Flat brisket vs whole brisket
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.
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A flat cut of a brisket is simply just the winner half of a whole Packer style brisket, while a whole brisket is simply just 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 nature 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.
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 pack of style brisket, are that a flat is simply only half of a whole pack of 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.
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