Brisket, Burnt Ends, HH, Separating the Point from the Flat

My neighbor asked me to cook a brisket for a BBQ he's having this Saturday. They're going to get me a full packer.

I've only done a few briskies but I've yet to be completely satisfied with the results. My burnt ends have always been too rich for my tastes (fatty), and I prefer bark to the fat that separates the point from the flat.

My strategy, I think, is this: Separate the point from the flat & cook it (the point) HH style, cube/sauce/whatever, then throw on the flat, cook it HH as well, & hopefully have everything done at once....maybe have the whole thing take ~8 hours.

This is just my plan so far, kind of mulling it over but I think this will work for me.

I'd cook the whole packer HH style. Pull the packer when the flat tests done with a probe/skewer that passes through like butter.

Pull, put on some rubber food handling gloves, separate the point with a nice sharp filet knife then place it back on the cooker until done/rendered. Cooking with the flat renders out the fatty area between the muscles and makes it easier to find and separate.

Then cube it and follow the burnt ends recipes on this site.

In my experience it's been easier to remove the point after the flat is done rather than carving it off previous and cooking the whole time separate. In the end it's the same and the flat area where you separate the point is thin. This won't dry out or over cook as readily if you leave the point attached while waiting for the flat to get "done".

You can even cube and finish the point for burnt ends on the stove top (render a bit and brown) then into the oven at higher heat, say 350 with a stir now and then adding your sauce at the end so it doesn't burn. I love a #12 cast iron pan for this. Finishing off the point is like cooking pork, lamb, or beef shoulder it has the same characteristics.

In the end the point has all the smokey goodness from being on the fire with the flat. The last hour or so of finish doesn't significantly affect the finished product (burnt ends).

Otherwise fire up the kettle and do it there instead of the indoor oven, works the same.

JMHO

I wonder if it'd have the same affect if I separated the point/flat, threw on the point for a couple hours, then the flat (re-assemble, maybe skewer together), foil as per usual HH, then cube/sauce the point......

My issues w/ brisket that I'd like to overcome:

1) I don't like the gray fat layer that's between the point & flat- I'd like to render it fully/more fully.

2) My burnt ends have not rendered fully enough yet, though all I've ever done is put them back on for a couple of hours. I believe Chris' recipe calls for 4-6 hrs extra.

Clint, I think Ray's advice is really good and that using the techniques you propose could expose you to unforeseen problems and a lesser quality finish.

Also, it seems you've described your own problem with the "gray fat layer". You probably aren't allowing enough time to properly smoke that layer and render the fat. Chris and many others say 4 - 6 hours more and I've found that is truly needed. My concern was always that the point would get burnt. Instead, I found that mine rarely need any more cooking. Just do the extra time, shred or dice and you have great natural burnt ends. Frying is just an added step if needed.

Rich

Thanks guys. Sounds like I may need to thumb through the HH brisket thread again.

How I've done my few, IIRC:

Foil after ~2 hours, go to probe tender, separate the point/flat, then pretty much serve the flat at this time (I usually try to scrape off the gross gray fat layer). Then the point has gone back on for an hour or maybe two (never long enough), cube, sauce, & eat a few.

they brought me over the "brisket" - not a full packer, but it looks like a 6.5# flat & a 3# piece of flat. HH it is, I don't need to worry about the burnt ends which was my major concern.

I figured while I was firing up the smoker I might as well cook some pulled pork, so I'm going HH with that as well. Normally my butts take 16-21 hours, I've only done 1 or 2 cooks that were 10-12 hrs, but I'm aiming for ~10 hours today. I can always take some of that over if their brisket doesn't turn out.

Two ~7# boneless butts from Costco on @ 6:45am, dinner @ 5. HH briskets going on around noon, maybe a little before.

How did you make out with your HH Brisket Clint?
Reading your post and thinking about doing something for Father's Day, it being my birthday as well I thought I would do a brisket and a picnic shoulder high heat. Actually I left my decision too late to cook it otherwise. I separated the point. My cook was 6 hours. The flat and the shoulder were ready. The point was wrapped in foil and spent another two hours in the oven. I have vac sealed it for another day.

Everything went perfectly- I started the Butts (two @ 7# each) at 6:45 am, put them on the top grate, full ring of charcoal. I offset the lid about a 1/4" for about a third of the time to bump up the temp which ran 275-325 throughout.

at 11:40am I put the butts on the lower rack & cut off a snack , & put the brisket on the top (2 pieces, 1 was ~3#, the other was ~6.7#). I left it on for 2 hours, foiled everything, went another 2 hours, probed, & everything was ~200-205. At ~4:00 I moved the butts to the counter & let them rest in their foil, & I put the brisket back on the lower rack for ~20 minutes to firm up the bark & get a little more tender.

I went heavy with mesquite since I never seem to get enough smoke on these cuts (not that heavy, maybe 5 handfulls of chips on the coals).

Great flavor, texture, & tenderness on everything - just right.

I made up some Miss Piggy's Mustard Sauce & some #5 w/ dried cranberries - most everyone thought it was too hot even though I kept it super tame - these are neighbors....my friends I've already turned into chili heads.

How'd yours turn out?

The prep 5 hours into the cook

I used a spike to keep the lid up and stay in the 325 range. My cook was six hours and then two more for the point. Everything went well but I have a second lid vent on the way. This was my first HH cook and I was pretty happy with it.

Nice - I was wondering about that spike.