Brisket Q's

[Smoker Keith]

We smoked a Snake River Farms Brisket yesterday and I have to say it seems like the cut makes a difference. However, I have a questions about the differences in the ends. The thicker end seemed to have a fat line that ran through the middle and when we cut into it, one side if piece was more fatty and seemed a bit chewy. The thinner end of the brisket was awesome!! Should I have let the brisket stay on the smoker a bit longer? I took it off when it was at 185 internal on the thicker end and had wrapped it in foil after about 5 hours of smoke, having turned it over once at about 3 hrs. Cooked on a Traeger at 185 which fluctuates between 170 and 230. Weight of the meet was 11.1 pounds. Thinned off the fat to 1/8th to 1/4 inch.

 

[Salmonsmoker]

Welcome to the forum Keith. I'm not a brisket expert, but others will be here to shortly that are. You've come to the right place for answers and some fun camaraderie.
P.S. We were in Silverthorne on a pub crawl to Breckenridge, Frisco, and Idaho Springs during the GABF last year. It's pretty up there!

 

[muebe]

What you found was the fat line that separates the point form the flat. There is a different texture between the two cuts. You can smoke it whole the entire time or separate the point from the flat before the smoke or when the IT reaches around 150F. If you smoke it whole make sure the point is on top and the flat is on the bottom otherwise half of the flat will cook differently than the other half.

The point can be cooked separately into what is known as burnt ends. Or it can be sliced although it does not look like the flat. The grain runs a different direction than the flat so you will want to separate it before slicing. The flat is what you normally see that is sliced.

The flat...

And the point...

 

[scooter]

You will find some brisket primers in the Hall of Fame Recipes forum from a couple of our resident brisket experts. They are stuck to the top of the forum.

Welcome to PelletSmoking.