It’s Labor Day weekend and grills across the country are firing up for end of the summer cookouts. We hosted one yesterday, and I was up before the sun (5AM to be precise) to start smoking a brisket for a gathering we were hosting that evening.
I removed the fourteen pound mass of meat I had purchased and seasoned the night before from the refrigerator. I snapped on some rubber gloves and began rubbing a little extra seasoning on the brisket ensuring it was fully covered. I ran my fingers across the layer of fat that separates the two major sections of the brisket and smiled as I thought about the impact it has on the price.
Beef brisket can be purchased in two forms:
- Flat only : Usually trimmed in a square or rectangular shape that can be cut easily into slices after being cooked.
- Whole Brisket: Consists of the flat PLUS a fattier piece called the point
Here’s the kicker: Depending upon where you buy it, a brisket flat will cost between $4.50 to $6.00 a pound. I purchased my whole brisket for $2.38 a pound. Even though the whole brisket contains the flat AND an additional piece of meat it costs about HALF as much per pound.
It actually makes a lot of sense that food retailers do this. The flat is the less fatty, more desirable part of the brisket that is easily sliced. The point is quite fatty and requires some extra effort to make it pleasing to eat. Retailers sell only the flat, but jack up the price as a “convenience” fee to give you a trimmed, better cut of meat.
However, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to perform this cut yourself. In fact, it literally takes seconds and can be done before or after the brisket is cut. I learned how to do it by watching a video on YouTube.
Brisket Point (left) separated from the Brisket Flat (right)
However, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to perform this cut yourself. In fact, it literally takes seconds and can be done before or after the brisket is cut. I learned how to do it by watching a video on YouTube.
Once the two sections have been separated the flat can be easily sliced, but what do you do with the fattier, less desirable point? It’s commonly cut into cubes and made into what is called burnt ends. The cubes are placed back into the smoker to allow the fat to render out. I like to put mine into a sauce made of beef stock, garlic, onions, bbq sauce and steak sauce.
Brisket Point cubed, sauced, and put back on the smoker
I paid just over $34 for my 14 pound whole brisket. Right next to it in the cooler at my grocery store was a 6 pound flat for about the same price. By making that one simple cut I doubled the amount of meat to serve to my guests for the same price!
When all the food was done and put into a buffet line on our kitchen counter I yelled out our deck door announcing to our guests the food was done. I headed up the stairs to take my traditional post cook shower as I feel uncomfortable mingling with guests smelling of smoke. When I returned less than 10 minutes later I found only a few random slices and a serving or two of the burnt ends remaining.
I guess it must have turned out OK. 🙂
