The brisket is basically the front chest muscles of the steer. It is basically the pectoral muscles and includes the superficial pectoral and the deep pectoral. In normal terms the two brisket muscles are also called the flat (deep pectoral) and point (superficial pectoral).
Briskets are usually sold as a “full packer” which is just a big hunk of meat containing both muscles. For the sake of this discussion we will mostly be talking about the full packer since that is what most people normally smoke. You will also regularly find the flat on its own and that cut is usually used for pot roast or corned beef. A flat can definitely be smoked on its own and it can be delicious but it can dry out very easily and the extra fat in the point really does add to the overall eating experience.
Full packers are usually in the 10-20 pound range. I usually look for a 15-18 pounder. Of course smaller briskets will usually cook quicker and larger ones will take a bit longer.
If you are talking about smoking brisket you are probably going to be doing it Texas style which is primarily what I will be talking about in these posts. Kansas City style barbecue also utilizes brisket but primarily for burnt ends which are smoked chunks of brisket covered in sauce. Most people consider brisket to be the pinnacle of barbecue goodness and I would agree. If you can master a brisket chances are you can probably cook almost any type of barbecue. And that sound you hear is everyone in North Carolina talking about pork butts and whole hog.
Most barbecue restaurants in the country will have brisket on the menu but in my experience there are only a few restaurants that can consistently turn out good brisket. Austin, TX is the mecca for brisket with restaurants like Franklin Barbecue, La Barbecue, and Micklethwait Craft Meat turning out some of the best brisket I have ever had. I’ve never had good brisket at any of the big BBQ chains but if you find some smaller bbq joints you can find some that have good brisket. Up here in the Northwest I have only found one restaurant that can turn out a decent brisket. Most restaurant brisket I have had tastes too much like a pot roast since the restaurants try to take shortcuts in the cooking process.
12 Commonly Asked Questions About Brisket
- What is a brisket?
- Where can I buy a brisket?
- What should I look for when buying a brisket?
- How big of a brisket should I buy?
- How should I trim a brisket?
- How should I season my brisket?
- What type of wood should I use when smoking brisket?
- What temperature should I cook my brisket at?
- How long should I cook a brisket?
- Should I wrap my brisket?
- How long should I rest my brisket?
- How should I slice my brisket?
