Splitting Brisket


 
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Frank A

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Hi, I just got a 8 lb flat that I'm smoking. I need to smoke it tomorrow and I want to have 2 lbs for dinner tomorrow night with the 6lbs going to a party on Saturday. I was thinking of splitting the brisket before cooking so that the 6lbs wouldn't look half eaten and the bark would be covered. Also I figured reheating may work better if it hadn't been cut after cooking.

Thoughts?
 
Originally posted by Frank A:
Hi, I just got a 8 lb flat that I'm smoking. I need to smoke it tomorrow and I want to have 2 lbs for dinner tomorrow night with the 6lbs going to a party on Saturday. I was thinking of splitting the brisket before cooking so that the 6lbs wouldn't look half eaten and the bark would be covered. Also I figured reheating may work better if it hadn't been cut after cooking.

Thoughts?
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Like so many grocery stores, here you use brisket and brisket flat synonomously. For future reference though, remember that the best brisket is a whole packer, which is best smoked with at least most of the point still connected to the flat. (I've cut the end off of a large one to make it all fit in the wsm and the cut off point end was done at about the same time as the rest.)

I've smoked flats, but it's all compromises and a judicial use of foil to keep it moist. On a packer, though, the point never dries out and helps to keep the flat moist. BBQ is about smoking large cuts of meat, and you'll find that generally, larger pork butts and briskets seem to hold moisture better than smaller ones, so let your conscience be your guide.
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I know the packer is better, unfortunately this time the store only had flats.

My question is more about whether I'm better splitting it up before or after smoking (since I'm eating it at two different sittings).
 
I cook flats all the time and I can tell you that an 8 lb flat is gonna weigh a little over six pounds after its done smoking. If I were you I would cook it whole and cut off your portion and tell the people at the party that you cut it to test the meat. Plus if you cut it first the smaller piece could dry out easier.
 
Originally posted by Frank A:
I know the packer is better, unfortunately this time the store only had flats.

My question is more about whether I'm better splitting it up before or after smoking (since I'm eating it at two different sittings).
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Leaving one piece was my implication by mentioning how larger pieces of meat seem to hold moisture better.
 
Guys, I'm in the same predicament as the original poster. I'm doing my first-ever brisket cook on Saturday. I can only get brisket flats, no local source for whole packers around me.

Since I'm only cooking for me and my wife--and she's not a hearty eater--we're going to bring the rest to a party in South Jersey on Sunday afternoon. How should we save the majority of the meat for it's 20-hour hiatus? We have a food saver system but not sure whether we should pre-slice it, vac-seal the whole thing once it's cool enough or whatnot. Obviously, keeping it tender and flavourful is key (assuming my cook is successful and it comes out edible, that is!). When we get to the party on Sunday, what's the best way to resurrect it and make it as good as when it came off the smoker?
 
Ideally:

1.) Vacpack the whole piece
2/) Reheat in vacuum sealed bag in a gentle water bath (or sink full of hot water), then slice and serve!
 
Yeah, I wouldn't worry about bringing a partial brisket flat to your gathering. Serve it sliced and no one will know the difference.

If you split a small flat like that before smoking it will dry out.
 
Originally posted by DavidT.:
Ideally:

1.) Vacpack the whole piece
2/) Reheat in vacuum sealed bag in a gentle water bath (or sink full of hot water), then slice and serve!
Click to expand...

I will probably be bringing about 4-1/2 to 5# of that cooked flat, which I will Food-Saver as soon as it's cooled down.

When I re-heat leftover ribs (usually about 10 bones or so), I go for about 15 minutes in low-boiling water. For that larger quantity of brisket, how long should I re-heat for?
 
I wouldn't keep the water boiling or simmering as you risk further cooking the brisket. Ideally I would go for water that is around 150f and keep it in there for an hour so the whole piece gets up to ~150 internal.

If you are really in a rush though and insist on low-boiling water... if the vac pack is completely submerged and the water temperature is maintained, 20 mins should be enough for a 5 pounder.
 
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