When Do You Separate a Packer?

[DDave]

I was going to try burnt ends again with the brisket yesterday but when it came time to rest the brisket, I had some other things going on and didn't want to take the time to separate the point.

So I got to wondering what other people do with a packer.
Do you usually separate before the smoke, after the smoke but before the rest, after the rest, or just leave it whole?

Dave

[Walking Dude]

i have YET to do burnt ends.......but i have seperated em........and from the hassle of serperating em..........i would do it before hand.........i know my next homemade strami i will seperate......and only do the flat.......save the point for burnt ends.......but its cheaper, of course, to buy a packer.........and seperate.........i saw a flat priced the same as i would pay for a packer, with MUCH more meat in the packer..........

so i really can't vote, as "depends on what i plan on doing with it" was in the poll

[erain]

if i separate it would be after the rest period... sometimes i will slice the flat and pull the point. sometmes...

[davidmcg]

I voted on depending on my mood. Sometimes I don't separate, just slice or pull it all. If I do separate, I do it before I smoke it. For me, separating is easier when its cold, rather that hot or warm and partially separated from the smoking process. First few times I did it after I smoked it, what was left was a mess. After that I started separating before I smoked it. But overall, I rarely seperate anymore.

[DDave]

but i have seperated em........and from the hassle of serperating em..........i would do it before hand

I think I am heading that direction as well. I separated the last two. (Well, I've only done three. :blush:) And getting them apart wasn't that bad. I just slip the back of a knife in between the point and the flat to get it started and then get my fingers in there(with my big heat resistant BBQ gloves on) and work them apart. But it tends to be a big greasy mess. I have a big cutting board and an even bigger tray that goes under it but I can't seem to separate them without greasing down half the kitchen counter. Seems like it would be easier to just separate before hand.

i really can't vote, as "depends on what i plan on doing with it" was in the poll

Sounds like it "depends on your mood".

Dave

[davidmcg]

but I can't seem to separate them without greasing down half the kitchen counter. Seems like it would be easier to just separate before hand.

Yup, my sentiments exactly. Except, you left out the part of my wife expressing her unhappiness of the mess I created and how happy she will be after I CLEAN THE MESS!

[Gunslinger]

If it is a smallish brisket, sometimes you can separate it after it's done with a slight pull and a twist of the point.
If it's bigger than 6 or 7 lbs (more than likely), I separate beforehand. It seems to cook faster, which stands to reason. I can also trim away a bit more fat. I prefer to trim fat while raw rather than in it's gelatin state, which is messy and hardly manageable.

[grothe]

I always make burnt ends (best part of a brisket IMHO) outta a packer.
I'll separate the point from the flat after the smoke, wrap & cooler the flat, cube the point, and put the cubes back in the smoker till the fat stops drippin out of em.
Now I'm gonna have ta do another briskie....the thought of burnt ends is makin me hungry, lol.

Burnt ends

[erain]

tends to be a big greasy mess. I have a big cutting board and an even bigger tray that goes under it but I can't seem to separate them without greasing down half the kitchen counter. Seems like it would be easier to just separate before hand.
Dave

freezer paper is your friend!!! use it all the time to help make cleanup a breeze, greasy or not. put the shiny side down and when done fold corners in and refold and toss in garbage...

[DDave]

I'll separate the point from the flat after the smoke, wrap & cooler the flat,

Burnt ends

Those burnt ends look good, Gene.

Does the flat cool much if you unwrap it to separate then wrap it back up and pop it in the cooler? Are you still able to hold it for a couple hours if needed? I am leaning towards separating before the smoke but I am wondering about the temp drop if separating after the smoke but before the rest.

freezer paper is your friend!!!

That's a good idea! I'll have to remember that.

Dave

[grothe]

Does the flat cool much if you unwrap it to separate then wrap it back up and pop it in the cooler? Are you still able to hold it for a couple hours if needed?

The flat doesn't cool down very much while separating.....takes less than a minute. The flat stays in the cooler til the ends are done and it's still too hot to hold on to for any amount of time.

[Gunslinger]

Here's a very good article for briskets that might interest some. Brisket Selection & Preparation
I thought this bookmark was on a different hard drive, so I looked all day and then I found it on this one. I gotta go back to work.

[Richtee]

Burnt ends

Man, those look AWESOME Gene! mmmm!

[sumosmoke]

I never truely knew what "burnt ends" were so I appreciate the pics, Gene!! Nice job, now I'm off to buy a briskey to try this!

[Gunslinger]

I never truely knew what "burnt ends" were so I appreciate the pics, Gene!! Nice job, now I'm off to buy a briskey to try this!

From "The Virtual Weber Bullet" website:

Traditionally, burnt ends sold in restaurants were the dry edges and leftover bits and pieces of the brisket flat after slicing, mixed with barbecue sauce. These morsels were highly prized for their intense, smoky flavor.

Today, famous barbecue joints like Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City can't meet the demand for burnt ends using leftover bits, so they make a facsimile by cubing fully cooked brisket flats, placing the cubes in a pan and smoking them for a couple of hours, then adding sauce and smoking for a couple more hours.

Another approach for making burnt ends is to separate the point section from the flat section after the flat is done, then return the point to the cooker for smoke for an additional 4-6 hours. Chop the point, mix with barbecue sauce, and enjoy!

I used to get these at a BBQ joint in Omaha way back when. You had to get there at the right time, since it took several days to get enough for a few orders.