Brisket Flat

About this cut

Brisket comes in two muscles, and this is the flat: leaner, more even in thickness, and the one you slice for sandwiches. It comes from the chest, one of the hardest working muscles on the animal, which is why it needs time and pays you back for it.

Good for

Smoking, or a low oven if you don't have a smoker. Season it heavily, keep the heat low and steady, and ride out the stall without panicking. Plan on most of a day. Rest it a good long while, then slice against the grain.

From our kitchen

This is what we cook when there's something worth celebrating.

Rubbed the night before with salt, pepper and a little garlic, then on at daybreak and low all day. We wrap it once it stalls and leave it alone after that. The hardest part is the resting, because it wants at least an hour before anybody touches it. Pickles, white bread, raw onion, and sauce on the side for whoever wants it. Whatever's left goes into hash with eggs the next morning.

Storage

Arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and keeps about a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or quick thaw it in a bowl of cold water. Once it's thawed, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 2 to 3 days.