Half a packer?

[brewpug]

I bought a15# full packer brisket today for $1.99 a pound. Could not resist, but I don’t need that much meat for me and my wife in one cook. I would like to make some corned beef with a good portion of the flat and then freeze and smoke the remainder in a later cook. I’ve never cut a brisket in half. Can you do that without screwing up the second cook?

 

[SmokyMose]

I bought a15# full packer brisket today for $1.99 a pound. Could not resist, but I don’t need that much meat for me and my wife in one cook. I would like to make some corned beef with a good portion of the flat and then freeze and smoke the remainder in a later cook. I’ve never cut a brisket in half. Can you do that without screwing up the second cook?

No problem. Just cut off what you think you need from the flat for your corned beef. That's what I do for Pastrami. Works for us because it's just the 2 of us also.
She doesn't care for Pastrami and we both prefer the cooked point. Win Win :-)

 

[thirdeye]

Separating a point and flat is the hardest thing ever the first time. Then it gets easier and easier. Next thing you know.... you're a pro. Here is one of the best instructional videos on the basic separation I've ever seen.


That said, the point has some great marbling and flavor, there is another way to cut a brisket in half. Do some light trimming and shaping on the whole packer brisket. Then pick a line and make a lengthwise cut. Depending on if you have a left or right brisket, one of the halves will have more point meat, so carefully pick your cut line. I like to lay a long knife on the surface and adjust each end until the "line" looks good, then lightly score the meat. Follow up with your cut.

Here is another look at the same brisket

 

[MJB05615]

That video was very informative. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tallbm]

I bought a15# full packer brisket today for $1.99 a pound. Could not resist, but I don’t need that much meat for me and my wife in one cook. I would like to make some corned beef with a good portion of the flat and then freeze and smoke the remainder in a later cook. I’ve never cut a brisket in half. Can you do that without screwing up the second cook?

Hi there and welcome!

Corned beef and pastrami are generally made from the Flat muscle of the brisket.

If you trim like this then you can have a reduced size packer trimmed well for smoking and a good section of the Flat muscle for corned beef:

I use this image when I recommend how people can trim up their brisket and reuse the thin portion of the flat muscle for other purposes since it wants to burn up when still attached to a whole packer brisket.

So if you take this approach and you simply move the green line up like halfway to the right. You can get a nice big chunk of the flat for your corned beef and what you leave behind will be in a nice shape with uniform thickness for smoking as a packer. In Texas we cry when the flat and the point get separated so this approach would keep the tears at bay hahaha :)
Easy, peasy!

I hope this info helps :)

 

[brewpug]

Thank all of you for the replies. Appreciate it!

 

[gmc2003]

Just remember about the Costanza effect when halving. You'll get some shrinkage.

Chris