brisket cuts ?s

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Barnard4

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I have only done one brisket and am trying to figure out what I should get next time. So I see option like:packer, flat, whole, choice, select, prime. What is the best choice.
 
Packers are the best IMHO. Some people like doing flats. A packer gives you two pieces of meat, two different muscles. One is the flat and is what people typically associate with sliced brisket. The other muscle is called the point and is fattier and gets done sooner than the flat making it very tender. This makes it very well suited for chopped brisket, or for making burnt ends.

Select, Choice and Prime as USDA grades of beef. More info here...
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/beef_from_farm_to_table/index.asp

The whole cow is graded, not each cut. The grading is made from an area in the ribeye. Based on fat content and how well marbled (or how evenly distributed with the meat) it is, the cow gets assigned a grade. So a brisket from a cow graded Prime is a Prime brisket. Choice is pretty dang good, and I haven't seen Prime's all that worth the added cost, save for maybe Wagyu which is a whole different story and frankly doesn't even taste like brisket IMO.
 
I only do packers. That is a cryo'ed full brisket that can weigh from 10-17lbs. As Chris mentioned above, it tends to be moister than your brisket flat. I believe when it comes to briskets, bigger is better because you get a thicker flat, which is the part most likely to dry out.
 
Another one for doing a whole packer. I agree with Marty that in briskets, bigger is better. I usually try to find a choice packer that weighs around 15 Lbs.. I always cook whole and don't separate until the flat is done. When the flat is done, I separate it and the point, and wrap the flat in foil and put it in the cooler. I then cube the point and put it in a foil pan and smoke for another 2 hours with a little sauce and a little more rub. I like to smoke a whole packer and not separate because I believe the fatty point helps keep the flat moist and adds some flavor to it. Others may have different opinions.
 
I only cook packers...of course it is mainly so I have the point for burnt ends :-D and the extra moisture doesn't hurt either.
 
I'm a packer fan, too. :mrgreen: I buy what's available so sometimes select, sometimes choice, sometimes Angus, etc. It's brisket and I'm not cooking for comp. A good find locally is Angus Choice. If I can't, for some reason, find a packer brisket I'll find the biggest flat and just pay more attention as I cook it.
 
Mostly flats for me. I don't like buying fat to throw away. Just me. Did two 8# flats yesterday in six hours. Main reason is time. Whatever works for you is what's best imo. Steve.
 
Barnard4 said:
I have only done one brisket and am trying to figure out what I should get next time. So I see option like:packer, flat, whole, choice, select, prime. What is the best choice.
Click to expand...

I like the packers (which is a whole brisket, with only the deckle removed, and will be sold in a sealed cryovac bag), and I prefer choice or higher.

If I do want to cook a flat, I'll still buy a whole one but I'll freeze the point, save up 2 or 3 and cook them all at the same time. The only thing I do non-typical is to make a straight cut when removing the point, instead of following the natural seam between the two muscles.

Here is a brisket chart I put together with some photo's, terms, and brisket lore regarding the left side brisket....


brisket101copy.jpg
 
thirdeye said:
I like the packers (which is a whole brisket, with only the deckle removed, and will be sold in a sealed cryovac bag), and I prefer choice or higher.

If I do want to cook a flat, I'll still buy a whole one but I'll freeze the point, save up 2 or 3 and cook them all at the same time. The only thing I do non-typical is to make a straight cut when removing the point, instead of following the natural seam between the two muscles.

Here is a brisket chart I put together with some photo's, terms, and brisket lore regarding the left side brisket....



brisket101copy.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice writeup... very helpful. Now I have to tell my butcher I only want LH briskets :-D
 
I do packers, I think JD McGee separates point from flat sometimes. I tend to cook them all at once. Actually, I prefer the point sliced to the flat.
 
I must have had a packer. I didn't know to separate it for burnt ends. Mine was only about 13lbs.
 
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