How to Slice a Brisket Correctly
Separate the point from the flat, then slice each against the grain, the flat in pencil-thick slices, the point often into thicker slices or cubes. Because the two muscles run different ways, you must re-orient your cuts when you reach the point.
Slicing a brisket wrong can make tender meat feel chewy. The reason is the grain: a whole brisket is two muscles whose fibres run in different directions, so a single cutting angle cannot be right for both.
Understand the two muscles
A packer brisket has the leaner flat and the fattier point sitting partly on top of it. Their grain runs roughly at right angles to each other. That is the whole trick: you cannot slice the entire brisket in one direction and cut both muscles across the grain.
Step by step
- Rest first. Slice only after a proper rest, or the juices run out.
- Find the grain on the flat before you start (look while it is raw or trimmed, so you remember its direction).
- Separate point from flat. There is a fat seam between them; cut along it to divide the two muscles.
- Slice the flat against its grain, about pencil-thick (1/4 inch).
- Rotate the point and slice it against its grain, which runs a different way; cut thicker slices, or cube it for burnt ends.
Technique for clean slices
- Use a long, sharp slicing knife and cut in smooth full strokes, do not saw.
- Let the knife do the work; pressing tears the fibres.
- Keep slices consistent so they cook, serve and reheat evenly.
The right blade makes this easy, a long slicing knife or a meat slicer for uniform slices. Compare prep tools in the best deli and butcher prep, and pair with resting in how to rest a brisket.
Frequently asked questions
Which way is the grain on a brisket?
It differs by muscle. The flat and the point have grain running in different directions, roughly perpendicular, which is why you rotate the meat partway through slicing.
How thick should brisket slices be?
The flat is classically sliced about pencil-thickness (1/4 inch). The fattier point can be sliced thicker or cut into burnt-end cubes.
Do I need a special knife?
A long, sharp slicing knife (or a slicer) lets you cut in smooth single strokes for clean slices; a short or dull knife tears and shreds.