Teaching the trim: how to prep meat for low 'n slow barbecue

When it comes to low 'n slow barbecuing, preparation is half the battle, and trimming your meat appropriately is a crucial step in this process. While fat can impart flavour and moisture, excessive or poorly distributed fat can hinder even cooking and reduce the final product's quality. In this guide, we'll break down how to trim fat from your meat, ensuring optimal results for your barbecuing endeavours.

1. Why Trim?

Before we dive into the how-to, it's essential to understand the why. Trimming fat can:

Enhance Flavour: Excessive fat can prevent your rub or seasoning from penetrating the meat, reducing its flavour profile.
Ensure Even Cooking: Bulky fat pockets can lead to uneven cooking.
Improve Texture: While a bit of fat can provide melt-in-the-mouth moments, too much can lead to a chewy or greasy end product.

2. Tools of the Trade

Sharp Boning or Fillet Knife: A sharp knife is crucial. It provides precision and safety.
Cutting Board: A large, sturdy board will give you ample space and stability.
Gloves (optional): These can help grip the meat and keep things sanitary.

The Trimming Process

1. Choose a Comfortable Workspace: Ensure you have ample lighting and space to manoeuvre the meat.

2. Start Cold: Begin with meat that's cold from the fridge. Fat is firmer and easier to trim when cold.

3. Identify the Fat: There are typically two types of fat on a piece of meat:

Surface Fat: This is the soft, white fat on the meat's exterior.
Hard Fat or Connective Tissue: Often found deeper in the meat, this fat won't render down during cooking and needs removal.

4. Begin Trimming:

Surface Fat: Gently slide your knife under the fat layer, keeping it as close to the fat as possible to avoid removing too much meat. Using a sawing motion, move the knife away from you, separating the fat from the meat.
Hard Fat/Connective Tissues: For harder fat pockets, make an incision on one end and work the knife underneath, then carefully cut it away.

5. Check for Silver Skin: This is a shiny, silvery membrane found on some cuts (like ribs or tenderloins). It's tough and can turn chewy when cooked. Slide your knife under one end of the silver skin, lift it, and angle your knife slightly upwards, then cut to remove.

6. Aim for Evenness: Your goal is an evenly shaped piece of meat without bulky fat pockets, ensuring uniform cooking.

7. Don't Overdo It: Remember, some fat is good! It will render during cooking, providing moisture and flavour. Aim to strike a balance.

8. Storing After Trimming

If you're not cooking immediately, wrap the trimmed meat in plastic wrap or butcher paper and store it in the refrigerator. Ideally, it should be cooked within 1-2 days for optimal freshness.

Trimming fat is both an art and a science. While it requires patience and practice, mastering this skill can elevate the quality of your low 'n slow barbecued meat. As you become more familiar with different cuts and their unique fat distributions, you'll be able to trim with confidence and precision.