brisket flat or brisket point?

[The Stone Coyote]

I was wondering which part of the brisket is the most popular with the members for a long smoke, flat or point?

I'm partial to the point cut.

Your thoughts?

Rudy

 

[The Stone Coyote]

oops, 'point'. LOL!

 

[noboundaries]

The point is as forgiving as a pork butt due to all the fat. If I have a choice between a point, packer, or flat, I'll choose the point every time. Why? I can smoke it completely and get succulent slices and sandwiches. I can smoke it partially, then cube it for the most mouthwatering, melt-in-your-mouth beef stew, chili, or vegetable soup. Or I can skip the smoking entirely and make the same stew, chili, or soup, without the smoke essence.

Packers are my next choice, and I don't separate the flat from the point.

I haven't done a flat in five or more years. I'm in cheap tri tip country, brisket's succulent cousin from the opposite coast on the animal. Flats hold no interest for me because I can do tri tip instead and get a juicy, perfect result every time. Flats can be finicky.

 

[The Stone Coyote]

Thanks!

 

[illini40]

Are you able to find points sold by themselves? I only ever see full packers and just the flats.

 

[The Stone Coyote]

We have a local butcher that will cut them from time to time. But, it's expensive.

I usually buy the packer and cut it down myself.

 

[noboundaries]

Are you able to find points sold by themselves? I only ever see full packers and just the flats.

Depends on the store. There's only one in my area that regularly has points. Price is about 80 cents per pound more than the full packer.

 

[SmokinAl]

Boy if I could buy just the point, I would buy them all the time.
Otherwise I buy full packers.
Smoking a flat & getting it right is one of the most challenging cooks you can do.
When I do buy a flat I use it for corned beef or pastrami.
Oh I fixed your title too!
Al

 

[chilerelleno]

Everywhere I've lived the question has aways been either Flat or Packer. I have never seen a Point packaged for sale in SoCal, NW Tex or Gulfcoast AL.
I sure do wish they were offered.

Now this puts forward the questions,
Who is buying all these Points and/or what are they using them for?
Are they being used in mass production of other products or simply being shipped to other areas domestic/international?

It is crapshoot to find a Flat worth taking the time to cook. I look through all the Flats at Costco everytime, a dozen on average, and might find a worthy one every second or third trip... Yeah, I'm that picky, LoL.

 

[jbellard]

Our Kroger sells just the point but it’s like $11.99 a lb!!!

 

[phathead69]

Aldi's has these from time to time and they are good

 

[noboundaries]

I made a quick dash n grab run to Winco today, my favorite grocer who often carries points. Just needed a few essentials, but looked in the meat department, something I always do. They had "Choice grade or higher" packers for $3.18/lb, same grade of flats and points for $3.68/lb. I picked up a 9.85 lb packer that was so relaxed in the bag I was shocked it was untrimmed, not stiff as a board like the others I picked up. I also bought two points, one is absolutely PERFECT! The other was okay.

A PERFECT point!

An okay point.

 

[noboundaries]

Everywhere I've lived the question has aways been either Flat or Packer. I have never seen a Point packaged for sale in SoCal, NW Tex or Gulfcoast AL.
I sure do wish they were offered.

Now this puts forward the questions,
Who is buying all these Points and/or what are they using them for?
Are they being used in mass production of other products or simply being shipped to other areas domestic/international?

I might have some insight to the above. I asked my former favorite grocer's butcher once why didn't carry skirt steak, one of my absolute favorite cuts of beef. He said "It's too fatty. If I order 100 lbs of skirt steak, I might sell 15." You look at the Perfect Point above and what do you see? You and me see mouthwatering flavor and "don't need no teeth" tenderness. Soccer moms and retirees who've bought into the "lean meat is the only meat to buy" propaganda, won't touch it.

I'll bet the points are being ground up for hamburger, a crime fer shure.