Brisket for 1, storage, etc

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I want to cook a brisket (my first) soon but I'll be the only one eating it. Chris advises against smoking just a flat (can get dry) but I wonder if I should smoke such a large piece for myself?

Either way, I will likely freeze some leftovers. Should I freeze the leftovers in larger chunks and then and slice it up after defrosting? Or slice it all up at one time and freeze portions? At first I thought I would freeze large chunks to help preserve moistness but then I started thinking it might be easier to slice it all up when initially warm.

Thoughts?
 
I'd still do a packer if you can. Slice off what you want to eat that day and some for the next. Separate the point from the remaining flat; freeze separately, whole. Brisket will reheat better if not sliced first, imo. The point you can make chili out of or reheat and pull/shred for pulled beef which can be used for sandwiches, tacos, whatever.
 
After. For the flat: Put it on a piece of foil after defrosting. Pour a little beef stock (or stock mixed with a touch of melted unsalted butter (optional), close the foil; heat in a 250 oven to an internal of 145-150. Slice and serve.

For the point: Do the same (skip the butter) then check the texture when it hits 150. It can go back into the oven if you wish. It can reheat to a higher temp depending on how you like it. If you're using it for chili skip reheating; just cut it in large chunks after defrosting.

You can't 'restore' moisture to a brisket during a rehat that wasn't there to begin with when it first was served. However, reheating before slicing gives you the best shot at maintaining what's there and the bit of stock addition helps. (A flat can't take more than 150 internal at a reheat though, imo.) Should you discover that the flat is drier than you'd like after reheating, chop it up, mix it with sauce, and serve it piled on the plate. It'll still be tasty.
 
I think the caveat about smoking flats and dryness applies more to the super-trimmed ones you often find at the grocery. I like to use the untrimmed USDA choice flats in cryovac I get from Sam's. They average between 5 and 6 pounds. In a household of two, the better part of one is consumed in 2-3 days, and the remainder is diced up for chili. Bear in mind that shrinkage during cooking nets about 3-4 pounds from a 5-6 pound flat.

Personally, I don't find any problem cutting slices off the refrigerated whole piece, and reheating gently in the microwave. The addition of a few tablespoons of juice, broth, or even water, and heating for a minute at a time on about 30% power until acceptably warm always works out fine for me. I think it would be difficult to hack off a 1" thick chunk, reheat it, and then try to slice it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I think it would be difficult to hack off a 1" thick chunk, reheat it, and then try to slice it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I would think so too.

Untrimmed flats are not available here. (If they were I'd still go for the packer because I like eating and playing with the point in other recipes!) My instructions above better fit larger pieces of meat.
 
Well, I bought some butts and brisket from Sams today to cook Saturday. The butts are bone-in and about 6.25 each before trimming. The only brisket they had was a 7.3 flat and I reluctantly bought it. The brisket is big on one end and about half as thick (at most) on the thin end. I'm worried about the thin end cooking far faster - anything I can do? Is cutting this brisket in half (and cooking the halves separately) a big no-no (moisture loss?)??

And I have one thermometer - should I monitor the internal temp of the butts or brisket? Which should I expect to finish first? I want to keep this first brisket simple and do all the cooking on the WSM - foiling when it comes off only.

Thanks for tips - the brisket size has me wondering.
 
The end of the flat that's connected to the point is the thinnest-- there's not much getting around it. The best you can do is try to select a flat that is more uniform in thickness, but you're at the mercy of what's available. You can sometimes fold the thin end under itself, but, if you cook fat side-down, it's not necessarily helpful. In defense of the whole packer brisket, the end of the flat just under the point is usually the most moist because of the fat content there. You could lay a couple strips of bacon on that end to act as a continuous baste, mimicking the point being still attached. For me, that's the end of the flat that ends up being chili, anyway, so...

If I had only one thermometer, and were cooking butt and brisket flat, I would watch the brisket flat more closely, as the butts are more forgiving-- you're not likely to overcook them, no matter what you do.
 
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