Hello! Plus some brisket butcher questions

[Howlett1]

Hello from NL Canada! Picked up a 22" kettle in April 2018 and the collection and interest has been constantly growing. I have a good few cooks in over the last few years and been helping friends get into the art as well.

A nice chunk of my knowledge has been from places like this forum and thank you all for that.

I've never cooked a brisket but agreed to cook one for a friend. Its from a local butcher and it is about 13lbs. I am using a 22" WSM and searched the methods, read the debated questions and watched the videos for trimming and cooking a whole packer.

What I received to cook doesn't look like what I expected... I'm guessing this is a brisket but just not fully trimmed? I don't see a large fat cap and it's almost as if some of the point was trimmed off already.

Anyone cook something like this before? I'm guessing I should trim and cook this almost as if it was a flat? Any recommendations?

 

[DanMcG]

to me that looks more like the flank or plate cut, a little south of a brisket.

 

[sandyut]

not sure that's a brisket...doesn't like like one I have seen before.

 

[MJB05615]

The middle photo is what's confusing me. Not seen anything like that before.

 

[thirdeye]

For some geography, the brisket point is nearer the head of the steer, then the flat then the plate. An untrimmed brisket does have some bone and cartilage on one side called the deckle. The plate has ribs on the inside too. Briskets labels used to say 'Whole Brisket - boneless, deckle off', but that changed some years ago. I think you either have some of the deckle remaining, or like Dan said, you have some of the flat and some of the plate. Maybe if you are careful you can trim your way out of this. How thick is it on each end?

 

[thirdeye]

Here is some more info

 

[Howlett1]

Here is some more info

Thanks, I found that bottom picture in my searching and only for that and the info about the deckle I would have not thought this could even be part of a brisket. The rounder end is probably 2.5-3 inches but then it goes down to about 0.5-1 inch at the opposite/straight cut end.

 

[sandyut]

I dont buy from a butcher shop anymore due to costs, BUT I would expect a butcher to properly prepare a brisket.

 

[thirdeye]

I just noticed you're in Canada. Maybe there is a slight difference in beef cuts? I know in the UK certain cuts are different.

 

[Chasdev]

I don't know if it should be called a brisket or not but I do know it has been trimmed so you should just cook it and enjoy.

 

[Howlett1]

I just noticed you're in Canada. Maybe there is a slight difference in beef cuts? I know in the UK certain cuts are different.

Yeah there could be some of that going on. It came from someone who raises cattle and then sells the beef. Where I'm from brisket isn't often for sale at the grocery store. It's more often sold as pieces instead of whole packers. It is available though every now and then. I don't think I've ever saw tri tip either which is something I've been wanting to try. Pictures below are from before Christmas which look like normal brisket haha.

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.