How to cut/divide packer brisket for pot roast meals

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DemonPit

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Jul 5, 2023
287
309
Michigan
So I scored 3x 17lb Angus packer briskets today at 2.00/lb. I would like to cut 1 entire brisket into 1/3rds or 1/4s for pot roast meals. Vac seal each section, put in freezer, then thaw and cook as needed.

I'm unsure of how to cut this packer brisket. Any help would be appreciated! 20240426_121354.jpg
 
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Thanks for the link. I actually have 5 smoked briskets under my belt. I'm looking to cut/divide this raw brisket to make 3 or 4 pot roasts vs buying a chuck roast to make said pot roast.

I'm just unsure how to go about it.

Edited
Found a link

I think I'm over-thinking it. Seperate point from flay. Cut flat into 2 or 3 pieces, rope of point into 2 pieces. I'll take a few pics after I'm done. Hope this help others in the future.
 
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Thanks for the link. I actually have 5 smoked briskets under my belt. I'm looking to cut/divide this raw brisket to make 3 or 4 pot roasts vs buying a chuck roast to make said pot roast.

I'm just unsure how to go about it.

Edited
Found a link

I think I'm over-thinking it. Seperate point from flay. Cut flat into 2 or 3 pieces, rope of point into 2 pieces. I'll take a few pics after I'm done. Hope this help others in the future.
It’s pretty easy. I did it by accident earlier this week LOL
 
Last edited:
. I would like to cut 1 entire brisket into 1/3rds or 1/4s for pot roast meals.
This has become my go to . I cross cut in half and use the point end to smoke , and the flat goes for roast beef or taco meat . So I end up with 2 sections . You could use the point end for roast beef also . Be good . If that's more than you need divide the point end in 2 . Keep the flat as one .
That would give you 3 sections .
This went on the smoker .
20230304_185612.jpg

Vac seal each section, put in freezer, then thaw and cook as needed.
That's how I like it . I don't like it smoked , then used as something else .
I cook it from raw or frozen for whatever .
Instant pot works great for this if you have one . Cut it to fit and you can cook from frozen if needed .
 
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Here's what I have. I should have made 3 pieces vs 4. I think I'll make a pot roast dinner on sunday.
That's perfect . Now you've got your feet wet , it only gets easier as you go . I break down all my meat . Mostly beef . Just got done with a whole rib roast and 11 pounds of chuck pectoral .
If you have a grinder , grind some of the point .

So if your pot roast is going in a crock pot or Dutch oven , use one hunk and cut another in half and add that to the whole one . The other half packs up with another whole . Same difference as 3 pieces .

You have more to process ?
 
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I have 2 more packer briskets in the deep freezer. I just smoked a 22lb packer last weekend, which has been cut to portion and vac sealed. I'll smoke another brisket june or July. Then maybe 1 more in the fall before winter to hold us over.

I bought a grinder, but it left a weird silver/grey on the meat. I tossed the grinder and the meat that went thru it. I was barely a handful I tossed out.
 
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I just asked , because there's all kinds of thing you can do if you're processing your own .
Looks great , post up that roast beef supper when you do it .
 
So I scored 3x 17lb Angus packer briskets today at 2.00/lb. I would like to cut 1 entire brisket into 1/3rds or 1/4s for pot roast meals. Vac seal each section, put in freezer, then thaw and cook as needed.

I'm unsure of how to cut this packer brisket. Any help would be appreciated! View attachment 695395
I'm late the party as the deed is already done but I may have a nice solution for you going forward.

I trim (and highly recommend) a brisket like this:
full-png-png.png


You can liberally cut off the thin end (green part) and have a good chunk for pot roasts, braises, stews, etc.
When I smoke briskets I usually do 2 at a time because it is almost the same amount of time to smoke 2 as it is to smoke 1 and it vac seals and reheats just like it was fresh cooked so the 2nd usually gets vac sealed for later meals.

In any case I buy briskets that are 15 pounds or heavier so that what is left after trimming is even more uniform than smaller briskets. The thin part of the flat on briskets smaller than 14-15 pound is just so thin and so little brisket is left behind after cooking (10 pound brisket, trim away 2 pounds meat, 1 pound fat, and cook which reduces down to like 4 pounds of finished meat maybe, so much effort for 4 pounds of meat).

So when smoking 2 briskets I easily end up with 4-6 pounds of good trimmed beef to repurpose for grinding or other dishes like a pot roast! No burning up that thin portion of the flat, it all gets used well and eaten.

Anyhow, I hope this gives you some ideas since you just made a nice brisket score and can get both good smoked brisket AND good meat for pot roasts, etc. :D
 
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If you have a grinder, and this is just my opinion of course, just cut straight down where the point and the flat meat. You'll get a bit of flat on the point end and all flat on the flat end. Grind the flat or turn it into stew meat.

Roast the other hunk. Trim it up some, try to get a good bit of deckle fat out as that is just a solid usually bigger than fist sized chunk of fat better suited for the grinder when you need fat. There's plenty of lean in the bit of flat left in case you have a picky member of the house who doesn't like fat (it seems like there's one in every household....) but the point is king IMO.

You'll end up with a nice 4-6 lb roast, and it's worth it.

Alternatively get a big foil pan and roast the whole shebang. I've done plenty this way, and you get enough leftovers to make things like stroganoff or soup or stew or whatever.
My vote will always be stroganoff with leftovers, whether it's pot roast brisket or smoked brisket.
 
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