# BRISKET FLAT, MY WAY



## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2018)

It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful smoking flats, then this is not aimed at you. If you are having problems getting them to come out tender & juicy, then I hope this will be of some help. So here we go!

I  started out with a Choice full packer weighing 14+ pounds.













I trimmed it up & separated the point & flat, then cut the flat in half.







I really took off a lot of fat.







Then I took the thick piece of flat & the point & put them in  a curing brine. The flat will be corned beef & the point will be pastrami.







Now all I have left is the thin part of the flat & as you can see it is very well trimmed. So this is about as difficult as I can make it.







Next step is to take 2 cans of French onion soup & strain out the onions.







Then inject the brisket with the liquid.







Then put it in the aluminum pan with the rest of the liquid & spread the onions on the top of the brisket. This will do 2 things. It will protect the meat from the heat & give the brisket some flavor.







It's going into the Lang today. I use a water pan next to the firebox to even out the side to side temps.







I don't need to start a big fire, cause it is so hot outside. So a couple of small splits & a big handful of charcoal will do the trick.












Then after it gets going I add a couple of more small splits & she's ready to go.







Into the smoker goes the brisket.







At about the 1 hour mark & then every 45 minutes to an hour after, I baste the brisket with the pan juices. The Lang recovers right away after opening up the door, but even if your smoker doesn't do that, this step is still very important. This helps to keep the brisket nice & moist.












The smoker is running around 250 degrees for most of the time.












Well it took about 5 hours to get to 205, I started testing it with a toothpick around 195 & it just wasn't done.  I had to let it go to 205 before it passed the toothpick test.












I let it rest for about 30 minutes on the counter, then sliced it up.







As you can see it is quite tender & juicy.












I don't know why, but I felt like putting mayonnaise on my sandwich last night, with a pickle on fine china. Today it will be BBQ sauce.







That is it folks!
Thanks for looking & I hope this will help someone who is struggling with getting a flat to come out tender, juicy, & delicious!
Al


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## gmc2003 (Jul 8, 2018)

Great tutorial Al, I'm sure with all the small brisket questions on here lately - everyone will be greatfull for this step-by-step.

Point for sure.

Chris


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## jfv316 (Jul 8, 2018)

Thank you Al.. that’s the first time I’ve heard of using onion soup.. when you put the brisket in the aluminum pan, is it resting in the pan or is there a rack in the pan?


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## SmokinVOLfan (Jul 8, 2018)

I’ve seen several times on here when you have mentioned doing this. I’ve got a couple small flats in the freezer plan to use your method on. Looks great points for sure!


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## chilerelleno (Jul 8, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Great tutorial Al, I'm sure with all the small brisket questions on here lately - everyone will be grateful for this step-by-step.
> 
> Point for sure.
> 
> Chris


Ditto...  Very nice tutorial Al.


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## ab canuck (Jul 8, 2018)

Great tutorial Al. I like that idea as I have a couple I want to do corned beef, pastrami and montreal smoked woth. Just looking through recipe's and will line it up with my time of. Thx, for the post.


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## Rings Я Us (Jul 8, 2018)

Lovely idea for a store bought piece trimmed without much fat.
Turned out good!


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## HalfSmoked (Jul 8, 2018)

Great job Al. How do you like the Thermoworks Smoke I love mine.

Warren


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## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Great tutorial Al, I'm sure with all the small brisket questions on here lately - everyone will be greatfull for this step-by-step.
> 
> Point for sure.
> 
> Chris



Thanks Chris!
That's exactly why I put this thread on here.
It seems like there were a bunch of guys trying to smoke small flats.
Hopefully this will help them.
Al



SmokinVOLfan said:


> I’ve seen several times on here when you have mentioned doing this. I’ve got a couple small flats in the freezer plan to use your method on. Looks great points for sure!



Thank you!
I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
Al



chilerelleno said:


> Ditto...  Very nice tutorial Al.



Thanks John!
I appreciate it!
Al



ab canuck said:


> Great tutorial Al. I like that idea as I have a couple I want to do corned beef, pastrami and montreal smoked woth. Just looking through recipe's and will line it up with my time of. Thx, for the post.



Thank you & good luck with yours!
Al



Rings Я Us said:


> Lovely idea for a store bought piece trimmed without much fat.
> Turned out good!



Thanks Johnny!
Yes it seems that when you get them from the butcher they are trimmed right down to the meat.
Which is the way I trimmed this one, so I could show it's possible to still get a juicy piece of meat.
Al


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## hardcookin (Jul 8, 2018)

Pretty awesome smoke Al...Thanks for sharing.


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## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2018)

jfv316 said:


> Thank you Al.. that’s the first time I’ve heard of using onion soup.. when you put the brisket in the aluminum pan, is it resting in the pan or is there a rack in the pan?



It's resting in the pan, no rack, it's sitting right in the onion soup.
Al


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## SmokinAl (Jul 8, 2018)

hardcookin said:


> Pretty awesome smoke Al...Thanks for sharing.



Thanks Doug!
Hope all is well with you, haven't seen you on here lately.
Course I guess we could be on at different times.
Al


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## SlickRockStones (Jul 8, 2018)

Thanks Al. I see these small cut flats at Publix often. This will be perfect for when it’s just Bunny and I and we’re wanting brisket.


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## jfv316 (Jul 8, 2018)

Hey Al , here is the finished product.. Not bad for my first time


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## muskyjunky (Jul 8, 2018)

This is a very helpful post , Thank you for doing this. I'll be trying something like this next weekend. Thank you for thinking of us.


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## noboundaries (Jul 8, 2018)

Al, you're tempting me to put flats back on my shopping list!


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## BigBill115 (Jul 8, 2018)

Brisket looks wonderful ! I am planning on injecting my next one hoping to get a little more seasoned flavor inside the brisket.


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## weedeater (Jul 8, 2018)

Looks great Al and a great step by step that is easy to follow.
Thanks for taking the time to do the work. 

Weedeater


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## mike5051 (Jul 8, 2018)

Thanks for doing this Al!  Good to see that you can still have a moist brisket with so little fat not much margin for error.

Mike


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## SmokinAl (Jul 9, 2018)

SlickRockStones said:


> Thanks Al. I see these small cut flats at Publix often. This will be perfect for when it’s just Bunny and I and we’re wanting brisket.



I agree, it's just Judy & me, and even this small one will last a few days.
Al



jfv316 said:


> View attachment 370128
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Not bad at all!
Nice work!!
Al



muskyjunky said:


> This is a very helpful post , Thank you for doing this. I'll be trying something like this next weekend. Thank you for thinking of us.



Thank you & good luck with your brisket!
Al



noboundaries said:


> Al, you're tempting me to put flats back on my shopping list!



Yea they are a different animal, but very doable!
Al



BigBill115 said:


> Brisket looks wonderful ! I am planning on injecting my next one hoping to get a little more seasoned flavor inside the brisket.



Thanks Bill, and yes injecting does get the flavor deep in the meat. 
I try to pump it as full as it will take.
Al



weedeater said:


> Looks great Al and a great step by step that is easy to follow.
> Thanks for taking the time to do the work.
> 
> Weedeater



Your very welcome & I hope you give this a try!
Al



mike5051 said:


> Thanks for doing this Al!  Good to see that you can still have a moist brisket with so little fat not much margin for error.
> 
> Mike



Thanks Mike & yes I think a well trimmed flat is probably the holy grail of smoking meat.
Just takes the right technique.
Al


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## phatbac (Jul 9, 2018)

Great looking brisket Al! LIKE!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## SmokinAl (Jul 9, 2018)

phatbac said:


> Great looking brisket Al! LIKE!
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)



Thanks Aaron!
It is much appreciated!
Al


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## texomakid (Jul 9, 2018)

Great thread Al. Lean cuts such as flats intimidate me but I'm gonna try this soon. It looks so good!!! Thanks for the tutorial with photos. We always appreciate the help.


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## Gary Uk (Jul 9, 2018)

Great post Al
Your step by step guides are invaluable to us newbies, and many seasoned members too


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## markh024 (Jul 9, 2018)

Great tutorial! I see small flats that are trimmed of all fat here constantly.  I will definitely give this a go sometime.


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## hoity toit (Jul 9, 2018)

Al,  All I can say is your methods rocks ! I have used it several times with success each and every time. The strami is always the first to disappear. Thanks.

HT


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## browneyesvictim (Jul 9, 2018)

Way to go Al! That looks so great I could take a bite out of my screen! Big like!


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jul 9, 2018)

Looks like a fun project with that packer Al!  I think this will help a lot of folks struggling with smoking the small flat section!  I mean with your process, that's a top notch final result... Spot on smoke there bud!


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## SmokinAl (Jul 10, 2018)

texomakid said:


> Great thread Al. Lean cuts such as flats intimidate me but I'm gonna try this soon. It looks so good!!! Thanks for the tutorial with photos. We always appreciate the help.



Thank you and your welcome, it's pretty easy with the right technique!
Al



Gary Uk said:


> Great post Al
> Your step by step guides are invaluable to us newbies, and many seasoned members too



Thanks Gary!
I appreciate it!
Al



markh024 said:


> Great tutorial! I see small flats that are trimmed of all fat here constantly.  I will definitely give this a go sometime.



Thank you!
And good luck with your go at it!
Al



hoity toit said:


> Al,  All I can say is your methods rocks ! I have used it several times with success each and every time. The strami is always the first to disappear. Thanks.
> 
> Thank you my friend!
> Al
> ...





browneyesvictim said:


> Way to go Al! That looks so great I could take a bite out of my screen! Big like!



Thank you!
Much appreciated!
Al



WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Looks like a fun project with that packer Al!  I think this will help a lot of folks struggling with smoking the small flat section!  I mean with your process, that's a top notch final result... Spot on smoke there bud!



Thanks Justin!
It's really quite easy!
Al


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## Bearcarver (Jul 14, 2018)

Sorry I'm so late, Al---Just found this one!!

Looks Beautiful !!:)
Nice Step by Step too!
Like.

Bear


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## MeatSkull (Jul 14, 2018)

I'd eat that like I stole it! Looking great!


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## SmokinAl (Jul 15, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> Sorry I'm so late, Al---Just found this one!!
> 
> Looks Beautiful !!:)
> Nice Step by Step too!
> ...





MeatSkull said:


> I'd eat that like I stole it! Looking great!



Thanks fellas!
Al


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## dan the mano (Dec 8, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> It's resting in the pan, no rack, it's sitting right in the onion soup.
> Al



 i have a question for Al .. wouldn't you still lose the juices .. i mean you are basting and have the juices from both soup and from the meat .. i just thought that they'd evaporate away .. thank you in advance


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## SmokinAl (Dec 9, 2018)

They won't evaporate away unless you are running the smoker at a real high temp.
At 225-250 you actually create more juice in the pan.
Al


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## dan the mano (Dec 9, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> They won't evaporate away unless you are running the smoker at a real high temp.
> At 225-250 you actually create more juice in the pan.
> Al




 thank you ... i guess so .. i saw your pictorial on the brisket ... very nice and will be quite help full

 thanks again


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## disco (Dec 9, 2018)

I bow and doff my cap to the master. What a great tutorial! Big like!


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## Winterrider (Dec 9, 2018)

That looks excellent and something even a novice like myself may be able to do. Nicely done Al.;)
Haven't tried brisket yet, intimidates me but gonna try one soon.
Like


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## SmokinAl (Dec 10, 2018)

disco said:


> I bow and doff my cap to the master. What a great tutorial! Big like!



Thanks Disco, your kind words are much appreciated!
Al



Winterrider said:


> That looks excellent and something even a novice like myself may be able to do. Nicely done Al.;)
> Haven't tried brisket yet, intimidates me but gonna try one soon.
> Like



You should definitely give it a try, brisket done right is hard to beat!!
Al


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## sauced (Dec 11, 2018)

Thanks Al...I have been hit and miss with the flats. Your method really sounds like a winner, will use your method on the next flat. Question...with the onion soup and the onions on top, did the meat taste a bit stronger on the onion flavor?
Thanks again!!


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## solman (Dec 11, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> It's resting in the pan, no rack, it's sitting right in the onion soup.
> Al



i like how you use the foil pan because it's probably a lot easier clean up in addition to capturing the juices. but i'm wondering, doesn't the foil pan affect the heat getting to the meat, basically acting as a heat damper? 

i'm new here, so sorry if this has been covered a billion times already. i see your smoker temperature probe is sitting to the right of and below the pan. have you tried putting another probe in the pan (but not touching the meat) to see how the temperatures might be different in/around versus out of the pan?


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## GaryHibbert (Dec 11, 2018)

Great Step-by-Step Al.
POINT
Gary


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## SmokinAl (Dec 12, 2018)

sauced said:


> Thanks Al...I have been hit and miss with the flats. Your method really sounds like a winner, will use your method on the next flat. Question...with the onion soup and the onions on top, did the meat taste a bit stronger on the onion flavor?
> Thanks again!!



No it didn't give it a strong onion flavor, as a matter of fact if your worried about using the onion soup, then just substitute beef stock. But I just think the onion soup adds to the flavor, but it certainly doesn't overpower the taste of the beef!
Al



solman said:


> i like how you use the foil pan because it's probably a lot easier clean up in addition to capturing the juices. but i'm wondering, doesn't the foil pan affect the heat getting to the meat, basically acting as a heat damper?
> 
> i'm new here, so sorry if this has been covered a billion times already. i see your smoker temperature probe is sitting to the right of and below the pan. have you tried putting another probe in the pan (but not touching the meat) to see how the temperatures might be different in/around versus out of the pan?



The only probe that I'm using is the one in the meat. I have 3 pit temp gauges on the smoker & they all are about the same temp. I put the brisket in the pan fat side down so that the smoke & bark form on the other 3 sides. I really never cared whether the temp in the pan was different than just on the grate, but I'm sure that it is pretty close. I would think the bottom of the pan would heat up & be at about the same temp as the rest of the smoker. My smoker is a reverse flow so the heat is coming from the bottom, so the pan & the fat on the bottom of the brisket keep the meat moist by protecting it from the heat. I hope I answered your question.
Al





GaryHibbert said:


> Great Step-by-Step Al.
> POINT
> Gary



Thanks Gary!!


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## banderson7474 (May 30, 2019)

Man why didn't I take the time to read this before last weekend?!!!  I tried a flat after about 5 years of staying away from brisket.  Even though I did better than last time, it was far from great.

I injected with beef broth and used SPOG rub.  My major problem was I had a bad probe.  I thought I hit 165 IT and wrapped it with butcher paper and when I put the probe back in, it read 145.  Then it stayed there for hours.  At first I thought I hit a stall but once it was going up to 148 then dropping I figured something was wrong. 

The other thing is it's so hot here in Bama that when I put on a split, my temp was spiking pretty high.  I like to keep my Joe between 230-280 but I went over 300 a few times.  I was spritzing it every hour before I wrapped it but that turned out not enough.

When I thought it was done, it did probe really well so I thought I was doing okay.  I put it in a cooler and let it rest for an hour and when I went to slice it had already tightened up.  The edges were pretty burnt too.  I saved it mostly by putting it in a slow cooker with more beef broth for an hour but still I was disappointed in my results.

Next time, I'm def going to put it in a pan with liquid like Al's recipe.  I think for the first time, I'm going to put a pan of water in there too.  I think my heat just flares too much when it's this hot in the summer. 

I'm going to try again real soon.  I ordered new probes and just got them so I need to test them.  Oh yea, after everything was done, I did the boil test on my probes and my meat probe was 30-40 degrees off.  That sure didn't help things.  I can't blame it totally on that b/c I used my insta read therm and was right around 200 when I started probing but it was frustrating.


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## banderson7474 (May 30, 2019)

oh btw, I still have some leftover and I used it on nachos last night and it was delish.  I just don't want to have to save it next time.


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## SmokinAl (May 30, 2019)

Hey Brad,
I think you will be happy with the results if you follow this method.
It has worked every time for me. 
And IMHO a water pan by the firebox is a must!!
Al


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## hoity toit (May 30, 2019)

Great job AL., I always use a foil water pan in my offset smoker too. keeps things moist and helps to develop the smoke ring everyone likes to see. I just use plain water and do not baste or turn the brisket. I put the water pan closest to the fire box and the meat direct on the grate beside the pan.

HT


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## SmokinAl (May 30, 2019)

hoity toit said:


> Great job AL., I always use a foil water pan in my offset smoker too. keeps things moist and helps to develop the smoke ring everyone likes to see. I just use plain water and do not baste or turn the brisket. I put the water pan closest to the fire box and the meat direct on the grate beside the pan.
> 
> HT



I do the same my friend!
It makes a huge difference with the side to side temps.
My side to side is within 2-3 degrees, and sometimes exactly the same!
Before the water pan it would vary about 20 degrees.







Al


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## undy (May 31, 2019)

Al I started another thread that I sent to you but this is exactly what I was looking for as I am attempting my first. THANKS!

Bob


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## SmokinAl (Jun 1, 2019)

undy said:


> Al I started another thread that I sent to you but this is exactly what I was looking for as I am attempting my first. THANKS!
> 
> Bob



Good luck Bob!
I'm sure it will turn out good!!
Al


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## undy (Jun 5, 2019)

I have a traeger pellet grill, do you think I need to add a water bin? Also I see in the picture you had montreal steak seasoning do you use that at all in this process?


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## SmokinAl (Jun 5, 2019)

undy said:


> I have a traeger pellet grill, do you think I need to add a water bin? Also I see in the picture you had montreal steak seasoning do you use that at all in this process?



I use a water pan in all my smokers, I think it helps get more smoke on the meat & keep it moist. And in my case it evens out the side to side temps in the Lang. And yes the rub on the brisket that I used was Montreal steak seasoning.
Al


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## undy (Jun 9, 2019)

SmokinAl said:


> I use a water pan in all my smokers, I think it helps get more smoke on the meat & keep it moist. And in my case it evens out the side to side temps in the Lang. And yes the rub on the brisket that I used was Montreal steak seasoning.
> Al


Brisket was nice and tender, I put way too much rub on it as it was too salty for me. Still thanks for your help, still made some great hero's. Can't wait to try my next one


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## SmokinAl (Jun 10, 2019)

undy said:


> Brisket was nice and tender, I put way too much rub on it as it was too salty for me. Still thanks for your help, still made some great hero's. Can't wait to try my next one



Thanks!
It gets easier each time!
We don't use much salt here either, & MSS does have a lot of salt in it.
Next time just try cracked black pepper, garlic, & onion powder.
Skip the salt.
Al


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## undy (Jun 10, 2019)

Will do. I wanted to smoke another right away as meat came out great besides the salt. I threw some apricot bbq sauce on it and it dulled most of the salt. Maybe this weekend


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## HHYak (Aug 9, 2019)

Thanks for the tutorial Al! I found this thread after I picked up this little guy at the store. Never done brisket before. Is this the right cut for this tutorial? It has a thick layer of fat on the bottom. Any criticism of meat selection is welcomed.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 9, 2019)

HHYak said:


> Thanks for the tutorial Al! I found this thread after I picked up this little guy at the store. Never done brisket before. Is this the right cut for this tutorial? It has a thick layer of fat on the bottom. Any criticism of meat selection is welcomed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




If you're looking to get about a 2 pound Brisket Flat, it appears as though you got one.

Bear


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## HHYak (Aug 9, 2019)

Thanks for the confirmation on the cut Bear. I can’t get anyone around here who knows what they are talking about. The guy I asked kept insisting that it was indeed a whole brisket since “that’s what it says on the package” and he had no idea what a flat is.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 9, 2019)

HHYak said:


> Thanks for the confirmation on the cut Bear. I can’t get anyone around here who knows what they are talking about. The guy I asked kept insisting that it was indeed a whole brisket since “that’s what it says on the package” and he had no idea what a flat is.




Well You could say it is a "Whole" Brisket Flat, but it's not a "Whole Brisket".

Kinda strange it doesn't say "Brisket Flat" on your package.

Bear


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## SmokinAl (Aug 10, 2019)

HHYak said:


> Thanks for the tutorial Al! I found this thread after I picked up this little guy at the store. Never done brisket before. Is this the right cut for this tutorial? It has a thick layer of fat on the bottom. Any criticism of meat selection is welcomed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It sure looks like a flat to me & it's the perfect size to give my method a shot. If it has a fat cap on it, then I would keep it on & score it in a cross hatch pattern & cook it fat side down. The fat will render & add to the pan juices.
Al


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## bpinmi (Aug 11, 2019)

Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing!


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## SmokinAl (Aug 12, 2019)

bpinmi said:


> Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing!



My pleasure!
Al


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## Hawging It (Nov 11, 2019)

SmokinAl said:


> It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful smoking flats, then this is not aimed at you. If you are having problems getting them to come out tender & juicy, then I hope this will be of some help. So here we go!
> 
> I  started out with a Choice full packer weighing 14+ pounds.
> View attachment 369976
> ...


 soon. 
This is great Al.  I will  do it exactly your way very  soon.  The injection sounds good.


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## Winterrider (Dec 19, 2019)

Thank you for this Al,  going to dive in deep and try my 1st one for xmas. Sounds easy enough.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 20, 2019)

Hawging It said:


> soon.
> This is great Al.  I will  do it exactly your way very  soon.  The injection sounds good.





Winterrider said:


> Thank you for this Al,  going to dive in deep and try my 1st one for xmas. Sounds easy enough.



Good luck guys & be sure to let me know how it works for you!
Al


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## old smokey nj (Jul 1, 2020)

Hey Al,

I have an 8 lb. brisket flat - is that too big for this recipe? I saw another post with a 2 lb. and want to make sure.  Any advice would be appreciated!!!


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## old smokey nj (Jul 1, 2020)

Also, you didn't mention (unless I missed it!) about covering it, particularly around 160 F. No cover at all?


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## SmokinAl (Jul 3, 2020)

old smokey nj said:


> Hey Al,
> 
> I have an 8 lb. brisket flat - is that too big for this recipe? I saw another post with a 2 lb. and want to make sure.  Any advice would be appreciated!!!





old smokey nj said:


> Also, you didn't mention (unless I missed it!) about covering it, particularly around 160 F. No cover at all?


 Yes you can use this with any size flat, and no I didn’t cover it. Just keep basting it with the pan juice.


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## old smokey nj (Jul 3, 2020)

Great. I'm going to cook the flat tomorrow for the 4th of July. I'll let you know how I make out. Thanks Al!!!


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## SmokinAl (Jul 3, 2020)

Good luck!
I’m sure it will come out great!
Take some photo’s & let us all see your work!
Al


old smokey nj said:


> Great. I'm going to cook the flat tomorrow for the 4th of July. I'll let you know how I make out. Thanks Al!!!


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## old smokey nj (Jul 3, 2020)

Will do Al - thanks again for the advice!


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## old smokey nj (Jul 20, 2020)

Hey Al, sorry for the late reply. Not a great success for me this time around. I followed all the instructions, but, it was in the smoker for about 10 hours and it never went above around 185°F. I had 2 temp probes, and they were damn near spot on. The last time I went to baste it, there was no juice left in the pan.  I had filled a water pan below, and it was plenty humid in there. I think the issue, which is on me and NOT your recipe, was my smoker, I have an MES30, and I think the issue was opening the door every 45 minutes to baste it, which I did religiously. I just think it couldn't get hot enough in there to get the meat to temp with all the door openings. It did stall for a couple hours, as briskets do, but it got past that. Maybe I could've made more juice. It barely fit in the alum pan I had it in, so the juice practically covered it in the beginning.  The finished product was tasty, but a bit on the dry side. Maybe if I had a wood or pellet smoker?


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## cardsfan (Aug 20, 2020)

Hey Al, what did you season with?  Just the soup??


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## Hawging It (Aug 20, 2020)

Dang that looks good!!!


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## SmokinAl (Aug 20, 2020)

cardsfan said:


> Hey Al, what did you season with?  Just the soup??



Montreal steak seasoning.
Al


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## Millberry (Nov 15, 2020)

SmokinAl said:


> It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful smoking flats, then this is not aimed at you. If you are having problems getting them to come out tender & juicy, then I hope this will be of some help. So here we go!
> 
> I  started out with a Choice full packer weighing 14+ pounds.
> View attachment 369976
> ...


It is definitely going to help me--THX


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## SmokinAl (Nov 16, 2020)

Millberry said:


> It is definitely going to help me--THX



My pleasure!
Al


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## pa42phigh (Apr 11, 2021)

This method is definitely a winner!!! Thx al I’ll be using this method a lot since there is only 2 of us and a whole brisket is just to much,
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
so juicy mmmm


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## SmokinAl (Apr 12, 2021)

Nice job Man!
That brisket looks delicious!!!
Al


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## Chef_Jeff (Dec 13, 2021)

Hi Al - 1) THANKS! 2) when you injected with the soup, I noticed you used Campbell’s CONDENSED soup. Did you add water or did you just inject with the condensed soup after straining?


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## SmokinAl (Dec 14, 2021)

Chef_Jeff said:


> Hi Al - 1) THANKS! 2) when you injected with the soup, I noticed you used Campbell’s CONDENSED soup. Did you add water or did you just inject with the condensed soup after straining?



No I didn’t add any water, I just strained the soup to get the onions out. I didn’t want to dilute the flavor. Good luck & let us know how it worked for you. Also, welcome to the forum, glad to have you join us!
Al


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## 912smoker (Dec 14, 2021)

Bookmarked and thanks for bringing it back to life !


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## SmokinAl (Dec 14, 2021)

912smoker said:


> Bookmarked and thanks for bringing it back to life !



Your very welcome!!
Al


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## SolHero (Dec 14, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> I don't know why, but I felt like putting mayonnaise on my sandwich last night, with a pickle on fine china. Today it will be BBQ sauce.



Hey I have the same set of fine china!


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## Chef_Jeff (Dec 14, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> No I didn’t add any water, I just strained the soup to get the onions out. I didn’t want to dilute the flavor. Good luck & let us know how it worked for you. Also, welcome to the forum, glad to have you join us!
> Al


Thanks! One other question… if I don’t have a foil roasting pan (and don’t really feel like running into town just for that), I should be able to just use a glass pan, right? Isn’t it just to make sure the juices are contained? Material shouldn’t matter for smoking, right? It’s not like baking brownies in an oven…


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## SmokinAl (Dec 16, 2021)

Chef_Jeff said:


> Thanks! One other question… if I don’t have a foil roasting pan (and don’t really feel like running into town just for that), I should be able to just use a glass pan, right? Isn’t it just to make sure the juices are contained? Material shouldn’t matter for smoking, right? It’s not like baking brownies in an oven…



Yes you can use any pan that you have, and you are right, the whole point of using a pan is to keep the meat moist. The reason I used a foil pan is because it’s hard to clean the smoke residue off a regular pan. So don’t use one of your wife’s good pans. 
Al


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## Chef_Jeff (Dec 16, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Yes you can use any pan that you have, and you are right, the whole point of using a pan is to keep the meat moist. The reason I used a foil pan is because it’s hard to clean the smoke residue off a regular pan. So don’t use on of your wife’s good pans.
> Al


Well, I ended up using my wife’s glass pan, everything was going fine, but the smoke was approaching 6 hours and it was time to get dinner on the table, so I cranked it up to 450-500 to finish it off and also hopefully crisp the onions a bit. Not only did it bake some of the juices onto the pan, but as soon as I took it off the smoker, it started popping and cracking the pan. So, I owe my wife a new pan. Or in her words, “a whole new set.”


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## SmokinAl (Dec 16, 2021)

Chef_Jeff said:


> Well, I ended up using my wife’s glass pan, everything was going fine, but the smoke was approaching 6 hours and it was time to get dinner on the table, so I cranked it up to 450-500 to finish it off and also hopefully crisp the onions a bit. Not only did it bake some of the juices onto the pan, but as soon as I took it off the smoker, it started popping and cracking the pan. So, I owe my wife a new pan. Or in her words, “a whole new set.”



Sorry to hear that. I buy the aluminum pans in bulk from Sam’s club. It will make your life much easier!!
Al


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## mng024 (Aug 29, 2022)

Hey Al, sorry if I missed this before but what do you think for this approach. My father in law wants me to smoke a flat he has this upcoming weekend on his electric smoker. 

I will strain the onions and inject the broth, then cover in my SPOG rub and wrap in plastic until the following morning. Then cover with the onions and smoke as you have instructed. Just want to make sure it won't be overly salty or anything else you can think that could go wrong like that.


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## ddow229 (Aug 29, 2022)

very nice


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## SmokinAl (Aug 29, 2022)

mng024 said:


> Hey Al, sorry if I missed this before but what do you think for this approach. My father in law wants me to smoke a flat he has this upcoming weekend on his electric smoker.
> 
> I will strain the onions and inject the broth, then cover in my SPOG rub and wrap in plastic until the following morning. Then cover with the onions and smoke as you have instructed. Just want to make sure it won't be overly salty or anything else you can think that could go wrong like that.



I think it will be excellent!
Al



ddow229 said:


> very nice


 Thank you my friend!
Al


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