Grill Guides: Does Brisket Point Cook Faster Than Flat?
Did you know we eat a combined 1.5 billion cows every year? There are numerous cuts of beef from a cow, all of which have their ideal purpose and cooking method. However, few options are better suited for barbecue than beef brisket.
If it’s your first time working with brisket, then it’s important to know the anatomy of the cut. Specifically, things like the difference between the brisket point and the brisket flat. And, how long it takes to cook each of them.
If you want to learn whether brisket point cooks faster than the flat, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about working with brisket. Let’s get started!
What Is Brisket?
A brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the front center of the cow. Specifically, it’s located beneath the shoulder or chuck region. Like chuck, the brisket gets worked a lot during the life of the animal.
Because of this, the many connective tissues make this piece of meat tough. However, don’t think that this toughness gets in the way of the flavor. As long as brisket is cooked using a low and slow method (like smoking), then the connective tissue will break down completely.
What you’ll be left with is a cut of meat with a crunch exterior and an inside that will melt in your mouth. However, to cook a brisket the right way you should know the importance of resting brisket once it's been cooked, and it’s important to know its anatomy - specifically, the flat and the point. Let’s take a look at how these two areas differ from one another.
What Is Brisket Point?
Let’s start with the brisket point. This is the part of the brisket is smaller than the flat. However, it’s thicker and comes with a lot more fat. This large layer of fat that surrounds the point means that it’s packing a little more flavor than the flat section.
It’s for this reason that many people prefer to ground down the brisket point to make delicious hamburgers with them.
What Is Brisket Flat?
The brisket flat is a leaner cut of meat that takes up the majority of the brisket. However, it’s not completely devoid of fat. There are still layers of fat marbling throughout that allow the meat to stay moist while you smoke it.
And, on top of the rectangular cut of meat lies the fat cap. However, it’s important to remove this large layer of fat before you cook it. Typically, your butcher will handle this for you. However, if not then you can easily cut it off yourself.
Is One Better Than the Other?
As you can see, both the brisket point and the brisket flat have their pros and cons. The point has more flavor, but it’s smaller. The flat is larger but lacks some of the fat that adds a good beefy flavor.
However, at the end of the day, these are two great cuts of beef and you can’t go wrong with either. If you want traditional sliced barbecue, then you should favor the flat. However, if you want a succulent brisket burger, then you should ground down the point.
Ultimately, it all comes down to preference and what you want from your brisket experience. Make sure to check out this helpful guide if you want to learn more about the differences between brisket point vs flat.
Does Brisket Point Cook Faster Than Flat?
Yes, the brisket point does cooker faster than the flat. Remember that the flat is a leaner cut of meat. As such, it needs a slightly longer cooking time for all of the connective tissue to break down completely.
Most of the time, if you aren’t separating the flat from the point while cooking, then you can leave the point alone. The flat is the main part you’ll be eating. The point will still be tasty, but it won’t be as perfect as if you separate them and cooking apart from each other. Remember that the point has a lot more fat.
Because of this, it favors a cooking method that’s fast with high heat. Meanwhile, the flat needs to be cooked low and slow. This can be done in an oven, however, you can’t beat the flavor and texture when you cooking it in a smoker.
How to Separate the Flat From the Point
First, place the brisket cut on a clean workplace with the fat side facing down. From this position, you should be able to see a visible layer of fat that separates the flat section from the point section.
The layer of fat is referred to as the nose and it’s where you’ll be cutting. So, once you’ve found it gets a sharpened butcher’s knife. Sharpness is important when cutting through the fat. Otherwise, you can easily mess up the piece of meat.
So, make sure that you sharpen your blade if it seems a little dull. Then, take your blade and begin to make small scores along the length of the nose. These scores will serve as a guide when you’re cutting.
Now, begin cutting. Follow the curve of the flat and gradually lift on the flat to free it. Once the flat is free make sure that you trim off and large sections of fat that are around the edges.
Want More Content? Keep Exploring
We hope this article helped you learn that that brisket point does cook faster than the flat. This is important to know so that you can properly separate the two and get the maximum amount of flavor from both of them.
So, get barbecuing so that you can start enjoying your brisket today. Did you like this article? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Keep reading to find more topics that you’re sure to love.
