First Time Brisket Question - Makeing Two Small Briskets From One Big One


 
L

Larry Powers

TVWBB Member
I have never cooked a brisket and I am looking to try one this weekend. I saw that a local butcher store has the on sale at $3.99/lb (probably a little high but the convenience factor is there). I called the store and was told they are running about 16lbs average. I don't have a lot of people to feed and I need the practice so I was thinking I would find a 16 -18 pounder and cut it in half. Any issues with smoking 1/2 a large brisket? Should I cook at 250 and pull at 205 and just expect it will cook a little quicker due to the size?

Thanks.
 
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I haven't done to many briskets, but you may want the butcher to split the brisket into the flat and the point and then smoke one or the other. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in shortly and help out. But from what I have read that is what I would do.
 
Hi Larry,
Short story -- trim the big one and smoke it; eat what you can at your event; eat brisket tacos, burnt ends and brisket sandwiches for the rest of the week. These days, butchers are cutting briskets "long", meaning that they leave more of the flat on. You will notice that the flat gets thinner and thinner, which makes it difficult to cook that portion without it drying out and being overdone. I will often get a 15-16 pounder and trim it down to about 12-13 by cutting 3-4" off the thin end of the flat and trimming the fat cap down to 1/4". (You can grind up the brisket cut-off with some chuck roast and make killer burgers.)

Cooking at 250 is fine, but 205 for the meat is likely to be overdone. Brisket will be tender between about 190 and 200 (sometimes even earlier). Most cooks use a combination of probe and jiggle to determine doneness -- insert a temperature probe into the thick part of the flat and it should go in with almost no resistance; start to pick it up and it should be nice and flexible and the point should jiggle provocatively. Let it sit uncovered when you take it off until the internal temp is around 170 and slice away.

Aaron Franklin (god of brisket) has a couple of good youtube vids on cooking brisket that are very helpful.
 
J Hasselberger said:
Hi Larry,
Short story -- trim the big one and smoke it; eat what you can at your event; eat brisket tacos, burnt ends and brisket sandwiches for the rest of the week. These days, butchers are cutting briskets "long", meaning that they leave more of the flat on. You will notice that the flat gets thinner and thinner, which makes it difficult to cook that portion without it drying out and being overdone. I will often get a 15-16 pounder and trim it down to about 12-13 by cutting 3-4" off the thin end of the flat and trimming the fat cap down to 1/4". (You can grind up the brisket cut-off with some chuck roast and make killer burgers.)

Cooking at 250 is fine, but 205 for the meat is likely to be overdone. Brisket will be tender between about 190 and 200 (sometimes even earlier). Most cooks use a combination of probe and jiggle to determine doneness -- insert a temperature probe into the thick part of the flat and it should go in with almost no resistance; start to pick it up and it should be nice and flexible and the point should jiggle provocatively. Let it sit uncovered when you take it off until the internal temp is around 170 and slice away.

Aaron Franklin (god of brisket) has a couple of good youtube vids on cooking brisket that are very helpful.
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This is good information. Thanks.
 
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