Optimal internal temp for sliced brisket?

[Dave in Minnesota]

It seems most Q restaurants I've been to serve their briskets sliced, rather than cooking it longer to higher temps and pulling/chopping it. And from what I've read, it sounds like sliced (rather than pulled or chopped) brisket is preferred in Q competitions. Is that right?

At what internal temp should you take the brisket off the smoker if you want it tender and sliceable, while also having some of the fat rendered out?

In the past, I've smoked brisket (flat) until it reached 180* internal, but after I sliced it into pencil-thick slices, it would still have a line of fat going through the middle of each slice that you had to cut around.

If I cook the brisket to a higher internal temp to get more fat rendered out, will it still be sliceable? What's the optimal internal temp for sliced brisket?

 

[Doug D]

Many flats you buy-- especially those in cryovac-- have an end where a sliver of the point is still present, giving you the vein of fat you are observing. To trim it off before cooking would likely leave that end much thinner, and subject to drying out. I don't compete, but I would think slices from the end furthest from the point attachment would be better suited for presentation. You probably could not render out that fat vein, anyway.

 

[Bryan S]

Dave, I've taken briskets to 200 and they are still sliceable. Slowly work your way up and see what you like. Next one you do take to 185 then 190 and so on. The lowest one i ever did was 188. I take most of mine to 195 - 200. And let them rest for at least an hour prefferably 2 hrs or more.

Bryan

 

[Jerry N.]

Dave,
Brisket is not like a pork butt. No matter how high you take the temp, you will not render out that fat. You just have to cut it out after it's cooked if it bothers you. I don't much like it and I don't care what the finished product looks like so I just peel back the top layer and scrape that vein of fat out.