Buying a Brisket: Whatever you buy, try to get a brisket with good marbling, white fat and a deep color in the meat. There should be good fat throughout the meat and not just in one place. Though the fat cap will add moisture to the meat during smoking, the fat spread throughout the meat will be much more effective. If the fat cap is more than 1-inch thick you might want to trim it down. It's best to have a single even layer. When smoking you will want the brisket to cook fat side up so that the melting fat will run over the brisket and keep it moist.