Brisket From a Whole Packer to the Plate

A whole packer brisket is a single twelve-to-fourteen pound cut that contains both the lean flat and the fatty point. Cooking the whole thing is a different sport than cooking just the flat. You get more bark, more flavor, and the option to turn the point into burnt ends. It also takes a full day of your weekend, so plan to be home.

Trim, season, and rest the brisket in the fridge overnight before the cook. Get the smoker stable at 250 F well before the meat goes on. Plan on about an hour per pound, give or take, but cook to feel rather than time. When a probe slides in with no resistance, the brisket is ready, usually at an internal of 200 to 205 F.

The rest is where most home cooks rush, and where most pros tell you the magic happens. Wrap the brisket in butcher paper, then a towel, then drop it in a dry cooler. Let it sit at least 90 minutes. The juices redistribute and the meat relaxes. Slice the flat across the grain in pencil-thick strips and cube the point for burnt ends.