SKINNY BRISKETS!!??

[Big Ir]

HELLO EVERYONE,

I AM HAVING A PARTY OF 50 PEOPLE THIS WEEKEND. I PLAN ON DOING 2 6 POUND PORK BUTTS AND A 7 POUND BRISKET FLAT ON THE WSM. I WILL FILL THE NEEDS OF EXTRA MEAT BY COOKING TRI-TIP ON MY KETTLE. I ORDERED A 7 POUND (MINIMUM) BRISKET FLAT FROM MY ONLY SOURCE AROUND MY PARTS LAST WEEK. I GOT THERE TODAY TO PICK UP THE MEAT, AND THE MANAGER BROUGHT OUT THE CRATE TO LET ME PICK WHICH ONE I WANTED AND THEY WERE WRAPPED IN CRYOVAC. PEOPLE, I DID NOT LIKE ANY OF THEM. THEY RANGED IN SIZE FORM 2-6 POUNDS. EVERYONE OF THE LARGER PICKS I HAD, THEY WERE VERY VERY THIN. I WANT TO SAY .5 TO .75 AT MOST!! I HAVE COOKED 4 FLATS NOW AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM RUN SOOOOOO THIN. SO I DID NOT BUY ONE. I HAD NO IDEA IF WHAT I NOW CONSIDER NORMAL; A 12 HOUR MINIMUM TO 16 OR 18 HOURS TO OBTAIN THE MAGICAL 205 INTERNAL. MY QUESTION IS DOES A SKINNY BRISKET REQUIRE THE NORMAL LONG COOKING TIMES, AND WOULD IT (BEING SO SKINNY) BE AS TASTEY AS A THICKER PIECE?? IF THERE ARE NO ILL EFFECTS, I STILL CAN GO BACK AND PURCHASE THEM. THANK YOU FOR ANY INSIGHT. BIG IR

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Hi BigIr!

When it comes to cooking flats, thickness is what matters.

Those skinny boys could cook as quick as 1hr./lb.(maybe less!) at 225?.

They would probably be OK, just won't take as long to cook. If they are your only source, I say go for it. I would go for the bigger ones. Take good notes and measure the thickness and then keep a log of your times.

I am doing brisket this coming weekend myself. Going to try something a little different.

Good luck!

 

[Mike Rockwood]

This is probably late and after the fact, and I haven't done all that many briskets, but it seems to me that if you have "skinny" briskets, might you be able to achieve your desired thickness and stack two together, bind them together and treat as a single brisket? Just a thought for the future.