I have been making brisket for a while, but earlier this year, I learned about using tallow when I wrap my brisket. This might be the trick for you to win Memorial Day Weekend backyard barbecues in the United States. I have now incorporated beef tallow into my Trademark BBQ Brisket process. I do it every time and the results have been sublime. When you bite into brisket and notice its moisture, you are actually noticing rendered fat. By adding tallow to the wrapping phase of the smoke, you are adding rendered fat which translates into “moisture.”
You can either make your own beef tallow or buy beef tallow.
Making Beef Tallow
Save your trimmings from when you trim your brisket. Add the trimmings to a pot and cook them on low heat. Filter the result with a fine mesh. I got a comment on Instagram about taking the filtered tallow and smoking it in the smoker. You get some extra smoke flavor. This is particularly useful for smoking brisket on a pellet smoker.
Buying Beef Tallow
The easiest (slightly more wasteful) way to get beef tallow is to buy beef tallow. I recommend Wagyu Beef Tallow on Amazon. Buying tallow gets you the added benefit of consistency and you can choose Wagyu Beef Tallow. I also recommend smoking the tallow when you start smoking your brisket.
Wrap the Brisket with Butcher Paper and Beef Tallow
Take two large sheets of pink butcher paper and place them on top of a cooking sheet. Pour the tallow onto the paper and put the bottom of the brisket down on the pool of beef tallow. Fold the paper around the sides, flip, and tuck. I like to make sure that there are no air pockets in the paper. Tallow helps with moisture, texture, and mouthfeel.
Profit.