Educate me on brisket

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

wncrick

Fire Starter
Original poster
Aug 3, 2012
34
15
Holden Beach, NC
I've smoked those little flats, and done pastrami outta the cured ones. Ya'll know I like to live on the cheap side so I picked up a 10 pound one today(about 2.50 a pound(just select grade)). So educate me on what I bought. Is this a packer brisket? If nothing else i'll grind the whole thing for burger. Is there a portion I should reserve for the smoker, or just grind it all? Also is there enough fat in it to be 80/20, or what will I end up with? I just butchered up the 21 day dry aged NY Strip(also about 10 lbs), will make a post soon as I have time.

Many thanks
Rick
 
If you can throw up a picture of it, it would help. 

But, It's a brisket

Don't trim it!! Don't trim it! DON'T TRIM IT!!! Did ya get that? DON'T TRIM IT!!!

rinse, pat dry!!

Lightly oil (olive, walnut, pecan, vegetable, sunflower)

Salt & Pepper

rub in the goodness, wrap and fridge overnight is best, sometimes I just don't have room so they go straight to the smoker!

Smoker 225*-250*. temp isn't as much important as don't yo-no the temp. None of that up & down stuff. 

Mine usually start out at around 215*-230* then seem to creep as the smoke goes on!! Just don't yo yo!

Put it on the smoker, fat cap up!!

Smoke it to 150* with pecan, hickory, oak, mesquite wood. If you go with mesquite, go EASY. That stuff can overpower your meat quick!!!!

at 150* pull it, wrap in butcher paper if you have it or can get some. If not use foil.

With butcher paper, put it back on the smoker, fat cap up!! smoke to 185*. At that temp, start probing every 30 minutes to hour. The probe should go in with the consistency of sticking a room temp stick of butter, not butter stick from the fridge. It'll probably be around 200-210*. Some say that's just for chopped brisket, but if you pull it sooner, your flat will be dense and not tough but not goody goody tender.

If you wrap in foil, put it back on, pull out of foil between 180-185* and put back on smoker  to final tender probing.

Once it's done, if in butcher paper, just throw in a cooler, go to bed (you're going to be tired! 15-20 hours). If you did the foil thing, then rewrap when the probe test is tender and put in a cooler, go nappy yourself.

When you wake up, pull out your brisket, unwrap it, lay it down and start cutting on the thin end going crossways!! No need to separate the point/deckle from the flat and cut separate. Just start on that thin end cutting crossways not longways. Cut the whole thing all the way through the thick end. If folks like the lean, it's on the bottom part. If they like it moist that the flat under the point/deckle. I just put it in a pan or on butcher paper and let folks pick what they want. 

You can leave it in the fridge for weeks, it's been smoked so it's preserved. You can also divide and freeze for months!!

Great for tacos, sammichs, casseroles, make chile, enchiladas, breakfast hash, etc...
 
Last edited:
After a few tries I finally knocked one outta the park. I read thru the Sticky under Beef. It is pages and pages of how to prepare a brisket. Good luck!!!!!!!
 
A whole packer has a thin end and a thick end distinctly made up of 2 different muscles with an easily detected layer of fat separating the two. Ten pounds is large for a flat only but a little small for a full packer. " IF " the meat is an untrimmed flat and has a good 1/4+ layer of fat on top you will get around 90/10 ground beef. If it is an untrimmed packer, grinding the whole deal will give you 80/20 or so...JJ
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky