Guy Fieri Was Blown Away By This Uniquely Juicy BBQ Brisket Technique

When Guy Fieri rolled into Dallas for an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," he expected solid Texas barbecue. What he didn't expect was a brisket technique that left him speechless. At Slow Bone, chef Jeffery Hobbs transforms brisket fat trimmings into a glossy, butter-enriched baste that keeps the meat impossibly juicy. Hobbs' technique includes taking smoked fat drippings, melting them over a low flame, blending and straining them, and mixing them with butter, brisket rub, and salt. He then places the brisket on top of a layer of the baste, wraps it in foil, and places the meat back in the smoker.

The result floored the self-proclaimed mayor of Flavortown, who called the brisket "succulent, juicy, unctuous." It's a step beyond traditional Texas barbecue, where patience and temperature are king. As barbecue chef Aaron Franklin explained, the secret to perfect brisket starts with the right cut and a steady smoke. But Hobbs adds another dimension, using rendered fat to season and lock in the moisture. It's no wonder Fieri dubbed the resulting sandwich, the Texas Nail, "a gourmet meal disguised as a brisket barbecue sandwich." Stacked with smoked mushroom duxelles, caramelized onions, melted cheese, and jalapeño barbecue sauce, the Texas Nail captures everything great about Texas barbecue in one wildly over-the-top sandwich.

What blew Guy Fieri away at the Slow Bone wasn't just the brisket; it was Hobbs' technique and mastery of fat. Brisket's signature tenderness relies on rendering its internal fat low and slow, but Hobbs doubles down by reusing the trimmings themselves. By slowly rendering the fat and whisking it with butter, salt, and seasoning, he creates a basting liquid that infuses the meat with flavor from the outside in, acting almost like a self-basting system. It's a move that separates great barbecue from good — the kind of upgrade that saves a meat from the common blunders pitmasters make when smoking brisket.

As any pit pro will tell you, controlling moisture and temperature over hours of smoking is a balancing act. The rendered fat keeps the surface supple while the low heat (around 160–165°F) lets collagen break down into gelatin, creating that melt-in-your-mouth texture Fieri couldn't stop talking about. It's a reminder that great barbecue isn't just about the cut or cook time, though how long a brisket smokes can mean the difference between chewy and transcendent. Instead, Hobbs' technique proves the secret might be in your trimmings. Next time you're prepping a brisket, skip the waste pile and turn it into liquid gold.