Point on Brisket

Unknown

From the stuff I've read, the point on the brisket is suppose to be cut off when the brisket is at around 187 and tender, then the flat comes off and wrapped up, while the point goes back on. Is the point simply a much tougher piece of meat? Why doesn't it come off at the same time? And what temp do you pull the point off? I've wondered this for a while and am gearing up for my first brisket and I want everything to turn out good![p]Thanks for the info![p]BBQ_Jazz

sprinter

BBQ_Jazz,[p]You dont HAVE to take the point off and put it back on, but the end product of doing so is burnt ends. The point of the brisket is much fattier, and thus more flavorful in my opinion, than the flat, and needs more time to cook out the fat. The point is edible at the same temp as the flat but by cooking it longer you render more fat out and add more bark to the whole point. Hope this helps. Good luck with the cook.[p]Troy

thirdeye

<p />BBQ_Jazz,[p]In addition to slicing the point or making burnt ends like sprinter mentioned, another option is to trim the excess fat from the point and shread or chop the meat for sandwiches. Any way you do them, briskets are wonderful.[p]~thirdeye~[p]

jake42

thirdeye,
Looks great. I always like to put a heavy amount of garlic and other seasonings between the two parts before I put it on the cooker.

Fairalbion

How do you tell the "point" from "flat" from the "end?" (newbie question, I know).

thirdeye

<p />Fairalbion,[p]The flat is the even thickness piece that makes up most of a whole brisket. One side of it has almost no fat on it, the other side has a fat cap. The point is the fattier piece of meat that overlaps one end of the flat. If you look carefully, the grain in the flat and the point run in different directions. In this picture the point is on the right.[p]~thirdeye~[p]

Nature Boy

BBQ_Jazz,
I am with Sprinter. The point is not tougher at all, but in fact more tender. Problem is it is LOADED with inernal fat, and needs extra time for the fat to render out. So on top of cooking the brisket with the point side down, some extra time can help too.
Cheers
Chris

jaymer

BBQ_Jazz,
if you season both sides of the meat (and after my last one this weekend, I'm not even going to season the fat side anymore cause I trash all the fat and cook fat side down so all it does is waste rub, IMHO) then it can actually be hard to both find the point, and determine grain direction after its cooked.
as stated, the grain runs different directions, so you want to cut them seperately.
usually, on the thickest part of the cooked brisket will be the point with a fat layer running between it and the flat brisket - from the side of the brisket you can stick a knife into that mess of fat and then just work your way each direction and now you've sliced the point off. its literally like cutting butter with a hot knife.[p]i know the point is a nice juicy piece - with lots of fat, but on my last two briskets, i've foiled and fridged the point right away - its kinda like ordering a tbone and not eating the filet eye. i just haven't figured out a good method for the point yet - for me, its too fatty/greasy to eat "as is", but the yummy brisket always fills us up plenty. [p]my last brisket was foiled at 170 and pulled at 180, then rested in a cooler for 4 hours.[p]cheers,
jaymer...
[ul][li]see the brisket pics[/ul]