First Brisket Meat selection question


 
Dennis C

Dennis C

TVWBB Fan
Looking to do my first Brisket next week on my WSM 22. I am most likely going to get it at the Restaurant Depot. I'm looking to get a 10-12 pounder. I was looking at the Angus Brisket but they seem to run thinner and longer then the non Angus of the same size.

Does the thickness make a difference overall?
 
Were the non angus flats perhaps? When I was there they had angus packers and packages of flats. I didn't pay attention to the flat to see if they were angus or not. To me they looked like pkg of two

I look for a packer with the best uniform thickness to the flat. Have a 12 lb from the depot on right now
 
Last edited:
Jeff R said:
Were the non angus flats perhaps? When I was there they had angus packers and packages of flats. I didn't pay attention to the flat to see if they were angus or not. To me they looked like pkg of two

I look for a packer with the best uniform thickness to the flat. Have a 12 lb from the depot on right now
Click to expand...
Ditto. I could not care less if it is Angus.
 
It just said Brisket. I think for my first Brisket ever I am going to give the regular a shot. I'd like to be able to compare them.
 
I always use packers but last weekend I didn't want to spend the time nor did I want to do burnt ends, so I bought a flat at Sams. It was choice, but it came out great. You just can't tell about a brisket until it's done. Buying good quality cuts, choice, CAB, etc. improves the odds, but it is really a crap shoot with that cut of beef.
 
Dennis C said:
Looking to do my first Brisket next week on my WSM 22. I am most likely going to get it at the Restaurant Depot. I'm looking to get a 10-12 pounder. I was looking at the Angus Brisket but they seem to run thinner and longer then the non Angus of the same size.

Does the thickness make a difference overall?
Click to expand...

In short, yes thickness of the flat will make a difference. Most flats will taper towards the end of the flat. Pick a well rounded brisket with a uniform flat for best results.
 
Dennis C said:
It just said Brisket. I think for my first Brisket ever I am going to give the regular a shot. I'd like to be able to compare them.
Click to expand...

It was most likely Select if it wasn't marked. Always pick the best cut of meat you can afford when doing Brisket. Brisket isn't too difficult it just takes time. My last brisket was a choice packer weighing about 10 pounds. I cut away nearly all the fat cap and added my rub. I found that my flat came out less moist than I wanted when I sliced it. As it turned out the entire flat pulled apart really nicely and the point stayed very moist. My suggestion is that upon finding yourself with a dried hunk of flat add some apple juice and sauce and serve pulled/chopped.
20120825_135722.jpg
 
Thank you everyone, I ended up getting the Angus at the Restaurant Depot. It was the nicer cut of all the meats they had. The non angus briskets were in the 16 pound range and just didn't have a nice marbling look as the Angus one did. I ended up getting a 12.62 pound brisket. I'm only going to serve it for 5-6 people anyway this time around so I'm sure I will have extra meat to do whatever with. I'll take some pictures of the cook and the before shot of the Brisket tomorrow.
 
Some images of the Brisket. Hopefully it looks like I picked a good one for my first Brisket ever. One of many to come

IMG_0529.jpg

IMG_0528.jpg

IMG_0527.jpg

IMG_0526.jpg

IMG_0525.jpg
 
Forgot to take pictures of the finished product :-(

The Brisket was perfect. I cooked it to 190 although and let it rest. Started at roughly 9pm and cooked it until 4pm next week. Let it rest and was good to go. I didn't split the Flat and point because with the bark it was a little hard to find it and we were all hungry :-) Very moist.

12.62 was the perfect size. After I trimmed the fat it was slightly less but still plenty of food for everyone with a lot of leftovers.

You know you cooked a great Brisket when the guests say "It's Burnt" or look at it those eyes of uncertainty because of the bark
 
Dennis C said:
You know you cooked a great Brisket when the guests say "It's Burnt" or look at it those eyes of uncertainty because of the bark
Click to expand...

Guests say the darnedest things, like "I think it's overcooked; my piece doesn't have any pink in it."

First off, that's a gorgeous looking brisket. Nice and uniform all the way to the end. To find the point, look for the flat; it's the 1 1/2" piece of meat that looks like corned beef. Something like 1 1/2" x 8" x 15". The "bump" that is on top of the cube I just mentioned is the point. After cooking, run a knife along the flat beneath the "bump." You'll be running through a large fat vein, and the point will flop off. Trim the fat off it, chop and mix with your favorite sauce. yum
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top