I have a 3d - wifi. I've done plenty of ribs, pork butt, and beef ribs. But cooking my first brisket. They had a sale, prime packers for $2.98 lb. That's half price around where I live, so I bought all 3 they had. They have good bend to them, but two of them have really thin flats! They're about 11 lb each, before trimming. Should I leave more fat on the flat to help protect it, since it's so thin? Also, should I separate the point from the flat, since the flat looks like it will cook alot faster? I have 2 temp probes.
Advice for my first brisket?
- Thread starter Drayken
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barelfly
New member
Get ready for a wonderful treat! Especially prime and at that price!
You seem to have a good plan. You could leave a little more fat on the flat, that may help. But, other than that, I’d smoke it whole. I have not cut a brisket in my time smoking. The temps seem to be right and the brisket comes out wonderful!
If anything, you could wrap the brisket once you get the bark where you want it. That may help retain some of the moisture in the flat. But, I haven’t done this method as well - I just let it go until its jiggly good and probe tender.
And your last question, I’d use two probes, one in the flat and the other in the point. Just so you can monitor the temps. They may be 5-10* off for a bit, but by the end, the temps seem to catch up or even out.
Have fun! - oh, what are you going to rub it with? That’s always the stuff I want to know!
You seem to have a good plan. You could leave a little more fat on the flat, that may help. But, other than that, I’d smoke it whole. I have not cut a brisket in my time smoking. The temps seem to be right and the brisket comes out wonderful!
If anything, you could wrap the brisket once you get the bark where you want it. That may help retain some of the moisture in the flat. But, I haven’t done this method as well - I just let it go until its jiggly good and probe tender.
And your last question, I’d use two probes, one in the flat and the other in the point. Just so you can monitor the temps. They may be 5-10* off for a bit, but by the end, the temps seem to catch up or even out.
Have fun! - oh, what are you going to rub it with? That’s always the stuff I want to know!
I plan to use a simple rub. Just kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a wee bit of cayanne pepper. It's what I do for beef ribs, and it turns out great. I wonder if I could fold teh last couple inches of the flat, under itself? Would it just straighten back out once smoking? I'm just real worried how thin the end is.
tostitobandito
New member
Don't separate them, cook them whole. You should probably just trim the very thinnest parts of the flat on the thinner ones (or any brisket really). It's gonna burn or overcook no matter what you do really. For the rest of the trimming I'd just trim the same as larger briskets, get it shaped nice, get rid of all the hard fat you can easily trim, and trim the soft fat cap to around 1/4" all over. Being probably sub-10 pounds after trimming they should cook somewhat faster than larger briskets.
As for the cook, yeah you might try wrapping. I haven't wrapped a brisket yet in mine, but I've been wrapping big beef rib slabs recently and they've turned out great. I'd take it to like 165-175F or thereabouts so you get a nice bark and then wrap it up (in paper not foil) for the rest of the cook. Might help keep the thinner parts from drying out as much, and certainly won't hurt anything. If you're used to doing beef ribs I've found that I cook those basically the same as a brisket, just a little hotter (250F vs 230-240F) and minus all the trimming that a brisket entails.
Good luck.
As for the cook, yeah you might try wrapping. I haven't wrapped a brisket yet in mine, but I've been wrapping big beef rib slabs recently and they've turned out great. I'd take it to like 165-175F or thereabouts so you get a nice bark and then wrap it up (in paper not foil) for the rest of the cook. Might help keep the thinner parts from drying out as much, and certainly won't hurt anything. If you're used to doing beef ribs I've found that I cook those basically the same as a brisket, just a little hotter (250F vs 230-240F) and minus all the trimming that a brisket entails.
Good luck.
barelfly
New member
You could try to fold it over, there are some that do that due to having smaller smoker sizes that wont fit a whole backer. It may unfold during the cook, but it’s worth a shot. I’d just kept it whole.
And your rub sounds great! Let the beef stand out! I’ve done quite a few just salt and pepper briskets and they are great!
Let us know how they go!
And your rub sounds great! Let the beef stand out! I’ve done quite a few just salt and pepper briskets and they are great!
Let us know how they go!
