How to Trim, Slice, & Cut the Perfect Brisket

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Learn exactly how to cut a brisket against the grain

Co-authored by Joshua & Jeremy George

Last Updated: December 3, 2024 Fact Checked

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Slicing Cooked Brisket

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Trimming Raw Brisket

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Materials Needed For Slicing Brisket

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Making Chopped Brisket

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FAQs

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Video

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Q&A

Are you ready to smoke or braise a mouthwatering brisket but aren’t sure how to cut such a large chunk of meat? Check out our helpful guide to how to trim a brisket that’ll make the process easy (and fun)! The main thing to remember is that cutting against a cooked brisket's grain creates tender bites. Start by buying the cut of meat that's better for your dish and trimming off the excess fat. Then, locate the grain and cut thin slices against it.

How do you cut a brisket?

Let the brisket rest for at least 20 minutes.
Choose a serrated slicing knife with at least a 12 inches (30 cm) blade.
Find the direction of the grain on the brisket.
Slice the brisket horizontally from the fat cap.
Slice the flat in thin strokes perpendicular to the grain.
Slice the point directly down the middle.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Slice a Cooked Brisket

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Always let your meat rest for at least 20 minutes after you cook a brisket to keep the juices in the meat. However, if you want very thin slices, wait until the next day when the brisket is cold to cut it. ^{[1]
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2
Choose a sharp, serrated knife with a 12 in (30 cm) blade. While you can use any sharp knife, a serrated slicing knife with points along the edge will work best. The small points help you slice through the brisket. ^{[2]
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- Aim for a knife that has a 12 inches (30 cm) blade length on average, which allows you to slice more of the brisket at once. ^{[3]
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- For the short strokes needed to cut your brisket against the grain, you can see-saw a serrated knife across the brisket, working your way from the top to the bottom. ^{[4]
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Place the brisket on a cutting board to examine the direction of the grain. The grain is defined by how the strands of muscle run through the meat. It's like a long series of rubber bands, which will appear as lines in the meat. ^{[5]
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Using the fat cap as a starting point, slice the brisket horizontally all the way through. Then, separate the 2 pieces from each other by lifting and slicing between them. ^{[6]
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Research source} Some people separate the point and the flat as soon as they're done cooking to deal with this problem. ^{[7]
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5
Slice the flat into thin slices, cutting against the grain. Turn the meat so your knife is perpendicular to the grain. Cutting against the grain helps produce tender bites of meat. Therefore, once you find the grain, set your knife up so that you're slicing against the grain. ^{[8]
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- Aim for slices that are about a pencil width thick. You can go thinner if the brisket seems tough, but this measurement is a good standard to work with. If it's falling apart, try a slightly thicker cut. ^{[9]
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Rotate the point 90 degrees and slice directly down the middle. Follow up by continuing to slice against the grain of the point. You can also reserve this fattier piece of meat to chop or use for burnt ends. ^{[10]
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Cut the point section into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and place into an aluminum pan. Season the burnt ends with any additional flavoring you like and toss them thoroughly. Place the pan in the smoker and cook for 1 hour or until the liquid has completely reduced. Let your burnt ends cool, and then dig in! ^{[11]
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Trim a Raw Brisket

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1
Identify the different parts of a brisket. A brisket contains two muscles, the point and the flat, which are both separated by a thick, white seam of fat. The fat cap is the large layer of fat primarily located on the point side of the meat. ^{[12]
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- The point is also called the deckle. This part of the brisket has the most fat on it. It has a marbled look, meaning more fat lines run through it.
- The flat cut is the part of the brisket that has less fat. As you may have guessed, it is also generally flatter than the point. ^{[13]
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2
Examine the brisket for redness and moistness. You want the brisket to look a little damp so it will be juicy when cooking. However, you don't want it to look wet. Also, check for a vibrant red color. ^{[14]
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- Look for the point cut when you need a fattier, more flavorful brisket made for shredding. Look for the flat cut for leaner meat that's better for slicing. A whole brisket includes both cuts. ^{[15]
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3
Cut the fat cap off in sections with a sharp slicing knife. Some people trim it completely off, while others leave ¹ ⁄ ₈ to 1 inch (0.32 to 2.54 cm) of fat on the meat. Trimming allows more seasoning to get to your meat, but the fat can provide additional flavor.
- Work in sections across the meat to trim the fat cap off completely. Slip your knife under the fat and slide it back and forth until the section comes off. ^{[16]
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- To trim off part of the fat, just cut the top part of the fat off from the thicker sections. You may want to leave some fat on if planning to smoke your brisket.
4
Trim off the small pieces of fat on the underside of the flat. It will have a large amount of fat on one side and smaller pieces of fat on the underside.
- Press the point of your knife under the edge of the fat. Push the knife under it, and then slice it off by see-sawing back and forth and sliding the knife outward.
5
Cut down the fat vein between the point and flat cut on a whole brisket. If you have a whole brisket, you'll have a large layer of fat between the 2 pieces. While you don't need to separate them completely, you do want to trim off some of this fat.
- Start on the outer edge of the fat vein and shave off the fat in small chunks. Take off most of the fat down to where you can see the meat below. You should then be able to lift a chunk of the meat to put seasoning in the middle.

Section 3 of 5:

Materials Needed For Slicing Brisket

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The best brisket warrants the best materials, so go ahead and gather together the items you’ll need to chop your brisket. This way, you'll be ready to slice, chop, or shred your brisket. Although you can slice your brisket with other tools, these ones will give you the most efficient process and the best cut brisket: ^{[17]
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- Sturdy Cutting Board : A large, strong wood cutting board will provide you with enough space to slice the brisket with control and care.
- Large Serrated Knife : A Long serrated knife is your best choice for slicing the cooked brisket, but you may wish to use a sharp chef’s knife or boning knife, especially when separating the point from the flat or trimming the raw brisket.
- Work Gloves : Heat-resistant gloves are a safe way to handle a brisket that’s right out of the smoker or oven. ^{[18]
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Section 4 of 5:

Making Chopped Brisket

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Chop your cooked brisket for sandwiches. Once you’re finished slicing the brisket, simply use a meat cleaver or dough blade to roughly chop a small group of brisket slices into square-shaped chunks. ^{[19]
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Research source} If you want larger chunks, chop one small section of the meat instead of pre-sliced pieces. Adjust the size accordingly, but the chopped pieces should still be bite-sized.
- Consider chopping the flavorful point section of the brisket while reserving the flat section for slicing. Chop against the grain for the best pieces of brisket that work great for sauces and sandwiches. ^{[20]
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EXPERT TIP

Santos Aviles
Grill Expert
Santos Aviles is a Grill Master and the Owner of Spirit of Texas BBQ in San Bernardino, California. He specializes in Central Texas-style barbeque. He serves a variety of smoked, grilled, and roasted meats, including 14-hour smoked brisket, sausage, and other cuts of beef. Spirit of Texas BBQ is also a 5-star rated business.

Santos Aviles
Grill Expert

You can use leftover brisket to make an amazing sandwich. The brisket has to be phenomenal, preferably from the point which is a fattier part. Using potato rolls or brioche, put coleslaw and pickles on one side and brisket on the other. So, for me, it's bread and meat. And those have to be spectacular.

Section 5 of 5:

How to Cut a Brisket FAQs

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Brisket should always be sliced against the grain. When you slice with the grain, you end up with long, stringy pieces that are very difficult to chew. When you slice against the grain with short strokes, you’ll end up with a soft, buttery brisket that melts in the mouth. ^{[21]
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The 3-2-1 cooking method for brisket is all about 3 different cooking times. Smoke the meat for 3 hours, but wrap the meat for the first 2 hours and unwrap the meat for the last hour. Cooking brisket with the 3-2-1 method is an easy way to ensure this dense cut of meat renders down until it’s both tender and juicy. ^{[22]
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Brisket is referred to as brisket at the supermarket. It consists of the pectoral muscle of a cow, so it has a lot of connective tissue. The two parts of the brisket are called the flat and the point. The flat is usually sliced, while the point is fattier, so works best for chopped brisket or burnt ends. Other than this distinction, brisket is brisket. ^{[23]
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Question

How do I carve cooked brisket?

Community Answer

Thinly, like half the width of your pinkie fingernail, and perpendicular to the grain, or it'll be tough.

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What liquids should I put in with a brisket?

Community Answer

All kinds of stuff. Worcestershire sauce. Guinness beer. A bottle of Bordeaux wine (think in the $10 range). No water, though -- the brisket will make all the liquid it needs.

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What part of the brisket is used for burnt ends?

Community Answer

If you want to make burnt ends, use the pointed end of the brisket (also known as the deckle). This particular part of the brisket comes from the cow's pectoral muscle.

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How to Trim, Slice, & Cut the Perfect Brisket

How do you cut a brisket?

Steps

How to Slice a Cooked Brisket

How to Trim a Raw Brisket

Materials Needed For Slicing Brisket

Making Chopped Brisket

How to Cut a Brisket FAQs

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

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