Trimming A Brisket

Unknown · June 2001

I just bought a whole untrimmed brisket. It weighs about 9 pounds. It is about 18 inches fom end to end. I plan on cutting it in half to cook it. If I do should I cut in half so it is only 9 inches or should I cut it lenthwise? I was going to coat it with mustard and JJ's rub. then cook at 250-280 for 2 hours per LB over indirect heat.
Does this sound right?
Thanks[p]KR

Nature Boy · June 2001

KR,
No need to cut it in half from my experiences. Leave the fat cap on...trim to 1/8 inch if you feel like it. Most of the time I score the fat cap in a diamond type pattern, just to the meat. This allows better penetration of the spices, and does not seem to hurt the cook.[p]Somewhere around 2 hours a pound, but the times can vary greatly with this unique chunk of beef. My times are almost always 2-2.5 hours lb, but have had shorter and longer. Measure the temp in the flat (the thin end), and do a fork-twist test at 185 internal. If it is done early, pull at 185-190, and wrap in foil/towels and a warm cooler. It will finish cooking in there, and will be good and hot 4 or 5 hours later.[p]Enjoy it. I am doing one tonight also, and have that cool twinge of excitement! And some cold beer.
Cheers!
NB

Unknown · June 2001

Nature Boy,
Thanks for the help
I planned on cutting it in half because there are only 3 people eating it, and freezing the other half. On average what is the weight loss when cooking brisket does 9 lbs nd up as 5 lbs?[p]KR

ColoradoCook · June 2001

KR,[p]I followed all the advice from this foruma cooked one hell of a brisket about a month ago. Low and slow (225* was my average) my 7.5lb brisket took about 20 hours, started at 9:00 PM and finished just in time for dinner at 6:00 PM the next day. The 2.0 to 2.5 hours per lb is the key. I loaded up the firebox and plunged a few chunks of hickory into the coals before putting the brisket on indirect. The only thing a learned from that brisket endeavor was to stir or poke the coals half-way through the cook, if you don't you'll notice that you will have to adjust your dampers the last four or five hours to keep 225*. Make sure you move your brisket far away when you do this, the ash tends to fly when stirring.[p]I live by myself, I cut up the brisket in meal portions and vaccum packed them with my FoodSaver. I got 8 meals out of that chunk-o-chest.[p]Good luck,[p]CC

Nature Boy · June 2001

KR,
Yeah. You have the weight loss about right. Never weighed it, but it is somewheres about 40% as far as I know.[p]Cook the whole damn thing. Will keep well in your fridge for at least a week, and makes righteous leftovers. How bout some chunk-o-chest pizza? Even good cold from the fridge in the mornin.[p]Enjoy!
NB

BlueSmoke · June 2001

KR, I'm with the folks below -- cook the whole thing. If you insist on cutting it, cut it crosswise but not exactly in half. Cut it so you have a point and a flat. The point is 2 distinct muscle groups, separated by a layer of fat. The flat is remainder of the lower muscle group. The muscle groups on the point run in different directions, so it takes more care in carving. With the flat you just start at one end and slice till you get to the other end. The payoff to the point is that, with the additional fat, it is more moist and tender (usually), but that's less a problem with an Egg than with most cookers.

Trimming A Brisket

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