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A lot of people tend to ask the question and want to understand what the main differences and similarities are between flat cut briskets and whole Packer style briskets.
A flat cut of a brisket is simply just the leaner half of a whole Packer style brisket, while a whole brisket is an unseparated flat that is still conjoined to the point. In other words, it is an entire brisket that has not been divided up into the different muscles.
What is the Flat Cut of the Brisket
A flat cut of brisket is simply just a whole Packer style brisket that has been cut in half, leaving only the leaner part intact. It is a much more finicky cut due to its high connective tissue content, and requires extensive smoking or cooking up to an internal temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once it reaches that stage in the cooking process, you’ll want to insert a toothpick or begin reinserting the meat thermometer back into the meat and test for resistance. Once that happens, then the meat has fully rendered down all of those connective tissues and collagen, and it is very juicy and moist.
A lot of people like eating this particular cut of brisket due to the amount of meat and non-fatty texture that you get. If you’re unsure where brisket comes from, check out our article on what part of the cow is brisket.
Packer Cut Brisket
On the contrary, a packer cut brisket is simply just a non-cut brisket. That basically means that both the flat and the point parts of a particular brisket are still intact and have not been separated.
It’s an excellent piece of meat to begin smoking with because you get a very well-balanced flavor profile ranging from very fatty in The Point area to very lean in the flat area.
It is also probably one of the most common ways to obtain a brisket to begin with and most grocery stores and meat markets certainly have them in stock.
What is the Main Difference Between a Flat and a Whole Brisket
So, in recap, the main differences between a flat and a whole Packer style brisket are that a flat is simply only half of a whole Packer style brisket, while a full packer brisket contains both the flat and the point.
Final Thoughts
You can’t really go wrong deciding between either a brisket flat or a whole Packer style brisket. What it really comes down to is what you want out of a cook and how much you’re willing to pay for a piece of meat. Whole packer style briskets are actually a lot cheaper on a per-pound basis than specialty cut flat briskets are.
That’s because you’re not paying for the labor it takes to actually separate the flat from the point. To get a better understanding of the pricing differences, you can read our article on brisket price.
It’s important to know the right amount of brisket to buy for your gathering, so take a look at our guide on 1 pound of brisket feeds how many to make sure you have enough for everyone. Also, for a comparison of different types of brisket, you can explore our article on Choice vs. Prime Brisket.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.