My Plea for Help-Brisket Seperation and Carving


 
Steve Whiting

Steve Whiting

TVWBB All-Star
Okay, so I am reaching out to those of you who have consistent success with briskets. I am not concerned with the preparation or the cooking of the brisket but rather the carving of the meat.
Now, I have read posts, books and watched what little video I could find on the subject of separating the point from the flat but I just cannot do it correctly.
When the meat comes off the cooker and after it has rested I just can’t seem to follow the fat vein separating the two parts of the meat clearly. I don’t understand why I see such great looking pictures of carved up brisket from you guys but I cannot do the same. After I remove the point I have a bald area coving most of my flat. So my slices end up with little to no bark. What am I doing wrong?
What I really need, what I really want and what would make me the happiest guy in the world would be to see a very clear, very detailed demonstration of the separation of the point from the flat, and the ensuing carving of the brisket. I need to be told what side of the brisket I am looking at during this demonstration. Nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to covering this procedure for me.
I would love to see this in video form if someone should happen to have it available or would be so very kind as to produce and I would also be very happy with a drawn demonstration of this process.
As stated I have seen many pictures read many posts and watched everything I could find on YouTube but something is always missing.

I am not an idiot
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although my above confession and plea for help may give you cause to believe otherwise but for some reason this procedure has me completely baffled.
Is anyone willing to help?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
After I remove the point I have a bald area coving most of my flat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you sure that you aren't confusing the flat and point? The flat rests on top of the point for about 1/2 the brisket....you would have a bald spot on the point, and on the bottom of the flat. But the top of your flat should have full bark.

Moving from thin to thick along the length of the brisket, the thin end is just flat, the middle is flat on top of point, and then the last part is usually just point.

Sorry I don't have any detailed pictures, but that's the best I can do. If the brisket is cooked well, you should almost be able to tear the two pieces apart. I run a knife through with very little resistance.
 
I may very well be. I found THIS video which may help explain my problem. Disregarding everything else in this video, 18 seconds into it is what I generally see with my briskets. IF correct, the point is the piece to the left and the flat to the right. The flat in this video has the same huge bald spot I experience. Is the flat then suppose to be turned over? Is the fat side the top or the bottom in your explanation?
 
Steve,

It appears you may be getting the 2 pieces confused. In the video you linked to, the flat is the portion on the left. The flat is always the smaller (flatter) piece from the brisket. There is always much more meat on the point (deckle) of the brisket. However, it is fattier. In answer to your question...Yes, the flat should be trimmed of excess fat (personal preference) then turned over bark side up. Slice 1/4 inch thick across the grain of the flat.

Hope this helps.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
I may very well be. I found THIS video which may help explain my problem. Disregarding everything else in this video, 18 seconds into it is what I generally see with my briskets. IF correct, the point is the piece to the left and the flat to the right. The flat in this video has the same huge bald spot I experience. Is the flat then suppose to be turned over? Is the fat side the top or the bottom in your explanation? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, you have them mixed up. In the video, the point is on the right.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The flat is always the smaller (flatter) piece from the brisket. There is always much more meat on the point (deckle) of the brisket. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Depends on how you look at it. Yes the flat is thinner than the point, but typically yields more meat than the point does, esp if you continue too cook the point till it renders down.
Steve, you are not doing anything wrong, that's the way it goes once you seperate the two. I've been seperating the flat from the point once the flat reaches 125º internal and putting rub on the bald spot. I place the bald spot down on the grate and continue to cook till 160º internal is reached, then I foil and cook till tender. I have some pics I can post when I get home from work if you want. HTH
 
in my experience, it's simply a matter of learning that the angle of the fat vein runs steeper than you would think.

Now that you've cleared up your confusion about which part is the flat and which part is the point, take a raw brisket and place it flat-side down.

Look at the side of the brisket, you'll see the fat vein peeking out somewhere around the middle third of the brisket. It will seemingly dissapear under the meat. Take a knife and work into this fat vein; it should be about 1/2-1" thick. Follow the vein down until you've separated the point entirely. Notice the angle of the fat vein as it plunges into the meat. It's steeper than you might think.

Once it's cooked, it's simply a matter of following this angle. However, since the fat is rendered partially, it should be fairly easy and you could probably do it with a butter knife. I have separated flats from points with only my gloved hands before.

Most people like to put the (fattier) point back on the cooker for further rendering to make burnt ends and such.

Good luck.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Now that you've cleared up your confusion about which part is the flat and which part is the point, take a raw brisket and place it flat-side down. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I dont have a brisket here with me at work or I could probably see for myself but would the flat side always be either the fat side or the lean side?
 
Steve,
You might think I'm nuts, but you might want to consider this: Go to where you normally buy your briskets and ask a butcher to take out a packer. Just tell him that you want to see him separate the flat from the point so you'll know in the future how to do it and which is which. Tell him you buy plenty of briskets and you'll be back for more. Seeing him do it right in front of you should be beneficial. So one brisket, you'll cook the flat and point separately, which a lot of people do anyway. There is no reason why the butcher wouldn't do this for you IMO. Can't hurt to ask anyway.
Study this There will be a quiz in the morning.
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You don't have a brisket with you at work? Never leave home without one.
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Stay cool about all this, you'll get it and once you do you will kick yourself for not seeing it sooner. Easy for me to say as I only do flats. Hang in there.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Now that you've cleared up your confusion about which part is the flat and which part is the point, take a raw brisket and place it flat-side down. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I dont have a brisket here with me at work or I could probably see for myself but would the flat side always be either the fat side or the lean side? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It really depends on how trimmed your briskets are. Some sources will trim the **** out of the flat side, some will leave a 1" fat cap over the whole thing.

Chris Allingham, the owner of this site, put this together. Here, the "fat side down" shows the flat side, and the "fat side up" shows the point side. On the side view, un-trimmed, fat side down, you can see the vein separating the point and the flat, as the upper fork of the "y" formed by the fat. It's even more pronounced in the trimmed photograph.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/virtualbrisket.html
 
I usually remove as much fat as possible from between the flat and point without out completly seperating them. This makes it easier to seperate after cooking. It can be hard to see where to start cutting because of the bark if you do not cut away some of this fat. After you have had some experience, you know the difference in the feel of fat and meat and can just feel your way through, but until then, it is easier to do as I suggested. When the fat cap is down, the flat should lay on top of the point, so you should not be removing any bark from the top of the flat. Usually when I trim a brisket, I remove the fat cap from the flat and so I end up with bark on the top and sides.

This is a cook that I documented and I show how I typically trim and slice a brisket.

http://backyard-barbeque.blogs...search/label/Brisket

Hope this helps
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Weldon
 
Some really helpful replys-thank you all. Dave/G I think I will give that a try. Weldon, your website pics with the parts of a brisket outlined are very helpful. Thanks everyone and keep the help coming.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Some really helpful replys-thank you all. Dave/G I think I will give that a try. Weldon, your website pics with the parts of a brisket outlined are very helpful. Thanks everyone and keep the help coming. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No problem. We've all needed help at one time or another, I know I have. I have learned a lot from reading this forum. I am planning on doing a high heat brisket this weekend for the first time and I will be using the info that I have read from this forum.

Weldon
 
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