Where this egger has not gone before...

FSUScotsman

Up till now I've stuck with pork, chicken, steaks, burgers and the like. I want to try a brisket now. My questions are pretty simple I think but when I did a search I don't find just the right answers.

What cut am I exactly looking for? Costco here has about three different kinds of briskets.

What is a decent price per pound?

What is the smallest size that I can buy and still make it come out right? There is only two of us and I don't want a ton of left overs. I can deal with some and Foodsave some but I don't need to put ten pounds of cooked beef in the freezer!!!

Now, if will EVER quit raining I'll fire up an egg and cook something.

fishlessman

biggest is best and those are packer briskets. those are cut into flats and points. i would start with a 7/8 pound flat and skip the idea of going with something smaller. you want fat on one side but they tend to trim it all off

Little Steven

Ron,

I wouldn't worry too much about leftovers. Lots of ways to use them up.

Steve

FearlessGrill

Hi,

For a small brisket, you want a flat cut. That's generally all I can get around here, so I'm envious that your Costco has multiple cuts. The other cuts I'm aware of are the point (fattier, generally used to make burnt ends), and the packer, which includes both the flat and the point.

The smallest flat I've tried was 6 pounds. It will shrink somewhat during cooking but you'll still have leftovers. I'm not saying you couldn't get away with smaller - just that I haven't tried it. Maybe someone else can chime in ...

In terms of price, I generally pay $2.99/lb for brisket here at the wholesale butcher or Costco when they have it. Whole Foods is the only other place I can get it, but for substantially more ($4.99 - $5.99/lb, and they have to special order it).

If you haven't already found cooking instructions, here's a writeup of a recent brisket I did that came out great. This one was a packer cut, but the method should work fine for a flat too.



Good luck,

-John

Gandolf

If you have a BJ's near you, I really prefer their briskets. By Far! The best I've had so far have come from the PX that my neighbors get for me when they go there.

Mike in Abita

Quite a few questions there. You can do like Myron and buy the Wagyu brisket (read expensive). These will give you, the greatest chance of success while still making a few mistakes along the way. I usually find a good choice packer cut. Here is some good information on how to choose, prepare, and cook a good brisket. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html

Here is another good site for brisket preparation and cooking. http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html

Briskets are not quite as forgiving as a pork butt, but with a little patience and the right brisket you are half way there. Pay attention to the brisket selection on the first web site.

FlaPoolman

Ron,, get the whole packer. Your only an hour away now so I'll help you finish it off :laugh:

Teach42

My first brisket on the Egg wasn't perfect, but the leftovers were FANTASTIC!

Took the burnt ends and made brisket gumbo out of them. Took the leftover flat and made brisket tacos one night, a bbq brisket pizza the next night. And of course, a good chunk of it went into some sandwiches as well.

Trust me, leftover brisket is a good thing!

Teach42

BTW, just in case you need it, here's one of the better guides I've ever seen for cooking a brisket, from trimming to slicing. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57882

I'm cooking one on Saturday and using this as my bible

FSUScotsman

Thanks everyone for the help!!! I won't get to try this for a couple of weeks now but when life settles down again I'm going to get one of these things and give it a whirl. I've been excited about trying this for a while now, after all you can only eat so much pork....or so my wife says.

FlaPoolman...does it EVER quit raining down here!!???? :S