- Jan 2, 2017
- 17
- 12
After some success smoking various pork cuts, I'm ready to venture into brisket territory. We are going on vacation and bringing my MES 30 along for the week. One of our guests requested a brisket and even said he would buy the meat. So, now I have a conundrum: a whole packer cut will not fit in the smoker.
The local Costco, which is where the brisket will be purchased, has whole briskets in the range of 15-18 pounds for $3.80/pound (USDA Prime) and flats around 5 pounds (USDA Choice) for about $5.60/pound. The flat would easily fit into my smoker, but they are almost $2/pound more than the packers even with the lower Choice grading. Also, the flats seem very thin at around 1" or slightly more. So now, some thoughts/questions on my conundrum:
The local Costco, which is where the brisket will be purchased, has whole briskets in the range of 15-18 pounds for $3.80/pound (USDA Prime) and flats around 5 pounds (USDA Choice) for about $5.60/pound. The flat would easily fit into my smoker, but they are almost $2/pound more than the packers even with the lower Choice grading. Also, the flats seem very thin at around 1" or slightly more. So now, some thoughts/questions on my conundrum:
- Are flat cuts normally so thin?
- How much meat is really needed to feed about 8-10 adults (there are also a few kids that may or may not eat the brisket)? Keep in mind that two 5 pound flats will cost roughly the same as one $15 pound packer.
- How much time is needed to smoke a thin flat cut versus a whole packer (estimates, of course--I know temp is the main factor, but I need to get somewhat of a plan together)?
- What are the pros and cons of a whole packer vs a flat (other than actually being able to fit the darn thing into the smoker...lol)?
- Any advice on best ways to fit a packer into a small smoker? Separate point from flat? Fold the packer into a U shape up the sides of the smoker?