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Brisket Question

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PirateBill
PirateBill Posts: 259
in EggHead Forum

I have never done a Brisket before and wondered what the experts look for in choosing a good low and slow Brisket?   I'm asking weight/fat cap/type (i.e flat).  I know I am probably missing some things so any advice on the choosing would be greatly appreciated.    I'm not planning on a set date for the brisket I just know I want to do one and felt like some homework would be warranted ... thanks in advance!

Fight like a man so you don't die like a dog

- Calico Jack Rackham

1,000 watt Sharp - 1.1 Cu. Ft. Mid-Size Microwave and one sweet steakager (retail 229$) 

Scruffy City a.k.a. Knoxville, TN.

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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
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    Whole packer brisket, at least 14 pounds, choice or better, good marbling across the flat. If possible, with a little age on it. Have fun!
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • PirateBill
    PirateBill Posts: 259
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    Nature Boy said:
    Whole packer brisket, at least 14 pounds, choice or better, good marbling across the flat. If possible, with a little age on it. Have fun!
    Chris
    what is the smallest you have gone? 14 seems huge for the wife and I (no kidos) ... of course being new I might be wrong.

    Fight like a man so you don't die like a dog

    - Calico Jack Rackham

    1,000 watt Sharp - 1.1 Cu. Ft. Mid-Size Microwave and one sweet steakager (retail 229$) 

    Scruffy City a.k.a. Knoxville, TN.

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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,989
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    PirateBill said:
    Nature Boy said:
    Whole packer brisket, at least 14 pounds, choice or better, good marbling across the flat. If possible, with a little age on it. Have fun!
    Chris
    what is the smallest you have gone? 14 seems huge for the wife and I (no kidos) ... of course being new I might be wrong.
    It is likely you will trim off a significant amount of fat. I had trimmed down, prior to cook, 3-4 pounds on some of the larger sizes. Then the cooking process takes the weight down even further. 
    The brisket is a very versitile cook. It can be used in sandwiches, tacos, nachos, chili, burritos, and my favorite, vegetable beef soup.
    Freeze some for later.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
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    @PirateBill I have cooked a 5 pound flat before, but when doing BBQ, big honkin' pieces of meat seem to do best with moisture retention, etc. As Ron mentioned, the nice thing is the leftovers are delicious and can be frozen.
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,384
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    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Here's a link to a fairly recent post that covers about anything and everything you could encounter on a brisket cook.  Lots of information across the spectrum.  

    Memorial Day Weekend Brisket Cook: Who's with me? Rules are simple....  best of luck.

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,844
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    Feel for the softest/floppiest brisket in the store.  I have found a 9 pound whole packer that was excellent but that is rare.  And don't judge it by the hard fat that you are going to trim off.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • ibanda
    ibanda Posts: 553
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    You can probably find 5 pound flats at the store, but I always cook whole packers, packer = the flat + the point, and they start at around 9.5 pounds and go up to 17+. What you can find in the stores seems to be very regional on the forum. I can find choice grade 10# packers in Oklahoma easily for $3/pound, but I am having a hard time finding prime grade. Prime grade is a lot easier to find when I go back home to Texas to visit family.

    I have fit a 17 pounder on my large BGE by drapping it over an upside down v-rack for the first few hours. Brisket should be cooked indirect on the egg, plan on approximately 1 hour per pound for the cook, but it might take anywhere from 40 minutes/pound to 1.5 hours/pound at 250°. 

    My brisket guru is Aaron Franklin and the central Texas style and there are some good videos of his on youtube. I use a simple rub of salt and pepper, post oak wood chips for smoke, and wrap in butcher paper or foil after the stall (about half way thru the cook). Pull it off somewhere between 195° and 203°. 
    "Bacon tastes gooood, pork chops taste gooood." - Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
    Small and Large BGE in Oklahoma City.
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