Just cut the thing in half...


 

JimD

New member
So for Father's Day I decided to have family over for a BBQ and was going to try my hand at a Brisket. I found a nice 15.5 LB packers cut from Costco and was going to keep it simple with a rub of salt, pepper, and garlic powder as I didn't want to take away from the simple beef taste and figured I would let the wood do the rest. The plan is an overnight cook.

My first issue is that the Brisket just wouldn't fit in my 18.5" smoker. not even with the typical tricks found on the internet.
My second issue was that the flat was a bit thin and the point (with a little flat underneath) was just sitting too high as I am looking at this on my cutting board.

Knowing enough from cooking various sizes and shapes of different types of meat I thought to myself there is just no way the flat will be done around the same time as the point. I decided to cut it right down the middle right where this big roast was beginning to rise.

Sure enough, 8 hours later (next morning) when I went to wrap the "flat" that had been cooking on the bottom rack was done. It felt right and had an internal temp of 195.

The point with some flat underneath was ready to come out 4 hours later. I can't help but think that had I kept this together in one piece that by the time the Point was done the Flat would have been way overcooked.

Perhaps this is the best way to cook a Brisket in a WSM? Anyone else ever take this approach?
 
So for Father's Day I decided to have family over for a BBQ and was going to try my hand at a Brisket. I found a nice 15.5 LB packers cut from Costco and was going to keep it simple with a rub of salt, pepper, and garlic powder as I didn't want to take away from the simple beef taste and figured I would let the wood do the rest. The plan is an overnight cook.

My first issue is that the Brisket just wouldn't fit in my 18.5" smoker. not even with the typical tricks found on the internet.
My second issue was that the flat was a bit thin and the point (with a little flat underneath) was just sitting too high as I am looking at this on my cutting board.

Knowing enough from cooking various sizes and shapes of different types of meat I thought to myself there is just no way the flat will be done around the same time as the point. I decided to cut it right down the middle right where this big roast was beginning to rise.

Sure enough, 8 hours later (next morning) when I went to wrap the "flat" that had been cooking on the bottom rack was done. It felt right and had an internal temp of 195.

The point with some flat underneath was ready to come out 4 hours later. I can't help but think that had I kept this together in one piece that by the time the Point was done the Flat would have been way overcooked.



Perhaps this is the best way to cook a Brisket in a WSM? Anyone else ever take this approach?


Point often cooks faster due to fat, at least it will reach 200 fast, it doesnt expel the water that leaner meat will. But often needs to go back on longer anyway to get really rendered...as when making burnt ends...or some can be really greasy and rich.

More at play than just the visible size of the hunks of meat.
 
I don’t get it, I have wrangled 16 pound packers on my 18.5” they surely do not look like they will but...they shrink. Every piece of meat is different and this is far from rocket science. I have always done full packers, cutting it up just does not make ay sense to me for pretty much any reason. It’s all up to you but, it can fit.
 
Agree with Timothy. I've cooked 18 pounders in my 18.5" by wedging them between the cooking grate handles forming an arch. They shrink in a couple of hours and sit flat on the grate.
 
I am far from an expert. But so far I have cooked them in one piece draping them over a rib rack and putting foil around the edges to keep them from burning. That is until somewhere around the stall. I then separate the point from the flat. It's easier to see where to separate after it's cooked a while.(for me anyway) I then put them both back sprinkling lots of rub on where the fresh cut is and let it cook a while to get some bark. After the fresh cut doesn't look so obvious I wrap them in butcher paper. When they get done I cut up the point,and put into a foil pan and make burnt ends ( I think I have always done the burnt ends the next day after refrigerating overnight).
I really need to buy one because they are on sale around here for the 4th
 
The way they cut briskets these days they're sometimes longer and less wide than they used to be, for the same weight brisket. If the end of the flat is super thin, you might as well cut off a few inches and toss it, or better yet grind it / chop it in a food processor and mix it into ground beef for burgers. That can help with the fit of a brisket into your 18.5" WSM.
 
The way they cut briskets these days they're sometimes longer and less wide than they used to be, for the same weight brisket. If the end of the flat is super thin, you might as well cut off a few inches and toss it, or better yet grind it / chop it in a food processor and mix it into ground beef for burgers. That can help with the fit of a brisket into your 18.5" WSM.
Toss brisket?:confused: If the end of the flat is super thin, I tuck it under. Sometimes I will make a shallow cut so it will act like a hinge. Mostly, though, I pass on those long skinny briskets. Still, grinding it isn't tossing it, is it?
 
The way they cut briskets these days they're sometimes longer and less wide than they used to be, for the same weight brisket. If the end of the flat is super thin, you might as well cut off a few inches and toss it, or better yet grind it / chop it in a food processor and mix it into ground beef for burgers. That can help with the fit of a brisket into your 18.5" WSM.

It was considerably longer. Too long to just tuck under or arch with a brick etc. and after the results I decided that given the way the heat and air circulates in a WSM vs. an offset stick smoker this approach to me seemed logical.

Given how much longer the point took, I'm glad i separated the two.
 
It was considerably longer. Too long to just tuck under or arch with a brick etc. and after the results I decided that given the way the heat and air circulates in a WSM vs. an offset stick smoker this approach to me seemed logical.

Given how much longer the point took, I'm glad i separated the two.

You'll have to try it again to see if it was a fluke.... And report back your results. I've not done a lot of briskets in my day, but do enjoy eating them. If there's another trick that provides repeatably good eating, and possible reduces the cook time, that'd be good to know!
 

 

Back
Top