brisket questions


 
N

Neil Grant

TVWBB Fan
I've never done an untrimmed brisket but just found a place that sells them. the briskets are tapered and the fat layer is tapered too, so that the thinner end has a thinner fat cap.

is this the normal cut or is there such thing as a brisket with even thickness along the length ?

I figure the thinner end will dry out before the thicker end is done.

or....should I just cut the untrimmed brisket in half and smoke them separately
 
Neil, welcome to the forum. A full untrimmed brisked is called a packer. It is usually sold in Restaraunt supply stores, sometime wally world and the like. When I pick a brisket I lay them all out on a table and try to pick the one with the thickest thin end, called the flat. It is more common to find the majority of the brisket to have a rather thin flat section compared to the thickness of the point. I also look for one with a pretyy even fat cap and usually will pick one with less of the really hard fat section. There are many methods of cooking and trimming brisket all the way from NO trim - trim to 1/4 inch of fat. Your cooking method helps determine how you want to trim. My first brisket I cut into 3 pieces and froze 2 and cooked one. From then on I have cooked the entire brisket whole and separated the point from the flat after cooking is done. Again some folks do it differently.

If I look at 2-3 boxes of brisket in the cold storage I usually will find 2 or 3 that are acceptable and one will be the best for my tastes. What makes brisket shopping really hard is when you have no choice but 1 or 2 to pick from. Try to find out the day the shipment comes in and ask if you can pick for yourself.

Happy Smokin'

Mark
 
thanks Mark...I thought it may be best to cut in half for two reasons...almost even thickness in each half...(a thick half and a thin half), but also because the full cut wouldn't seem to fit on my WSM 18.5.

Yet I see that's your size cooker too. How did you manage to fit it ?
 
Ok, first of all, I'm a novice (only one brisket) but I read a LOT and ask questions, so I THINK I have a fair idea what I'm doing. I wouldn't cut your brisket into parts. Find a way to smoke the entire think before you cut it up. If you use a pan underneath, fit it (somehow) to the pan. If not, fold a thin point under the flat or whatever to get a relatively consistent thickness.

I did this on the ONE brisket in my WSM and I got the best piece of beef I've ever eaten (that says a lot! I've had the good fortune to eat at some VERY good beef restaurants).

Good luck. Rich
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I wouldn't cut your brisket into parts. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nor would I. THe flat will cook better with the point attached, irrespective of disparate thicknesses between the two.

That said, get a brisket with as even a flat as possible. Many get very thin towards the end. If you can get one that doesn't, buy it; if not, do the best you can.

I've cooked briskets of 17-18 lbs on my 18.5 WSM. I prefer those that are smaller, but one has to go with whatever is available. To cook a large brisket you just jam the ends between the grate handles, placing a little foil under each end to block the direct heat that emanates up from the sides, and bow up the middle of the brisket. It will shrink as it cooks.
 
Kevin explained it but even foiling the ends, you'll probably end up with the thin side portion a little overdone.

You can usually shoehorn a packer into the 18.5". After a few hours it will shrink to fit.

If you cut a packer up, you may want to look at a high heat method.

James
 
Foil on the ends works. Did it last weekend. Came out great. Of course the prime slices come closer to the middle and next to the point.

Mark
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">That's why I prefer HH for briskets: tender end-to-end; no dry thinner end at all.

Kevin </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Couldn't agree more! It may not make sense to some with high temp but it sure makes a even product end to end!
 
How long to you cook those 17lbs? Wife just called guess they are on sale and she is bringing home a 17.5lb one. I'm thinking that will take a good 20 hours. No?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I wouldn't cut your brisket into parts. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nor would I. THe flat will cook better with the point attached, irrespective of disparate thicknesses between the two.

That said, get a brisket with as even a flat as possible. Many get very thin towards the end. If you can get one that doesn't, buy it; if not, do the best you can.

I've cooked briskets of 17-18 lbs on my 18.5 WSM. I prefer those that are smaller, but one has to go with whatever is available. To cook a large brisket you just jam the ends between the grate handles, placing a little foil under each end to block the direct heat that emanates up from the sides, and bow up the middle of the brisket. It will shrink as it cooks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Scott, this may be too late if you already cooked but cooking a big brisket will take as much time as your cooking method dictates. The lower the heat the longer the cook, the high the heat the shorter the cook. I cook all size brisket HH and I figure 6 hrs total from start to finish. Some take a little less like 4 1/2 hrs some 5 some six. If you cook slow figure 1-1.5 hrs per lb or there abouts. Always better imo to allow longer than you need especially if guests are arriving hungry.

Mark
 
It is all relative to cook temp and mass, i.e., thickness of the cut.

I did one yesterday - an 8.6-pound packer (that small is not common) - that was as long as my grate but not very thick. I cooked HH. Temps were >375 before foiling so I foiled a bit early for me, about 2.25 hours into the cook. Temps were high after foiling as well, and because it was on the thin side, I checked it earlier as well - just one hour after foiling. It needed a little more time. Checked again in 15 min - done. Total cook time 3.5 hours.
 
Armando...Where are you ? I work in Newark and there's a supermarket near here called Western Beef. I think it's a national chain but I've never come across another one.

And in Orange, NJ there's a place called Center Street Meats who normally doesn't sell them like that but could most definitely get you one.

Anyhow, I didn't actually buy one because unless I cut it in half I it won't fit on my 18.5 smoker.

I need to come up with a Plan B, and I don't have room for another grill in my yard even though I sold off 5 this summer.
 
Thanks Neil. I'm in eastern Monmouth County. I'll try Western Beef. I checked their website and it looks like they carry a lot of those hard to find cuts. There's only that one in NJ but quite a few in NYC.
 
Thanks for the replies. I plan on low and slow. I had the best pulled pork every by keeping the lid temp at 225 (I believe the cooking grate is higher than that).

I'm probably going to prep today and let sit in the frig most of the day and put on at 9-10pm tonight. If I run out of coals, I'll foil and finish in the oven. I'll plan on about 18 hours or so...
 
Sounds good Armando...I lived in Eatontown back in the day. let me know when you plan on getting one....rutgersfan1@hotmail.com
 
Course at 17.5 lbs, I just now realized the real issue will be fitting in the smoker! I just measured while still wrapped and it is 19"!

I guess I have to trim the end especially tight. Or maybe I can put something under one end so that it is more of an angle. I know after several hours of smoking it should shrink enough to not really matter...but I hate for it be tight to the ends. That is where most of the heat is....
 
Do not cut the brisket. There is no reason to avoid 'tight to the ends'. Just stick a piece of foil under the ends that but up to the handles (using the handles to wedge the brisket between will allow you to close the lid better). Bow the brisket up in the center to fit it. It will shrink and all will be well.

You might have had the best PP at 225 - but it is not very likely that the cooktemp had much to do with it. Just sayin'...
 
Oh no! I'm not going to cut. I just know there is usually a lot of fat on one end that that I could and did cut. It should be "close" enough that I can bend or whatever. If I can get it in, I know I will be fine for I shouldn't have to lift the lid for a good 6-8 hours. If then. And by then it should have reduced in size.

All prepared and in the frig! I was wrong on the size. It is not 17.5 lbs. It is over 18 lbs!! I have a 20" cutting board and it took every bit to trim some of the fat.

I have never done anything close to this size before. I took pic's. Assuming I don't totally ruin it, I'll post a separate thread on it. But for now, I'll say I trimmed some fat, put a thin coat of mustard on it, and than made a rub similar, but no exactly to that of Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub from Smoke and Spice.

3/4 Cup paprika
1/4 Cup fresh ground black pepper
1/4 Cup salt
1/4 Cup sugar
1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Chipote Chili Powder
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
2 teaspoons cayenne

Basically I didn't have onion powder so I skipped and threw in two tsp of mustard powder. And instead of regular chili powder I use a 50/50 mix of Ancho and Chipote chili powders.

Don't plan on any sort of mop or anything.
 
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