So I screwed upon another brisket cook. First I have no clue how to separate and slice a brisket. I just tried to separate one and I know I completely screwed it up. And yes I have wartched Aaron franklin’s and many other YouTube videos literally at least 100 times. No joke. I still have no idea what the heck they are talking about then they say find the seam and find this. There’s a million seams and places I can cut on that brisket. Then I screwed up another full packer the temp went down and I put it on too late. It was about 12 pounds and the last 12 pound one I cooked only took 12 hours but this one wasn’t even close to being done. I am beyond frustrated right now. And I am very poor and just spent a lot of money on two briskets. Now since I believe I completelely f’d Up another brisket I think I need to go buy another one for St. Patrick’s day. How the heck do you slice a brisket. I guess I need to find some bbq guy in the area that can help me? I don’t know what to do.
Slicing Brisket
- Thread starter PaulBz
- Start date
One end of the brisket should be very noticeably thicker than the other. The lumpy end should look a lot like a big lump of meat sitting on top of a long, flat piece of meat. When it's still warm, you should be able to grab that lump and literally pull it away from the flat. You probably can't pull it completely off, but when you pull you should see a seam opening. Just run a sharp knife along that seam as you continue to pull. Cut a little, pull a little, cut a little, etc.
If you still have trouble with it, I'd say don't worry about it. Start slicing at the narrow end. Worst case when you get to the point you'll get some slices that have big chunks of fat running through them. At that point you shouldn't have too much trouble cutting along that fat seam to separate the point from the flat.
I saw Franklin suggest cutting a bit off the corner of the flat before cooking to indicate where you should start slicing when it's done. Finding the grain is usually pretty easy before cooking. And you really don't have to cut absolutely perpendicular to the grain. As long as you're even remotely close it will be fine.
If you still have trouble with it, I'd say don't worry about it. Start slicing at the narrow end. Worst case when you get to the point you'll get some slices that have big chunks of fat running through them. At that point you shouldn't have too much trouble cutting along that fat seam to separate the point from the flat.
I saw Franklin suggest cutting a bit off the corner of the flat before cooking to indicate where you should start slicing when it's done. Finding the grain is usually pretty easy before cooking. And you really don't have to cut absolutely perpendicular to the grain. As long as you're even remotely close it will be fine.
Bill Elwell
TVWBB Pro
Paul: You're in good company because we've all done it at one time or another. 
I'd like to help, but if you can't get it with all the expert's help I'm pretty certain my technique will totally confuse you.
There are plenty of "lessons" on YouTube.
I'd like to help, but if you can't get it with all the expert's help I'm pretty certain my technique will totally confuse you.
There are plenty of "lessons" on YouTube.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
How many briskets have you done Paul?
Usually expertise comes from mistakes and failure, along with education and repetition. No one here has claimed instant mastery of anything, that I know of. There’s a fairly lengthy learning curve until you really start to see how the meat reacts to the cooking technique, and there are times when you have a failure, NO ONE hits every time! The failures get further apart but, they do still happen, how you make the flop into something edible is where time and practice shine.
Seems to me you were talking about opening a BBQ place, weren’t you?
There’s a lot a failure before anyone can claim real mastery. I honestly do not like folks calling me a “Master”, I’m just another slave to the kettle of Hephaestus. I simply don’t ruin as much as a lot of other folks in my circle. The more time invested, the better results come forth.
Sorry that got a little rambling but, you get the picture.
Usually expertise comes from mistakes and failure, along with education and repetition. No one here has claimed instant mastery of anything, that I know of. There’s a fairly lengthy learning curve until you really start to see how the meat reacts to the cooking technique, and there are times when you have a failure, NO ONE hits every time! The failures get further apart but, they do still happen, how you make the flop into something edible is where time and practice shine.
Seems to me you were talking about opening a BBQ place, weren’t you?
There’s a lot a failure before anyone can claim real mastery. I honestly do not like folks calling me a “Master”, I’m just another slave to the kettle of Hephaestus. I simply don’t ruin as much as a lot of other folks in my circle. The more time invested, the better results come forth.
Sorry that got a little rambling but, you get the picture.
J Hasselberger
TVWBB Pro
Franklin and other pitmasters typically demo their slicing technique for an entire brisket. Most times, many of us don't consume the entire brisket in one event. I usually cook brisket for 4-8 people, so I always have leftovers -- I don't mind that at all.
Does anyone else start slicing in the middle? My theory is that the best part of the flat is up near the point, in the thicker part, so I usually halve the packer right about where the point starts. If someone wants a lean slice, I cut from the thick part of the flat first. If they want a moist slice, I rotate the point half 90° and start slicing that from the middle as well. If someone wants burnt ends, I'll cut them from the outer edges of the point. The thinner part of the flat becomes the leftover, which is good chopped in a taco, on a sandwich or in chili.
Jeff
Does anyone else start slicing in the middle? My theory is that the best part of the flat is up near the point, in the thicker part, so I usually halve the packer right about where the point starts. If someone wants a lean slice, I cut from the thick part of the flat first. If they want a moist slice, I rotate the point half 90° and start slicing that from the middle as well. If someone wants burnt ends, I'll cut them from the outer edges of the point. The thinner part of the flat becomes the leftover, which is good chopped in a taco, on a sandwich or in chili.
Jeff
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I have not started in the middle but, I like the idea!!
Dustin Dorsey
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I've seen them started in the middle before, especially if someone orders moist brisket immediately. I agree that probably your worst slices are going to come from the narrow end of the flat. As far as the "seam" I believe that is referring to the one between the flat and the point. If you want to separate then you do cut there, but most Central Texas style joints won't. Well, the exception is super old school bbq places that like the take the edge of their knife and scrape off the fat layer before slicing rendering that brisket almost flavorless on one side. I just want to scream across the counter every time I see this done.
Anyway, back to the seam, it's just a fat layer where the point and the flat intersect. It should be pretty easy to slice through on a cooked brisket. Almost no effort. Maybe just practice on some cheap selects. I hear you though. I love brisket but I only cook it a few times a year.
Anyway, back to the seam, it's just a fat layer where the point and the flat intersect. It should be pretty easy to slice through on a cooked brisket. Almost no effort. Maybe just practice on some cheap selects. I hear you though. I love brisket but I only cook it a few times a year.
Ron G.
TVWBB Wizard
Paul - If you're new to this, maybe take a step or two back and check the following:
I'm still working on my Brisket technique - it's not as forgiving as other cuts.
But keep after it, and you'll figure it out eventually...
Where are you buying your meat from? If you are working with a butcher that you trust -
Find out if you have been buying a "full-packer" brisket - BIG chunk-o-meat with Point and Flat and a thick fat cap
-or- have you been just getting the flat?
(If it is just the flat - Then the "seam" that is being talked-about ain't there.)
If you're not sure - check out some links on brisket selection and prep
As for slicing - sometimes, after the whole brisket / flat is cooked - it's AWFULLY hard to spot which way the grain is running.
Somewhere I read something that suggested marking / notching the "end" (like when you see the end of a 2 X 4)
(Stick a toothpick in?)
That way, you start slicing from THAT end, cross-wise
Hope this helps!
I'm still working on my Brisket technique - it's not as forgiving as other cuts.
But keep after it, and you'll figure it out eventually...
Where are you buying your meat from? If you are working with a butcher that you trust -
Find out if you have been buying a "full-packer" brisket - BIG chunk-o-meat with Point and Flat and a thick fat cap
-or- have you been just getting the flat?
(If it is just the flat - Then the "seam" that is being talked-about ain't there.)
If you're not sure - check out some links on brisket selection and prep
As for slicing - sometimes, after the whole brisket / flat is cooked - it's AWFULLY hard to spot which way the grain is running.
Somewhere I read something that suggested marking / notching the "end" (like when you see the end of a 2 X 4)
(Stick a toothpick in?)
That way, you start slicing from THAT end, cross-wise
Hope this helps!
Thank you guys for all of the advice. Before cooked and after cooked is what I am referring to. I have watched countless videos online and am still clueless. So clearly that isn't going to help me. I have made a couple of briskets that were perfect. The best I have ever had. So if I can perfect that, it would be great. I have perfected wings and ribs and imo just better than any of the bbq joints around here. And the perfect brisket I made was way better than any I have ever had at a bbq joint. I only buy full packers. Except for St. Patrick's day when you can't corn a full packer. You need to corn the flat and point without the fat seam in between them. So I tried to separate the flat and point by watching a few different videos. And it seems to have been an epic fail. There seems to be a huge seam of fat in the middle of it. I tried to cut off as much fat as I could. But I can sense i did it completely wrong and had no idea where to cut even when watching the videos. I need an expert in person to show me how to do this. If anyone from STL want to help out that would be great! I am trying to open a sports bar that does bbq once or so a week. And it's not about hundreds of pounds. It's about smaller batches on the wsm and making every bit perfect. No one is doing water smoking wsm. And most of the ribs I have from joints aren't nearly as good and some from electric smokers. I think i can do better. And once I can consistently make that perfect brisket i think i'll be there.
Bob Correll
R.I.P. 3/31/2022
I think your terminology of slicing a brisket confused everyone into thinking you were talking about after it's cooked. Most of us don't remove the point from the flat before cooking.
You might be better served by buying just the flat, albeit at a higher price per pound.
This video shows how to do it in about the best way it can be shown:
You might be better served by buying just the flat, albeit at a higher price per pound.
This video shows how to do it in about the best way it can be shown:
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Why can’t you corn a full packer? The thing is if you’re corning a full one the size vessel necessary to simmer the beast. My sister and I did a massive feast for the St. Patrick’s Parish feast for twenty years. We used to separate the flat from point and corn them for eight days, then simmer them. The last one we did we did almost 60 pounds of brisket, it’s really not hard, maybe you’re overthinking it.
We trimmed the beeves pretty closel, rubbed, turned and massaged every day for a week, then the Friday before the Patronal festival, I would go out to the church at about nine in the morning and start two big cauldrons of water on the boil, when they finally got to temp, in went the beef, flats on one points in the other, while they worked, we would prep the vegetables for the next mornings work.
About six hours into the simmer, (whenever they were deemed properly tender) we pulled them and chilled them down. Next morning(day of the feast) rough the stock from the night before to a serious full boil for twenty minutes then at the appropriate time, we started the vegetables. While things were coming up, we sliced the beef while cold, then put a few ladles of the liquid in the pans and slid them in the oven.
We served right around 60 for most of the years we did it. It was a really fun time!
I realize this method is not what you are planning but the understanding of the product is the important thing, how many have you cut, trimmed or divided?
Good luck.
We trimmed the beeves pretty closel, rubbed, turned and massaged every day for a week, then the Friday before the Patronal festival, I would go out to the church at about nine in the morning and start two big cauldrons of water on the boil, when they finally got to temp, in went the beef, flats on one points in the other, while they worked, we would prep the vegetables for the next mornings work.
About six hours into the simmer, (whenever they were deemed properly tender) we pulled them and chilled them down. Next morning(day of the feast) rough the stock from the night before to a serious full boil for twenty minutes then at the appropriate time, we started the vegetables. While things were coming up, we sliced the beef while cold, then put a few ladles of the liquid in the pans and slid them in the oven.
We served right around 60 for most of the years we did it. It was a really fun time!
I realize this method is not what you are planning but the understanding of the product is the important thing, how many have you cut, trimmed or divided?
Good luck.
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
OMG that video is perfectly explained. Every single other video talks about seams and cuts forward into the cutting and has bad angles so I can't see anything. This is the best video i have found! I still need a lot of work on how to trim but that you so much. It's just so expensive to work with brisket.