Brisket Flat thickness

[Jim Langford]

I've been reading Chris's excellent "Brisket Selection & Preparation" section so I can tell my butcher exactly what I want. I live in Spain, and folks over here usually braise their briskets, so they usually arrive at the butcher's without the all-important fat cap.

I'm going to have the butcher cut a brisket just for me. Some of the ones he had in the shop the last time I was in seemed to have rather thin flats. I'm not sure, but that could be due to the fact that steers are sacrificed at a younger age than they are in the States. I'm going to see if he can find one that weighs between 10 and 12 pounds, the weight recommended by Chris.

My question to you good people is: How thick should a brisket flat be?

Thanks in advance for your sage advice.

 

[Ken Nelson]

The flats I usually get are in the 6-7 pound range and generally 1 1/2-2 inch (4-5 cm) thick, excluding the fat cap. The age of the animal is going to dictate the thickness of the flat, so you may get a thinner cut than what's available here.

The more important factor is to have your butcher select a flat that is as uniform in thickness from side to side and end to end as possible. This will ensure the meat will have the same level of 'doneness' (probably not a real word but it should be!) throughout.

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Ken

 

[Jim Langford]

Thanks, Ken. I've decided to go to a slaughterhouse tomorrow. I'll keep what you've said in mind. Hopefully I'll be able to take my pick out of several.