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How to Trim a Brisket Like a Pro
Updated November 2025
Trimming a brisket is one of those make-or-break steps that can define your final results. It’s not just about appearance — it’s about how the brisket cooks, how the bark forms, and how much flavor you’ll keep in the meat. With a sharp knife, a cool brisket, and a few key cuts, you’ll shape it for even cooking and render that fat cap just right. Once you know what to cut and what to keep, you’re already halfway to championship-worthy barbecue.
This blog is an excerpt from The Brisket Chronicles.
You can imagine that there are many opinions on the proper way to trim a brisket. Some restaurants, like Snow’s BBQ, trim quite radically (a 14-pound packer gets trimmed down to 6 to 8 pounds). Other restaurants hardly trim at all. In Kansas City, they routinely separate the point from the flat and smoke them separately, serving the point as burnt ends and the flat thinly sliced for sandwiches.
Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin has turned trimming into high art. He starts by squaring off the long sides, then trimming the fat on the top and bottom. He cuts off the thin edges, which would burn in the smoker. (Some restaurants turn these flap pieces into chicken fried steak.) His briskets have rounded edges—the beef equivalent of an Airstream trailer. “Smoke and air don’t move in a linear fashion,” explains Franklin. “An aerodynamic brisket just cooks better.”
My own trim style loosely follows the Aaron Franklin method, but with a little more fat removed from the seam between the point and the flat. See step-by-step photos for details.
But however you trim, always leave at least a ¼-inch-thick layer of fat on the meat to keep it from drying out. When in doubt, err on the side of more fat.
1. Trim one slender edge off the flat section of the brisket.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
2. Trim the slender edge off the other side of the brisket flat.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
3. Trim the excess fat off the top of the brisket, but leave at least ¼ inch of the fat.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
4. Cut out some of the seam fat between the point and the flat.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
5. Cut out most of the hard lump of fat at the top and end of the point, again leaving a ¼-inch layer of fat.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
6. Trim off the hard pocket of fat on the underside of the brisket under the point.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
7. You can see how lean the underside is, and you can see the tight grain of the brisket flat.
photo: The Brisket Chronicles.
Brisket Hack: Brisket is easier to trim when it’s cold. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes before trimming.
Brisket Trimming: Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to trim a brisket before smoking?
How much fat should I leave on a brisket?
What kind of knife works best for trimming brisket?
Should I trim the brisket cold or at room temperature?
What should I do with the trimmings?
Trimming a brisket might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the anatomy of the meat, it becomes second nature. Each pass of the knife sets you up for an even cook, a clean slice, and that signature bark every pitmaster chases. For more brisket tips, recipes, and smoking inspiration, explore the brisket archives on BarbecueBible.com.
Related Posts
- How to Master Brisket on Your Smoker
- Hot & Fast vs Low & Slow: When to Use Each
- How to Slice Brisket
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