blair_chen81•1d agoProlific Poster

Messed up a brisket trim so bad I turned it into chili instead

So last Sunday I was getting ready for a family cookout and grabbed a 12 lb brisket from Costco. I've trimmed maybe 10 briskets before, no big deal. But I got distracted by my dog barking at the mailman and accidentally cut a huge hole right through the flat. Like, 4 inches long. Fat cap was all wonky too. Looked terrible. Instead of trying to salvage it for smoking, I cubed the whole thing up, seasoned it heavy, and slow cooked it in a pot with beans and tomatoes for like 3 hours. Family actually said it was the best chili I've made. Has anyone else turned a butchering mistake into something edible?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_reed1d ago

Done the same thing with a pork shoulder last year, accidentally sliced it right in half while trying to separate the money muscle. Threw it in the slow cooker with some salsa verde and it turned into the best pulled pork tacos I've ever made. Sometimes the best meals come from our biggest screw ups.

thomasgonzalez1d ago

My trimming mistakes usually end up as chili or burger meat so I guess I'm just a chili chef in denial. At least your dog gave you a good excuse. My last screw up was just me not paying attention and I had to blame it on the whiskey I was drinking. Brisket chili always slaps anyway. Probably gonna go buy a cheap one this weekend just to screw up on purpose now.

lily_cooper1d ago

Right? It's funny how often accidents in the kitchen turn into the best stuff. I once tried to make a fancy pork loin with a mustard crust and ended up dropping the whole thing on the floor, spices and all. Dog got half of it before I could even grab it. Ended up just scraping the rest off, rinsed it real quick, and threw it in the slow cooker with a can of root beer. Turned into that weird sweet and savory pulled pork that nobody at the potluck could figure out what it was. Sometimes I think the universe just wants us to make chili or pulled pork no matter what we planned.