Selecting Brisket

In selecting Brisket you have three cuts to choose from. You can select a whole brisket, which is going to weigh around 10 pounds. Or you can select a point cut or flat cut in the 4 to 5 pound area.

(The picture on the left is a well marbled USDA choice Brisket Flat Cut.)

I think it was around the 4th of July that I saw a whole brisket in my grocery.

It was the entire primal cut untrimmed.

This is the way it comes to the grocery for the butcher and is known as "packer's cut".

I had already learned that this is the ideal for barbecuing and I wanted that brisket. I didn't have any idea what I would do with all that meat however, so I passed it up.

The packer's cut has a strip of fat running through the middle and a layer of fat on top. The top layer is called the "fat cap". All that fat keeps the brisket moist during cooking and it carries a lot of the flavor.

While selecting brisket I've only seen whole brisket in my grocery on special occasions. The next time I see one I'm going to buy it and have the butcher cut it into the point and flat cuts and leave it untrimmed.

Most of the retail point and flat cuts have had most of the fat cap trimmed away. Look for one that has a good amount still left and don't trim it off prior to cooking. If you don't want to eat the fat trim it after cooking.

In addition to the fat cap look for a brisket that has good marbling. Just like any other beef cut the better the marbling the better the flavor. The fat should be well distributed throughout the lean.

If the brisket is quality graded then go with at least USDA choice. The select grade will have less marbling. If it's not quality graded then look through all of them and choose the one with the best marbling.

Something to consider in selecting brisket is that the point cut will almost always have more fat then the flat cut. If given a choice I always take the flat cut for slicing and the point cut for shredding.

That's just two criteria for selecting brisket. The fat cap and the marbling! It just takes a few minutes so don't grab the first one you see. You deserve the best.

Brisket Articles:

How To Cook Beef Brisket

Brisket Recipes: