Packer or Flat?


 
B

Brian Johnson

TVWBB Pro
Recently I've been craving brisket again and thinking that I'm ready to make another attempt to smoke my own. The last time I did one I only cooked a flat, however I see that a lot of you all do full packers which makes me wonder why. Are full packers inherently better? Is it a function of having more control of what your finished product will be? Or is it simply that you're cooking for a crowd and need more meat?

The other question that I have is about the actual process. Is prepping and cooking a packer that much different that doing a flat? Or is the technique the same?
 
Whole packers are really two different cuts in one. The flat is leaner and more like sirloin. The point is fattier and has a different texture, because its' fattier it has a nice rich taste if you render the fat enough during cooking. I believe in keeping things relatively simple for brisket, cook it whole and when the middle of the brisket (flat meets the point) passes the "probes like butta" test it's done. Let it rest for a couple hours minimum, to allow the internal temp to come down to 150-160*. Slice and serve.. with sauce on the side. A great resource for cooking a great brisket can be found on youtube. Search for Franklin BBQ, he covers brisket pretty well and yes you will be hungry after watching it! Even though he demonstrates on a small offset smoker, same principals apply for cooking on a WSM.. except I would go fat side down.
 
The point is the best part, and I'd probably smoke them by themselves if I knew where to buy them. If smoking flats, hot and fast and foiled is the way to go, but I haven't smoked one by itself in years. I prefer 250-300 for briskets, wrapping in butcher paper after the bark looks good. John hit the nail on the head. Smoke it like Franklin, but fat down on the wsm.
 
Usually packers are cheaper a pound than flats in my area, and whatever flats I do come across have been severely trimmed of fat, which makes smoking them a pain to me.
I like easy and packers are that IMO:wsm:
Edit: to your OP. I only do HH briskets.

Tim
 
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I concurr with the fat side down comments for smoking on the WSM. I smoked a 12lb packed over the weekend fat side up and the bottom 1/16" of the brisket was like jerky, and the fat cap wasn't completely rendered.
 
I've been cooking flats as well because I could never find a full packer. Wallmart has them but they're USDA Select and I wasn't sure if I'd notice. The flats I've been cooking are USDA Choice (I've never been able to make myself fork out the money for a Wagyu brisket). I was finally able to locate a place around town that sells the full packers that are USDA Choice and doesn't charge an arm and a leg, so I cooked my first packer this last weekend. I wasn't sure if it was going to fit very well on my 18.5 WSM so I decided to remove the Flat from the Point and cook the two separately (I put the point on the lower rack). The point took about an extra 1.5 hours to cook (I cook mine low and slow). However, I have to say that the point is simply delicious. I chopped up half of it to make burnt ends using the drippings I collected from the cook and it was like beef candy. While the flat was still very good, the point is much better. If I could find where to buy just the points, that's all I'd be cooking. I'll definitely be cooking full packers from here on out. Now the question becomes whether or not to try one these USDA Select full packers that I see a Wallmart or sometimes Winco. Anyone notice much a difference between Choice and Select on briskets?
 
TVanDyke said:
Anyone notice much a difference between Choice and Select on briskets?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. I've cooked plenty of selects, choice and prime briskets. It's all about the marbling of each individual brisket. I've cooked some prime that came out no better than choice, and some choice that came out no better than selects and so on. Prime will have consistently better marbling than choice but not all the time. I will say that the better briskets I have cooked have been prime. IMO, injecting your brisket only helps a little as far as moisture, but it does add a little bit more flavor depending on what your injection mix is. When it's all said and done, you still have to cook it just right for best results.
 
I don't mind the packers... they are cheaper and its an excuse to use one of my cool butcher knives and cut and trim my own meat according to whos eating (some of my folks like the brisket kinda fatty, some of us folks lean, some folks just like the barked up fat!). seriously though, i actually learn a lot by trimming my meats. having said that I also buy the trimmed out flats too sometime. shorter cooks though.

don't lift the lid...
 
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