Separating the point & flat on a brisket


 
V

Vic C

TVWBB Member
When I smoke my briskets I'll do a whole one. I love the point and am always disappointed with the flat. Would it be better for me to separate the two and pull the flat out before the point?
 
Cook whole briskets till the flat is done. It will be finished first. Next, separate the flat from the point and rest it but return the point to the cooker to finish.
 
Vic, when you write, "disappointed with the flat" what exactly are you disappointed with? Is it dry, smoke flavor, tough etc.? When I first joined this board I was KING of the disappointing briskets and with the help of everyone here I now say I'm very confident in my results each time I do one. What are you wanting to improve on?
 
Well I'm disappointed with the flat in that it turns out more like pot roast. Over time I have corrected lots of mistakes and tried many different methods and I just don't think that you can do a whole brisket perfect. Because the point and flat have such a different amount of fat in it it needs to be viewed as two separate meats.
 
You very much 'can do a whole brisket perfect'. But you are quite correct that they are 'two separate meats'. For me, I don't separate the flat from the point; I just cook till the flat is just tender and juicy, remove the whole thing, rest the whole thing, then slice and serve the flat. The point I cool and save for further cooking later (as the base for chili; chopped finely for a sauce for, say, enchiladas or pasta; as a filling, etc.). Others here do what I suggested above: cook the packer till the flat is tender, remove it, separate the flat from the point, rest the flat, return the point to the cooker for further rendering/cooking. No fuss, no muss. Focus on the flat first; the point will come along just fine after separation and further cooking.
 
Larry, you're too humble. We've seen the proof. You are a God at briskets. I think you have cooked 10 times as many briskets as me.
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Always enjoy seeing the results. I think it was your picture perfect slices that urged me to go out and buy that big ol 14 inch granton edge slicer.
 
I did as Kevin points (no pun intended) out, "focus on your flat" and go by feel not temp. For instance, I've got a brisket on right now, she's at 191 after 18 hours, just tested and she's not tender just yet. When she's fork tender I'll remove the point, wrap her in foil and rest her for about 45 min.; I'll throw the point back on for burnt ends. I've also done as Kevin does and just wrapped her and saved the point for later. Piece of cake.

EDIT: Tom, I appreciate the complement but I think you're thinking of Larry W., he's got slicing down to a science.
 
I cooked a brisket couple years ago. It turned out like a unseasoned piece of pot roast Dry also. i cant remember the separation of the Point and flat.
Which end is the Point, Flat? dumb question, but i cant remember. been off the board for quite awhile cooking just Pork Butts, but want to try a HH brisket?
 
when I inject, I give the flat extra love...point is so fatty the good flavor is already there.
 
Of course you can always seperate the point from the flat before cooking. Then you can give the point a head-start before putting in the flat. One doesn't need the other for cooking.

Russ
 
I cook whole packers regularly and I'm just starting to get half-decently good at 'em. I prefer low-and-slow myself and, like others here suggest, I cook it until probe-tender in the thickest part of the flat. I take it off and wrap it in foil for about an hour or so, inside a cooler. It's ready to slice at that point and that's when I separate the flat from the point. The flat slices perfectly (in theory), and for the point, I cut away the big blobs of fat then slice the point and serve along with the flat. It should be noted that the point meat gets gobbled up lightning fast, whereas the flat is usually where my leftovers come from, even though they're perfectly done.
 
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