We strive to provide you with authoritative, trustworthy, and expert advice. In doing so, the staff at bbqdropout.com performs extensive research, editing, and fact checking to every post on this webiste. If you feel that this article can improve, please feel free to reach us at staff@bbqdropout.com
Before continuing this article, I wanted to let you know that I have a YouTube channel where I showcase all sorts of video content related to BBQ. Subscribing would mean a lot to me, and I very much appreicate all the support!
What does deckle off brisket mean
Having a brisket without a deckle simply means that you are smoking the flat portion of the brisket.
Essentially, whenever you happen to have a brisket that does not have a deckle present, it is mainly just smoking the flat part of the brisket. What are the reasons why you may have some thing like this is because he may have picked it up from the store with the special cut in mind.
Often times, grocery stores and meat markets will separate the flat and the deckle into two separate cuts of meat. Just be aware of this whenever you happen to pick a random brisket up from the store.
How to remove the deckle on a brisket
If you want to know how to remove the deckle from a brisket and essentially separate it from the flat, then what you can do is take a very sharp knife and slice the brisket directly in half.
Some Pit-masters will tell you that you’re still getting some of the flat on both halves of the brisket that you cut in half, which is technically true. The flat actually runs underneath the entirety of the brisket while the deckle or point runs on top. Despite that, it is quite difficult to take a knife and properly slice horizontally as opposed to just vertically slicing a brisket and a half.
As noted above, if you don’t want to go to the trouble of trying to separate both parts of a brisket, then consider just going to a meat market and requesting it from the butchers themselves. They are usually more than happy to accommodate you and it’s not that weird of a request. Many people do this.
Should you remove deckle from brisket?
It is entirely up to you and what you want out of your brisket. If you’re wondering whether or not you should separate the decor from the brisket, my recommendation is to just leave both of them in tact. This preserves the quality of the brisket and the overall juiciness because the deckle will help moisturize the flat part of the brisket which is a lot more lean.
Still, however, many people simply do not want a failure brisket. That is totally understandable and in that case, you should most likely consider removing the decor from the brisket if you only want a lean part of the meat.
Brisket deckle vs flat
A brisket deckle is essentially known as the point of the brisket. A flat is simply just called a flat. The deckle is very fatty in nature, while the flat is a lot more lean. Let me list out some quick characterizations of each of them to make things a little bit more clear.
Brisket Deckle:
- Lot more fatty than flat
- The grain runs opposite to that of the flat
- Is usually done a lot quicker than the flat
Brisket Flat:
- Very lean in nature
- Grain runs horizontally
- Requires a lot more attention from the pit-master
Final Thoughts
In summary, the brisket deckle is a lot more fatty than what you would expect to see in a flat. That’s because a lot of the fat continents and connective tissue was present within the deckle. Often times, you will actually see a brisket with the deckle completely separated from the flat, so just watch out for that whenever you’re shopping for a 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.