How to Slice Brisket
Brisket is a two-muscle cut where the fibers run in different directions. Taking the time to look closely at the meat surface before you start slicing determines whether you get a clean, tender bite or a mouthful of tough fibers.
Wait for the rest
If you slice while the meat is steaming hot, the internal juices will pour out, leaving you with dry meat. Patience here is more important than your knife skill.
- long, serrated bread knife
- large wooden cutting board with a juice groove
What goes in.
- 1fully cooked, rested beef brisket
Finding the Grain
Look for the visible lines running through the meat. You are aiming to shorten these strands by slicing across them, rather than along them.
The method.
Separate the muscles
Find the line of fat separating the flat from the point. Slice along this line to separate the two muscles; they have grain patterns that run in different directions.
Orient the flat
Place the flat on the board. Rotate it until the lines of the grain are running perpendicular to your knife blade.
Slice the flat
Use long, sawing motions with your serrated knife. Do not press down; let the serrations do the work to keep the slices uniform in thickness, about the width of a pencil.
Orient the point
Rotate the point so the grain is again perpendicular to your knife. Because this muscle is thicker and has more intramuscular fat, you can slice these slightly thicker if preferred.
Other turns to take.
Paper-thin slices
Chill the brisket overnight in the refrigerator. Cold fat firms up, allowing you to use a very sharp straight-edge slicer for deli-style thinness.
Burnt ends
Cube the point muscle into 1-inch squares instead of slicing it, exposing more surface area for glaze or bark.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use a serrated knife for brisket; a straight edge will tear the tender meat rather than cutting it.
If you find you have started slicing with the grain by mistake, stop, rotate the meat 90 degrees, and start again.
Keep the slices held together like a deck of cards after cutting; this keeps the internal moisture locked in until you are ready to serve.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my brisket shred when I try to slice it?
The meat is either still too hot or you are slicing with the grain instead of across it.
Should I trim the fat cap before slicing?
Ideally, trim the fat cap to about 1/4 inch before smoking. Once cooked, most of that fat should have rendered, but if a thick layer remains, it is easier to trim off before you begin slicing.
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