Ok, brisket novice here.....obviously, I'm an eater but never cooked one myself. Thinking about taking some of the advice from the more experienced posters and giving it a shot. This weekend, I purchased a whole brisket from a fundraising organization. It was awesome....guy is a heavily decorated competitor in the Austin area. I can't argue with the results on Sunday. However, they forgot to slice the brisket for me. Now, normally, I see people slice a huge chunk of 'fat' off the top and then start slicing. However, while standing there looking at the brisket, I couldn't determine where that 'line' of fat was or wasn't. Felt like I was throwing away too much. Give me the goods people....what's the secret here?
You have two pieces, the flat and the point, that actually rest on top of each other. I set the brisket down so that the flat side (the shorter side) is on my right, and the point side (taller) is on my left. You then lay the knife down flat on the flat, with the blade pointed to your left. You slide the knife on the perpendicular along the flat, slicing into a ribbon of fat that runs between the two pieces. Your slice will angle slightly downward, following the ribbon of fat. By the end of your slice, the flat ends in a ramp sloping down to your left, and the point is separated. I then trim all the big fat off -- there's a good amount on top of the flat, and there's a good amount on both sides of the point. Then, slice. I found this guide and pics on a site:
I'm all for an 'All Brisket' forum Outstanding pictures and great description. The brisket I cut this weekend I basically cut straight across and just kept trimming fat after fat after fat. I knew it was wrong but I did the best I could do at the time. Can't wait to get after another one.
has anyone tried smoking a russet potato instead of baking it? saw this in Raichlen's book and thought it might be worth it, except that 2.5 hours is a long time to wait for a baked potato
I used to work at a well known BBQ joint in Austin. When slicing the brisket, cut against the grain, rather than with it. Cutting with the grain makes the meat more chewy.
I'll wrap a whole potato with some butter, s & p and a clove of garlic in foil and throw it right beside the coals while I cook the meats. Potato will be ready in about 45 minutes. I turn it a time or two but a little burnt on the skin is ok to me. Easy and delicous.
