Brisket Advice Request


 
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Shawn W

Shawn W

TVWBB Emerald Member
Hey folks, I FINALLY got my briskets. Boy did I get my briskets. I called and asked for 2 10-12lb packer cut briskets with the point attached. My wife went to pick them up for me.

What I got was a 19 lb and a 15 lbs brisket. Took the larger one out of the box and it is 32" long!
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Pic2 Pic3. I have three questions for forum members:

1. What exactly did I get? Is this just a huge whole brisket? It doesn't seem like the 'packer cut' from the reference topics.

2. If this is the reference brisket for future conversations with the butcher, how should I describe what I want? I think I should say 'Starting at the point end, I want 10-12 pounds of brisket'. Suggestions?

3. I have the pleasant problem of figuring out what to do with them. I could:

a)roll them into a circle and stand them on edge like ribs, fixing together with skewers, maybe even put skewers horizontally through the meat while it's laying down for vertical support when it is standing up. Top and bottom rack or they might both fit on the top rack, one inside the other.

b)cut one in half cooking the point on top and the flat on the bottom

c)cut both in half cooking the points in one session and the flats some other time.

I'm leaning towards option 'c', cook the point ends tonight and throw the flat ends into the freezer to cook another day. Your thoughts?
 
I have the solutions for you! Get a bigger cooker and invite alot of people! Just kidding. That looks like my first brisket I did and I thought the same thing you are thinking, what in the hell am I supposed to do with this???? Trim the fat cap until you have about 1/4 inch of fat on the top. Leave the point on, the point is the top of the thicker part of the brisket. Now the tough part, "fitting it on the WSM"! You are going to have to "shoe horn" that sucker between the handles on the top grate. You may have to foil the ends so they don't burn. After it cooks for a bit, it will shrink and should fit fine! Hope you are hungry! Good luck, let us know how they turn out.
 
Shawn
What you have is an over trimmed packer cut from a big animal. It was just big. Too much fat cap was removed, it should have been even heavier!

Larry has a very good plan, enjoy the cook.
Jim
 
bu .. b-b-b .. bt... but it's 32" long! will it fit? I got a 3' 2x4 somewhere to use for the shoehorn ....
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ok, will foil ends and cram that sucka in there

not enough freezer room, gonna have to cook them both ...

thanks guys
 
Did a practice run of the shoehorn on the kitchen table. Ohm would have been proud, but I wasn't sure if I should shoehorn them that much so I cut them in half. Pic4 and Pic5 show the smaller one on the bottom. Pic6 shows the top one with foil on the ends. Pic7 shows the fat shavings I threw on the bald spot.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Ohm would have been proud, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>LOL!! Great pic, Shawn...Wiping coffee of the screen
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Shawn,
WOW, is all I can say. When I said to shoehorn, I did not know the brisket would dang near be folded in half!!! I second Bill, <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> LOL!! Great pic, Shawn...Wiping coffee of the screen <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Great start to the morning!! Especially after my coffe pot overflowed because I didn't close it all the way. Did you happen to get those briskets near a Nuclear Power plant? You having an, impromptu block party Shawn? Dat's alotta meat!!
 
Shawn, I was going to ask if you were showing the fat side in the pictures or the lean side. After reading MJM's post I see my deductions were right. Did you specify to the butcher to not trim it!??

That is a big hunk of meat!! I am sure you will do well with it and good job protecting the ends from the hotter edge!!

Can't wait to see the finsihed product and pictures!!!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Did you specify to the butcher to not trim it!?? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Greg, I thought I was playing it safe asking for the fat cap to be trimmed to 1/2".
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I'm not unhappy with it though, didn't have to pay to throw fat away.
 
So... How did it (they?) turn out?
I smoked my first brisket earlier this year - it was a cryovac packer-cut brisket, just like we've seen on this site. Exellent! I ordered a couple more from a different shop in August ($1.19/lb) but when they brought them up to the counter, I had the same thing as you - Very long, thin briskets - about 34 lbs total. Since they didn't look anything like what I expected, and the fat cap had been completely trimmed, I left them there. I'll go back if you indicate you were able to transform those thin beasts into something magical!
 
Shawn, that shoehorn pic is the biggest slice of bacon I've ever seen...!

Great googa mooga, you got yerself some meat there.
 
Shawn:
Initially, I could not even imagine 32" in length for the brisket...the shoehorn pic says it all. That is a huge piece of meat. It will last a long time...but maybe you could even take some to work.
 
What you have there is clearly from a Wooly Mammoth, I've seen 'em before ... long time ago.

You'll want to do some of those Bronto ribs wid dad. Oh, get lotsa beer Neanderthal men get verrrry thirsty! LOL
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Leave it to Susan to provide an obtuse reference to early '50s R&B that includes an rather strange reference to cookin'. Al, a your link provided profound insight.

Susy Q is "smokin'"
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They turned out well. They were a little crumbly but very tasty. I think I like brisket even more than Chuck Roll!! <sorry Bryan> Boy do I like mild creamy horseradish sauce on it!

Photo Album

I wanted to delay them some so they went in the a 275F oven at about 14 hours, internal temp of 165F. Even then they were done sooner than I thought and they were foiled in the cooler for 5 hours.

We will have another feed or two off of that meat before it's gone (me, wife, 4 kids). Then I get to cook the thin halves!!
 
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