Why I finally stopped trimming briskets before freezing them

I used to spend 20 extra minutes each Friday trimming every brisket down before vacuum sealing it for the freezer. Then last month a customer asked me to prep his whole packer to cook straight from frozen, and I had to leave the fat cap on to protect it during the freeze. Cooking that one after 3 weeks thawed, the texture came out BETTER than my pre-trimmed ones, juicier and less dry on the flat. Now I only do a rough trim of loose silver skin and freeze the rest intact, then trim after a 24 hour fridge thaw right before the smoker. Has anyone else tested freezing full packers vs. trimmed, or am I the last guy to catch on?

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2 Comments

simon_coleman2mo ago

Dang, I've been trimming for years like a chump. Guess I'm the last one to the party.

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jennifer_west522mo ago

Real talk, have you ever tried trimming with a sharp pair of bonsai shears instead of regular scissors? It sounds fancy but it's like $15 on Amazon and saves so much time. I switched last year and my hands don't cramp up halfway through anymore. Also, trim in small batches with a damp paper towel nearby, stops the leaves from sticking everywhere. You're not late to the party, you just showed up with better beer than the rest of us.

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