BBQ Lingo
Fat Cap
The thick layer of fat on the exterior of cuts like brisket and pork shoulder. Trim, don't remove.
The fat cap is the layer of subcutaneous fat on the outside of large cuts. The eternal debate: trim it off, leave it on, or split the difference? The consensus: trim brisket fat cap to about ¼ inch — too thick and it never renders, too thin and the meat dries out. Cook fat-side up or down depending on where the heat source is (away from heat).
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