i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
like that.

i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).

when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
mangled the slicing again.

so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
a point and flat in tact?

with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
presentable slices.

your thoughts please...

scott

salchichon wrote:

>
> your thoughts please...
>

At six pounds I suspect that you had a a brisket flat. The point is much
fattier and thicker than the flat.

Matthew

--
Thermodynamics and/or Golf for dummies: There is a game
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game

salchichon wrote:
> i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> like that.
>
> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>
> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> mangled the slicing again.
>
> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> a point and flat in tact?

At only 6 pounds, you had a flat. You can usually go by weight, but the point
(or deckle) is on one end and makes that end about twice as thick as the flat
end.
Oh, and no, they won't (usually) lable them as to whether it is a packer cut.
Recently around here, they've started putting "Flat" on the labels for the
flats.

>
> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> presentable slices.

Yes.
>
> your thoughts please...
>
> scott

I'm just now finishing up cooking a 16# packer cut. They flat was done hours
ago (I'm nibbling on it), but the point is only @ about 180 right now. There
are 2 pork butts over it, dripping all the good pork drippings on the brisket.
The pork hasn't even begun to shrink, so I'm not checking the temperature in
them for several more hours.

Good luck, and experiment more. Remember, practice, practice, practice.

BOB

"salchichon" > wrote in message
om...
>i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> like that.
>
> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>
> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> mangled the slicing again.
>
> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> a point and flat in tact?
>
> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> presentable slices.
>
> your thoughts please...
>
> scott

Scott, I think you had just the flat there. A packer cut brisket from a
full grown cow or steer will be at least 10-17 lbs. Was one side
very.....and I mean VERY fatty? If so, that was the point. If not, all you
had was the flat.

The flat is a dream to carve, like you said, just identify the direction of
the grain and slice across it all the way down. The point is more
problematic, with several layers of meat interspersed with layers of fat.

You'll learn to tell intact briskets from trimmed flats in no time. In the
meantime, just have fun.

John in Austin

I find that points cook much faster than flats, maybe 1/2 the time - go
figure.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


" BOB" > wrote in message
. ..
> salchichon wrote:
>> i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
>> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
>> like that.
>>
>> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
>> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
>> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
>> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
>> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>>
>> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
>> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
>> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
>> mangled the slicing again.
>>
>> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
>> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
>> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
>> a point and flat in tact?
>
> At only 6 pounds, you had a flat. You can usually go by weight, but the
> point (or deckle) is on one end and makes that end about twice as thick as
> the flat end.
> Oh, and no, they won't (usually) lable them as to whether it is a packer
> cut. Recently around here, they've started putting "Flat" on the labels
> for the flats.
>
>>
>> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
>> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
>> presentable slices.
>
> Yes.
>>
>> your thoughts please...
>>
>> scott
>
> I'm just now finishing up cooking a 16# packer cut. They flat was done
> hours ago (I'm nibbling on it), but the point is only @ about 180 right
> now. There are 2 pork butts over it, dripping all the good pork drippings
> on the brisket. The pork hasn't even begun to shrink, so I'm not checking
> the temperature in them for several more hours.
>
> Good luck, and experiment more. Remember, practice, practice, practice.
>
> BOB
>

I find that points cook much faster than flats, maybe 1/2 the time - go
figure.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


" BOB" > wrote in message
. ..
> salchichon wrote:
>> i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
>> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
>> like that.
>>
>> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
>> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
>> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
>> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
>> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>>
>> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
>> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
>> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
>> mangled the slicing again.
>>
>> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
>> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
>> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
>> a point and flat in tact?
>
> At only 6 pounds, you had a flat. You can usually go by weight, but the
> point (or deckle) is on one end and makes that end about twice as thick as
> the flat end.
> Oh, and no, they won't (usually) lable them as to whether it is a packer
> cut. Recently around here, they've started putting "Flat" on the labels
> for the flats.
>
>>
>> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
>> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
>> presentable slices.
>
> Yes.
>>
>> your thoughts please...
>>
>> scott
>
> I'm just now finishing up cooking a 16# packer cut. They flat was done
> hours ago (I'm nibbling on it), but the point is only @ about 180 right
> now. There are 2 pork butts over it, dripping all the good pork drippings
> on the brisket. The pork hasn't even begun to shrink, so I'm not checking
> the temperature in them for several more hours.
>
> Good luck, and experiment more. Remember, practice, practice, practice.
>
> BOB
>

Here's a tip from Paul Kirk - before you put the rub/slather on the brisket,
find the grain while you can still see it, and cut a small slice off across
the grain. This will show you how to slice when the meat is done and you
can't see the grain for the crust.

Or, if you forget, just take one slice and see how the grain runs.

The grain in the point is trickier, but the point is usually more tender so
getting it exactly right isn't as critical.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"salchichon" > wrote in message
om...
>i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> like that.
>
> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>
> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> mangled the slicing again.
>
> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> a point and flat in tact?
>
> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> presentable slices.
>
> your thoughts please...
>
> scott

Here's a tip from Paul Kirk - before you put the rub/slather on the brisket,
find the grain while you can still see it, and cut a small slice off across
the grain. This will show you how to slice when the meat is done and you
can't see the grain for the crust.

Or, if you forget, just take one slice and see how the grain runs.

The grain in the point is trickier, but the point is usually more tender so
getting it exactly right isn't as critical.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"salchichon" > wrote in message
om...
>i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> like that.
>
> i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
>
> when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> mangled the slicing again.
>
> so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> a point and flat in tact?
>
> with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> presentable slices.
>
> your thoughts please...
>
> scott

"Matthew L. Martin" > wrote in message >...
> salchichon wrote:
>
> >
> > your thoughts please...
> >
>
> At six pounds I suspect that you had a a brisket flat. The point is much
> fattier and thicker than the flat.
>
> Matthew

matthew...

there was a noticeable hump at one end. that was another reason i
though i had the entire brisket. when i started seperating just below
the hump, that's when i saw no inner layer of fat or a change in grain
direction. the alarms went off right then!!!

scott

" BOB" > wrote in message >...
> salchichon wrote:
> > i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> > it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> > like that.
> >
> > i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> > cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> > the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> > by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> > McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
> >
> > when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> > was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> > brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> > mangled the slicing again.
> >
> > so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> > and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> > fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> > a point and flat in tact?
>
> At only 6 pounds, you had a flat. You can usually go by weight, but the point
> (or deckle) is on one end and makes that end about twice as thick as the flat
> end.
> Oh, and no, they won't (usually) lable them as to whether it is a packer cut.
> Recently around here, they've started putting "Flat" on the labels for the
> flats.
>
> >
> > with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> > grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> > presentable slices.
>
> Yes.
> >
> > your thoughts please...
> >
> > scott
>
> I'm just now finishing up cooking a 16# packer cut. They flat was done hours
> ago (I'm nibbling on it), but the point is only @ about 180 right now. There
> are 2 pork butts over it, dripping all the good pork drippings on the brisket.
> The pork hasn't even begun to shrink, so I'm not checking the temperature in
> them for several more hours.
>
> Good luck, and experiment more. Remember, practice, practice, practice.
>
> BOB


thanks bob. and another thing...i will never again cook a brisket fat
side down. i don't buy the theory that the underside where the thick
fat layer is keeps the juices inside.

"JakBQuik" > wrote in message >...
> "salchichon" > wrote in message
> om...
> >i q'ed a 6 lb brisket yesterday. the label on the cryovac just said
> > it was a brisket; nothing about it being just the flat or anything
> > like that.
> >
> > i've recently been having trouble correctly slicing brisket after
> > cooking. i read about the different grains and how to seperate the
> > the point from the flat before slicing. this was the article i went
> > by (http://www.cbbqa.com/faq/10-2-1.html scroll down to the Jim
> > McGrath entry about 3/4 of the way down the page).
> >
> > when i started to slice off the point, it became quickly obvious there
> > was no change in the direction of the grain throughout this cut of
> > brisket, and no apearant division between a flat and point section. i
> > mangled the slicing again.
> >
> > so what cut of brisket did i have? was the point already trimmed off
> > and the lable didn't reflect that? did i miss the dividing layer of
> > fat between the point and flat? how can i tell when buying if there's
> > a point and flat in tact?
> >
> > with this brisket, i should have just strated slicing against the
> > grain at one end and gone all the way to the other end to get nice
> > presentable slices.
> >
> > your thoughts please...
> >
> > scott
>
> Scott, I think you had just the flat there. A packer cut brisket from a
> full grown cow or steer will be at least 10-17 lbs. Was one side
> very.....and I mean VERY fatty? If so, that was the point. If not, all you
> had was the flat.

yea john, there was a VERY thick layer of fat on what i'd call the
bottom side. look at the other posts here though. most everyone says
i had just a flat. you say i had just the point.

> The flat is a dream to carve, like you said, just identify the direction of
> the grain and slice across it all the way down. The point is more
> problematic, with several layers of meat interspersed with layers of fat.
>
> You'll learn to tell intact briskets from trimmed flats in no time. In the
> meantime, just have fun.

maybe i should ask the butcher in the meat dept too!!!


> John in Austin

"Louis Cohen" > wrote in message
...
> Here's a tip from Paul Kirk - before you put the rub/slather on the brisket,
> find the grain while you can still see it, and cut a small slice off across
> the grain. This will show you how to slice when the meat is done and you
> can't see the grain for the crust.

I never have understood this. All I do is look at the bottom and can see the
grain of the flat.


--
__________
ht_redneck

For email replies, remove an l

"Louis Cohen" > wrote in message
...
> Here's a tip from Paul Kirk - before you put the rub/slather on the brisket,
> find the grain while you can still see it, and cut a small slice off across
> the grain. This will show you how to slice when the meat is done and you
> can't see the grain for the crust.

I never have understood this. All I do is look at the bottom and can see the
grain of the flat.


--
__________
ht_redneck

For email replies, remove an l

I slather mine in mustard on all sides and put the rub on top of that -
there's no seeing the grain.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"Tyler Hopper" > wrote in message
...
> "Louis Cohen" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Here's a tip from Paul Kirk - before you put the rub/slather on the
>> brisket,
>> find the grain while you can still see it, and cut a small slice off
>> across
>> the grain. This will show you how to slice when the meat is done and you
>> can't see the grain for the crust.
>
> I never have understood this. All I do is look at the bottom and can see
> the
> grain of the flat.
>
>
> --
> __________
> ht_redneck
>
> For email replies, remove an l
>
>