you make after trying your brisket and being impressed always cracks me up.
The video is an advertisement man. Lots of the videos he creates are just ads for his beef tallow distributor, or thermo-pen, or whatever it is. It's in his interest to lie to you so you buy SCP Wagyu Tallow and he gets a large kickback.
@@Administrator288 So who sponsored this video? "Big Fat You Trim Off a Brisket Before You Cook It"? Did you even watch the vid? lmao
@@Administrator288 Horsche-Shit, did you even watch the video? He uses beef fat from his brisket. He does spotlight products he uses, but everyone he uses are quality products. Go troll somewhere else.
That’s why a reverse flow stick burner makes such awesome flavor, the rendering drips on the hot griddle below the racks and rises back up to add flavor to the meat. I love my Lang for that. I never use a water pan, because of how that works. I know you mentioned you have not cooked on a reverse flow but I’d like to see you do it sometime. Great video! The scientist in you never disappoints!
This is the beauty of cooking. We all learn from each other in one way or another, evolving the craft one step at a time. Thank you for sharing!
Bradley Robinson touched on this on his Chud’s channel a few months back. Along with the John Lewis Lawrey’s thing. He did so many “secrets” on that video that the fat in the fire tip was kind of glossed over quickly. Love the vids. Keep it up.
I was going to say the same! @Chudsbbq FTW
Which episode?
This makes perfect sense. My wife and I used to go to this Mexican restaurant that we loved but we would leave our coats in the car in the dead of winter because the smell of the cook just stuck to everything. I even smelled it in my hair taking a shower the next day. I have no doubt fat on a fire adds flavor. The struggle will be managing that fire because the fat will run hot.
Jirby touched on this in his video a few months ago, Goldees well and truly now on the Map.
When Jeremy Yoder says this is the best tasting bark I’ve ever made, you have my attention. Wow
Makes sense why people cook fat side down on WSM and egg units. Thanks Jeremy for the great videos!
the fat protects the meat during the cook .. .def fat down on the ceramic covers
I’m glad you mentioned the temperature spikes, because that was my first thought when you mentioned adding fat to the fire. I’ve got four kids and can’t afford a nice offset smoker, so I smoke all of my briskets and pork butts on my charcoal grill. I do fat side down to protect the meat, since it’s right above the coal snake. In my early days, I burnt the fat side of a brisket, because the fat dripped onto the coals, flared up and caught the fat end on fire. lol I’ve since learned some tricks to prevent that, but I still have to monitor the temp closely and sometimes remove some coals because of temperature spikes caused by fat drippings.
Yeah the temp spikes were hard to deal with
@@MadScientistBBQ I have a workhorse pits smoker with a cowboy firebox so I’m thinking of trying to simply lay the fat on the grates in the firebox without just throwing it on the fire. Will still get some flaring but wonder if it’ll be better for temp control. We’ll see. May not matter.
I run a heat management plate in my 500 gallon offset. For the reason when the fat drips down it hits the hot management plate and gives my briskets a seared steak taste. That's my secret👍......it's kinda like mixing Franklin's offset with snows direct coals.
When you mentioned the extra crispy factor I had the same thought you did, the fat, as a fuel, caused high temperature spikes because it burns quicker than wood. Maybe putting in smaller chunks of fat would lessen that effect while still providing the extra flavor. Hang a fat hook (magnetic) from the top of the fire box for a slower drip? Great video, thank you.
Harry Soo is going to make about a 10 video series on this technique !! This is insane but it makes perfect sense.
Funny. Him and Jeremy are my brisket go to guys. Maybe Harry Soo can figure out how to do it on a pellet grill.
You sir have made my brisket quest so much better over the last 2 years. Thank you so much for the tips and always teaching us new ideas.
Seriously - agree!
I second this!! This man is solely responsible for the amazing BBQ I make at home!
THanks for the video! For a second I thought you were going to bust into a Cowboy Kent Happy Dance!
I simulate this using a Traeger Timberline 1300 by the following:
Trim brisket, placing trimmings in a bowl.
Season brisket, place in fridge overnight, along with the trimmings.
Next day, pull brisket to reach room temperature.
At same time, pull trimmings and place trimmings in a pan on the top of the oven, low to med heat. Use a high sided pan to prevent spattering overflow. Stir to prevent sticking to the pan. This is to begin the fat rendering sooner.
Start smoker and place fat trimmings with rendered fat in double aluminum pans for safety.
This method is not the same as the fat being burned in the fire, but it adds fat on the surface the same as with a water pan, where it is smoked into the brisket.
I then use the rendered fat when wrapping.
Jirby's like, "hold my beer".
Hell yeah. Chuds done this too.
@@AB-iv2pg I think Jeremy credits Chud in this video but Jirby straight up dumps loads of rendered tallow on his fire. Tripped me out but seems effective.
@@AB-iv2pg yeah but Jirby is only the pitmaster at the world's best BBQ spot. The Jing.
Your wife's "Okay. Stop eating it now." at the very end of the video, legit made me LOL. As always great information. I really appreciate the objectivity in all of your videos. You always start off by saying what you heard or observed and then you speculate as to why something might be a certain way and then you see for yourself. It is refreshing to see one be so open minded and willing to adapt. We grill a lot. This summer, we will smoke our first brisket, ribs and chicken. We've been gathering info for months. Your videos have been the most helpful.
Trying the fat trimmings on the fire today on my 15lb brisket. I’m excited to see how it turns out. I’ve learned so much from you Jeremy! Thank you for all you do brother!
That's the "secret" that makes grilling big-time tasty, so yeah, it should work great for BBQ too.
I’m supposed to smoke a brisket this Friday for a Saturday lunch. I might just throw it on the pit barrel instead of my silverbac. Thank you Jeremy
from a BBQ science point of view, this will give an effect similar to a 'hill country' pit where the fat from the meat drips down onto the coals below, but the coals are far enough below that you won't get a runaway fat fire. Good method.
So the big lesson of 2021 is Fat conquers All. Fat in the marbling, fat in the wrapping, fat on the wood! 😆
Here in deep south it's simply called Open Pit BBQ. Funny how we got away from it so many ways!
Great video. That half point/flat slice was MONEY. And thanks for not squeezing the renderings out of every hunk of meat after slicing.
So, Rodney Scott talks about this when he's doing a whole hog. He says most of the awesome bbq flavor comes from the fat dripping on the hot coals and creating the flavorful smoke.
Very true, Carolina style is all about fat on the coals. Also tracks with what Chud Boxes replicate, too.
Stop it, you're killing me... my wife told me to stop "air chewing" while I was watching you eat it! I swear I could taste it!!
OMG I just had a small grease fire on yesterday's cook and ended up with amazing bark! Literally everyone said it's been the best brisket and beef ribs thus far. Definitely adding this method to my future cooks!
WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS HAHAHAHAHA
Been using the PBC and that fat dripping flavor is the difference you get from any barrel smoker. It's also very efficient with lump/briquettes that you only need a couple of wood chunks for the whole cook.
Use fat as fire igniter if coal bed starts to get small, will help ignite new split and help keep temperature from spiking.
Love these videos, thanks!
Curious, what's your current (typical) brisket punch list? I jump around a lot with your videos, so I think I'm potentially mixing old habits with new learnings. Is this about right?
- Trim to aerodynamic perfection
- Season (S&P, no binder)
- Add fat to your firebox alongside logs
- Smoke until bark is right
- Wrap in tallow-wetted butcher paper
- Smoke until tender
- Heated rest until serve (~2-12 hours)
This is interesting. I have a horizon and a pit barrel cooker for when im lazy. The general smoke flavor is always better on my traditional offset but people always love the burnt fat smoke flavor off the pbc. I never thought to do something like this on my horizon. thanks for sharing this!
Do you feel that you get the smoke flavor you are after on the Horizon? I have a 20" Horizon and I would like more smoke, everyone I cook for loves it tho. Could it be that I am just bathing in the smoke all day so I dont notice it?
i'm happy you mentioned the Pit barrel cooker. the entire time you were talking about it I was thinking that's why gas grills have those "flavor bars" and that's exactly what makes the Pit Barrel Cooker special as it creates that Fog of Smoke as fat drips on the coals. Any plans to do a cook using a PBC in the future?
I wonder if he's ever used a PBC and if he'll try it on a future cook to compare vs stick burner.
I like your channel, because you use simple direct language to teach newcomers, but don't shy away from more advanced techniques either, and explain them in an easy to digest way. my dad taught me to smoke meat since i was knee high to a grasshopper, and your videos have still managed to improve my bbq. granted I don't just do things how you say now, but there are definitely parts of my smoking that have been changed thanks to your videos, and I think the result turns out amazing. mostly with beef though. I will fight the first person who thinks there is a way to improve my dad's pork. its just not possible.
I knew before I watched this it was going to make a difference as I own 2 gateway drum smokers there is no way to explain that flavor but seriously it’s the number one reason I cook on the drums over any of the other pits I have
Hi Jeremy. I just bought a prime brisket at HEB. I put the fat trimmings in at every new piece of wood. Small pieces. It did change the bark of the brisket tremendously! I smoked the wagyu beef tallow for 6 hours. It came out freaking awesome! Thanks so much for the tips! I would love to join you for some cooking whenever you would like. Let me know!
Great vid and breakdown of why, I Like to toss my onion scraps on the coals and IMO it makes a difference to cooks also. Cheers brother!
This why food off the Drums or Weber Smokey Mountains (without water pan) are soooo good to me! I love that backyard grilling Flavor on my brisket! Yes guys on Gateways are winning I think cause Judges come from the backyard
I have taken my water pan out of my WSM for this very “Texas secret” hahahaha
Does it affect the temp removing the waterpan?
Yeah I think you’re right
@@nicklee8767 u have to control it more. Water pan for sure messes wit temps and kinda helps u out .
Cooking my 3rd brisket today, my first that's not a flat. Packer brisket so I'm in for my 1st trim. I'm cooking in a weber Jumbo Joe but after seeing this video I will place some fat from the trim over the coals next to the wood chunks and see how it affects this cook. Thanks for the tip!
I've tried everything you've put out and I haven't had any complaints. Can't wait to try this. Maybe this weekend.
Check out Chud's BBQ channel.
He smokes /grills over fire and talks about the flavor of fat dripping on fire all the time so
It makes sense. Nice video!
YESSSS HE DOES
I genuinely appreciate all the tips and tricks you give us to help make the best backyard bbq!
WOW! I learned that trick 45 years ago from a co-worker from Texas. I never knew it was a secret. I sometimes use pork fat too. Makes brisket a little richer in my opinion. cheers!
I was reading an article on Amazing Ribs and they were talking about how fat renders and what the myths were regarding trimming briskets. They had mentioned that if you really want to utilize fat in a positive way, add it to the fire. Never thought much of what they were talking about until this video. I think there were plenty of clues out there but no one pieced it all together :)
Hmm interesting. Can you send me a link to that article?
@@MadScientistBBQ Great minds think alike. Your video also reminded me of reading Meathead's advice a while back about adding fat trimmings to the grate above a fire. I think he called it "an offering to the BBQ gods." I've religiously made the offering since then, and the gods have usually smiled upon me. I also enjoy the befuddled look of anyone who happens to witness the act or sees the charred black remains on the bbq grate. I couldn't find the specific article where he calls it an "offering to the BBQ gods", but here's the link to the article about trimming briskets, where Meathead writes, "And what about the fat dripping into the fire and being resurrected as flavorful droplets mixed in with smoke? I save the fat cap and put it on the grate over the fire and let it drip away." Note that elsewhere in the article, Meathead also mentions that too much fat in the fire will cause nasty black soot. amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/myth-melting-fat-cap-penetrates-meat
I put the fat above the brisket on a raised rack any let in drip over the meat during the cook.
It helped with the juice and added similar smoked burger flavor and didn't have flare up because it was not in the fire box.
And iam going to definitely got to try your method also thank you Jeremy
This is why I love my Pit Barrell Cooker! Bark and flavor is incredible!!
So there is a BBQ joint in Junction Tx called Coopers BBQ (cant miss the green tin roof) .They have a flavor and yellowish color to the two inch porkchops….they are a dream.
I never realized you smoked cigars! First time I've saw one in your videos! Nothing better while smoking meat then some good beer and cigars!
I can attest this adds a lot of flavor! I’ve never let the fat completely burn up though. I’d put it over the fire and let it drip down then take it off before it burnt. It’s good to know that it’s seemingly ok to let it but up completely!
Great video! I tried my first brisket in years on my Weber kettle last weekend. It wasn't perfect, but (thanks to your channel), I know what I need to do next time. Wait until the fat renders wrap, beef tallow, and let it rest a little longer. I wrapped too soon and only rested for about an hour. Thanks for the education!
A couple questions, help me out? 1) With this method, thoughts on not cleaning your grill/smoker as frequently, to keep the residual fat cooking on products? 2) I don't trim too much from Pork Belly (for Pork Belly Burnt ends), but should one do this with the pork belly as well to add additional flavor in your opinion?
Chuds bbq has a video where he goes over all of the secrets he's learned in the industry and applies them all for a brisket cook. Adding fat trimmings into the firebox was one of those tricks. It's a really cool and informative video.
You are the man Jeremy…I am soaking in the knowledge man.
Smokin' a stogie while chopping up some wood.. my hero
Hmm guess I’ll giver a try. Been waiting for a decent day to do a brisket and I definitely won’t be short on fat trimmings so it should be a nice experiment.
14:10 -- this bark brought out his inner Owen Wilson
Chris Lilly has won lots of awards with this same logic. He talks about it all the time
We do this for our cooks!! Makes a big difference! Definitely worth the extra work!
I wonder if you could m itigate the temperature spikes by adding the fat halfway between adding the logs, so it isn't quite so much fuel all at once.
Like this, thought the same. Nothing worse than running hot on brisket. Ruined one in my early que days. Going to try it this way and see if it makes a difference temp wise.
Add a waste oil heater to the firebox. Fill it with the wagyu tallow adjust the drip to control the added heat.
Just wondering if you have a video on smoking a prime rib? Your videos have helped me soo much since I ventured into the realm of smoking meats thank you
Very interesting video! Also another reason for you to test out a Lang smoker. On a Lang reverse flow smoker, as the meat cooks and the fat renders and drips down onto the the super hot “baffle plate” it creates the signature “Lang sizzle” and added flavor throughout the cook.
Have not tried cooking a brisket yet but I now know what to do. I have been learning a lot from your videos so keep the knowledge and wisdom coming it is greatly appreciated.
Great video Jeremy. This just reinforces those country bbq shacks of the south that cook whole hog or shoulders over big pits of wood coals. Their flavor comes from the smoke and all of the dripping fat on those coals spread out on the floor of the pit. 👍
This is along the same lines of flavors developed in Chinese stir-fry, referred to as "FIRE of the WOK" which comes from the burning of oils above the wok when the food is tossed above the flame of the burner and it catches fire briefly above the wok before falling back into the wok.
The consistent quality of your videos is amazing. Every time I think you’ve covered every tip, trick, etc you bring something crazy cool to the table.
Okay so... first off, genius, but makes sense when your talking about grilling burgers/bratts over direct coals. Second thought, what if you welded a small shelf or basket to the inside roof of your firebox. slap a chunk of fat up there and let it render and drip direct on the fire instead of sitting direct on the wood/coals. Im curious if something like that would be better or worse than just tossing it on the fire directly, or if its negligible. Great vid, keep up the bbq knowledge and tech for us norm folks trying to hone our back yard skills
Seems like this would help smooth out the temperature spikes @Mad Scientist BBQ was talking about at 14:47
Awesome video Jeremy and yes, that’s why drums win consistently in the bbq competition world. Some start the meat on drums and then finish off in an offset. Seen it done before.
I add steak trimmings to my wood chip box on my gas grill when I cook steaks. Smokes better and tastes great. Now all the brisket fat is too much to keep to do that just for the occasional steak.
I have a pellet grill, so no way to toss in fat when smoking the brisket.
But, yeah, this is a great idea.
I wonder if the heat spikes from adding the fat were what caused the darker bark and not necessarily the fat itself. I think this requires further testing and eating of BBQ
Yeah i was wondering if the average temp was higher on this cook. The brisket seemed a bit dryer than his usual ones (but better than mine!). Not doubting the added flavor but still a legit question.
Yeah. I think you legitimately have a point there. Good thing to test out
you're killing me with those close up shots dude... please do way more of those
I always thought of it as 'burnt offerings to the fire'!
I believe I first heard about it from Meathead, though I'm not 100% certain on that.
I always try to put at least a few meat scraps directly over/into the fire when I'm smoking and it seems to make a difference.
I watched this while enjoying a cigar on the patio. I saw you’re also enjoying one while splitting your oak. Cheers man.
If you haven’t yet, try a sobremesa brulee from Dunbarton Tonacco and Trust.
Enjoy that Oliva serie V
If i understand correctly: you can basically use the trimmed fat of the same brisket right into the fire ?
Or you might need some more ?
I’ve thought about this a lot, not for the sake of bark, but for flavor.
I accidentally discovered this while doing zone cooking on a kettle grill.
I was cooking ribs, with the ribs on one side, and the charcoal and wood fire on the other.
I decided to cook some burgers over the fire, while the ribs were still cooking.
I was surprised that the ribs became smokier.
The smoke flavor was almost too much, but I like lots of smoke flavor.
Edit: I think that this method works best when finishing a food with barbecue sauce or glaze because the sauce will quickly absorb the smoke flavor.
Edit2: The thing that he said at the end about flare ups is very important. If you use too much fat you can end up with a thick dirty smoke.
I'm glad you tested it. Not really surprised and really like your well thought out approach. I'll definitely see how I can apply this info to the smoking methods I have on hand.
I wonder if a cold smoker could handle a little fat in there. Hmm.
The reason I'm not too surprised is I've noticed that smokey burned fat flavor on coursely chopped steak burgers cooked over very high heat that I make and missed that flavor when others cook their burgers over lower heat. You need enough heat to burn that fat rapidly when making burgers because of the short cook time. I'm looking forward to applying this next time I smoke some BBQ. Thanks!
This is why I get much better tasting bbq using my wsm's with the fire dial plate instead of the water pan. I will try this on my old country...thanks!
if it was directly over flame it might help crust and flavor. but in an offset i just dont believe it would matter. which is why the pit barrels are on circuit instead of adding fat to offsets
I have stood in/breathed in a side by side comparison of Wood Smoke and Fat Smoke and I prefer the sweet savory aromatic of Fat Smoke over wood smoke hands down. You can breath it in deeply unlike wood smoke. With that said I love Hill Country style bbq. With a little wood smoke from burnt down coals and finished over fat smoke. Great job Jeremy!
Awaiting a video on how best to cook small (3-6lb) briskets!
ok so what if you combine the tallow on the brisket wrap, the fat on the fire, and the lowry's seasoning salt? Is that the brisket trifecta?
This is why me and my buddy love watching your videos. So awesome that you do this to help improve everyone's bbq. 👍🍻
Jeremy, You sir are a master of your craft! Thank you for the tips! Every brisket i've done has gotten rave reviews from my family and friends.
I wonder if you could do this with other cuts of meat. Like ribs, for example. I’m not sure if lard would work. Maybe not. I love this idea.
Great points made all the way around Jeremy! I just realized this would in theory also work well on a long pulled pork smoke. My pulled pork always comes out great but not overly barky. I bet this would greatly improve the pork butt bark!
What kind of cigar were you smoking? What are some of your favourite smokes?
Genius! Thanks for throwing back the curtain on smoking brisket.
I learned to cook brisket (when I was about 10) by having a fire on the ground and shoveling coals into the pit and cooking over direct heat. The meat was about 2 feet above the coals but I've always thought that the fat dripping into the coals was the secret to great brisket. On another note, and I'm not trying to be a hater, I have a question about your slicing technique. I was taught to split the brisket after cooking and cutting each muscle against the grain. If there's both muscles in the same slice one of them was cut with the grain. Your thoughts?
Man I've been preaching this for yrs on here. Still the best way to bbq. As for the slicing, if they do respond, they say the way they are slicing is against the grain. Cutting a brisket in half and declaring one side the flat and the other the point makes me twitch.
Planning on making pulled pork on my BGE tommorow. I'm gonna try this to.
On the BGE .. it will naturally drip to the fire unless you have a catch pan ... I never use a catch pan for butt and it comes out amazing !!
I also used to do this with my old char grill bbq. Coals off to one side and would place bacon on the second shelf grate so when the hood closed, the bacon grease would drip onto the coals. Believe it or not. I had the idea before Yoder brought it to you tube!
It's more prominent with roasting meats over charcoal and wood burning fires. The fats vaporize and caramelize to the meat.
Did I see a tear? I think I almost saw a tear.
Always making my mouth water no matter how full I already am