Spent 3 hours trying to get a brisket flat cut right... still ended up with a wonky edge

Was trimming a prime packer this morning for a regular customer... figured I'd been doing this long enough that I could eyeball the flat cut without measuring. Big mistake. Ended up chasing the grain and taking way too much off one side. Had to recut the whole thing and lost almost a pound of sellable meat. My mentor woulda laughed his ass off if he saw me. Anyone else get humbled by a simple cut sometimes?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony12712h agoMost Upvoted

You ever try using a sharpie mark before you cut? I started doing that after I messed up a couple brisket flats like you did. Just draw a straight line on the fat cap where you want the cut to be, then trim along it. Saves your eyes from guessing where the grain is going. Also helps if you let the meat rest a bit after trimming so the fat firms up, makes the cut cleaner. I still have off days though, a bad angle or dull blade can throw everything off. It happens to everyone, just gotta laugh it off and move on.

cameron_chen633h ago

Man @anthony127's sharpie trick is genius but I still managed to draw a crooked line once because my hand was shaking from too much coffee.