Waygu brisket fat questions....

[Juggy D Beerman]

I have about six pounds of Waygu brisket fat from trimming an 18lb brisket. I usually save the hard fat from choice briskets for mixing with venison for grinding. I haven't found much hard fat in these trimmings. The majority of the fat seems like it is going to be too soft for grinding and I am concerned about it clogging the plate on the grinder.



Anybody have any experience with using Waygu fat for grinding? If so, any advice?


Next question, has anyone tried making tallow out of Waygu fat?


Lager,


Juggy

 

[sudsandswine]

You can render it for tallow. It does have a different texture to it so I agree you may have a hard time mixing it into a lean meat and getting the texture you’re probably after.

 

[Itsdone]

I would definitely use it for grinding. Im certain companies are using leaner grade beef and mixing it with waygu fat to label it waygu ground beef. Besides, waygu tallow is cheaper to buy then to make yourself.

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

I will confess that I know nothing about these high priced Waygu briskets. I cooked my very first one at the Royal using a pellet cooker for the very first time. I was not happy with the results and neither were the judges. The flat was the absolute worst brisket I have ever cooked in my life. I had a seven pound 2-2.5" choice flat that turned out terrible as well. At least I was consistent. Thirty-five years of cooking briskets and I have to ruin a brisket that costs more than the first automobile I ever bought and I totaled it too........ I will say the burnt ends that came off that Waygu point were the best ones I ever tasted.


Enough ranting, on with the post. I cut the harder fat pieces into 1/2" cubes. I placed them on a plastic cutting board and into the freezer they went until they were frozen hard. Then I removed them and wrapped them heavily in plastic wrap, rewrapped in foil and into the freezer they go until deer season. I got a yield of five packages that weighed 1/2 pound each.



I did manage to salvage a little over a pound of meat scraps to make some burger with. I am looking forward to that.


I was left with about 2-1/2 pounds of soft fat that I am afraid that will not grind. I am sure it will clog the plate. So I think I am going to try an experiment. I am going to fire up the WSM and render the fat on the grill. I will have a small holed cooking grate on top of the top cooking grate and an aluminum pan on the lower grate to catch the renderings. Think this will work?


Lager,


Juggy

 

[Fooball]

I cooked my very first one at the Royal using a pellet cooker for the very first time. I was not happy with the results and neither were the judges.

Why in the world would you do that at a comp Juggy? A pellet? First time?

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

I am still working on my report about my experiences at my 32nd Royal. Here is the short version of my bad brisket entry.



My nephew, the person on our team who was going to cook the brisket, wound up having emergency surgery the Wednesday night before the contest. His father-in-law, who had never cooked a brisket before, brought his pellet cooker. I had not cooked a competition brisket in several years and I had never cooked a Waygu brisket. Because it was my nephews $300.00 brisket, I followed my nephew's instructions with the rub, using a pellet cooker, and his wrapping method. I tried to follow advice from trusted competitors. I did not totally rely on the probe test and used a higher finish temp as my guide for being done. I took it off the cooker when it hit 206F, let it start to cool and wrapped in foil and into the Yeti it went for a few hours. I was not impressed with the results of the flat. The burnt ends were spectacular and I should have submitted only the burnt ends and left the flat slices out.


By this time in the contest that brisket turn ins came around, my thinking cap had a lot of holes in it. My give a hoot had left the contest. In the previous 96 hours, I had slept a total of 14 hours. At least I had enough awareness to realize I had no business driving that U-Haul home. Luckily my brother-in-law showed up at the contest was able to drive me home. I drank four beers in my driveway during the two hours it took my to unloaded the U-Haul by myself. Those four beers were more than I drank the entire four days I was at the Royal.



Oh well, there is always next year. But if I cook brisket for the contest, it won't be a Waygu cooked on a pellet eater. I will go with what I know; choice brisket on a WSM. Aren't you glad you got the short version of the story?..............



Lager,


Juggy

 

[Itsdone]

I read that waygu fat melts at much lower temps then choice and prime. I never let my briskets go above 185-190F. I am a firm believer of time over temp.



In your case, that waygu grade was pointless as all that internal marbling basicly cooked out of that brisket. I wouldn't be suprised if even the connective tissue breaks down at lower temps meaning you could probably hold at even 175F and have it break down. Just guess since waygu is way above my pay grade ( pun intended )