Brisket Flats: Who needs 'em?


 
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Rob O

TVWBB Pro
Not to stir the pot (well ok, maybe just a wee tad).
I just spent 14 hours and 15 lbs of charcoal cooking a 6 lb brisket flat that I ultimately needed to finish off in the oven.

Why on earth would I ever want to BBQ one of these again?

I get it with a whole packer. People love it and it's worth the time.

But good grief. If I can smoke a flat for a couple of hours, get a decent smoke ring, then braise it. Well..... why wouldn't I?
 
I prefer packers too. But many people don't want to deal with trimming or don't want to eat or store that much.

How come your 6 pounder took so long?
 
K Kruger I have no clue.

Bryan S thought maybe it was fatty but...... wow.

I've braised a lot of briskets in my day and I really didn't see anything strange about this one.
 
I've probably said it here before, but I will say it again. On three separate occasions, my son brought me a flat to cook while I had my packers going.

6-7 lb. flats took hours longer than my 10-12 lb. packers. I told him I wasn't wasting the time again.

Btw, fat will make it cook faster, not slower.
 
Howard I read you loud and clear. Problem is up here I need to order a full packer 2 weeks in advance. (Unless it's September or early October).

But given how long it's taken my flats to cook 2 weeks might be about right!!!!!
 
Rob, do you like the taste of the meat? If you don't then the answer is no, you shouldn't bother with them anymore. If you do, the waiting should be the best part...we didn't get into BBQ because it was quick...we got into it because we love to wait for perfection!!
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Greg,

I humbly stand in correction. Of course you are right.

I was thinking about the time it takes to prepare a whole packer vs a flat.

To be honest I prefered the packer and to get a little more specific my f and f's really liked the point.


That's why I'm really psyched about this weekend's CR cook.

Just speaking strictly about cooking the flat I prefered what get when I braise it. But: I'm still learning about BBQing and (frankly) wondering what I might have done wrong.
 
I prefer packers over the flats too! That way I can trim it the way I like without over trimming!

Rob,
You mind Fed Exing some of the CR to me when it is done?
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I wish I had the time for a CR this weekend!! You lucky dog!!
 
Yeah, I agree! Briskets, who needs 'em?!
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What Smokey Hale has to say about briskets
It's a long read, but humorous and informative

Here's the gist of it - "The absolute treasure of this whole exercise is that, once you have done it, you have nothing left to prove and you never have to cook a brisket on the grill again!"

(Here's John jumping on the Chuck Roll band wagon!)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg Rempe:
Rob, what is braising? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Braising
Definition: A slow moist-heat cooking method using a small amount of liquid with a tight-fitting lid. Use for less tender cuts.

Appropriate cuts:
Steaks: Chuck Steak, chuck arm steak, blade steak (7-bone steak), round steak, eye of round steak, brisket and round tip steak
Roasts: Arm roast, blade roast, shoulder roast, rump roast, short ribs and back ribs

Stepping in for AB because he never posts here.
 
Greg,
Braising is kinda like when you foil your meat to finish cooking. You normally braise tough cuts of meat in a covered pot w/liquid to tenderize meat.
 
Hi Greg,

Tell ya what. I'm going to dig up a recipe I've got for a braised brisket in a Guiness sauce I make on my gasser. Watch for the post and give it a try. Never know you might like it.
 
The last 3 briskets I've cooked were all flats, 2 of them CAB and one Wagyu. The CAB's took around 12 hours each, similar to what it takes me to cook a whole packer. The Wagyu only took around 8 hours, but surprisingly wasn't as juicy as the CAB's.

For contests I've liked the convenience of having a nicely trimmed flat ready to slice. I'm not sure I can say that I prefer flats to packers or vice-versa, but a well cooked flat is easily as good to eat as a well cooked packer (although I do miss the fabulous, fatty point).

Rick
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg Rempe:
So does that mean you put a flat in a caserole dish and put some liquid in it and then put a lid on it? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>My mother-in-law does a great braised brisket flat every Christmas. I'll post it in the Beef Recipes Forum.

Regards,
Chris
 
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