Should you be organizing a meal and find brisket on your menu, you could find yourself wondering how much brisket per person you need. Though leftovers never go to waste, brisket is a big cut and you definitely want to cook as much as required.
Calculating how much brisket you need can be perplexing for beginners. Should you chop it into “subprimal” cuts or do you need as much as a wholesale steak? This is a good topic for a thorough answer since brisket loses half of its weight during cooking.
You should also cut the brisket and eliminate the extra fat layer. Thus, 10% of the brisket will be removed prior to cooking. Before deciding how much brisket you should buy for a family supper or get-together, you have to consider all these.
This article will explain how much brisket per person you need, the section of brisket to purchase, and the cooking times.
Cooking Brisket For Dinner?
If you are serving plenty of people, brisket is a fantastic option. Perfect for slow cooking; all you have to do is place it up in the smoker and return to a scrumptious meal.
Getting an estimate of how much brisket you need is the sole challenge. Leftovers are juicy and tender on warming; they can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer for subsequent use. Still, knowing roughly how much you need helps to save a lot of hassle.
Related Article: When determining how much brisket per person you need, you might also consider whether you can cut a brisket in half to manage portion sizes better—read more about it in our article on Can You Cut a Brisket in Half.
How Much Weight Does Brisket Lose During Cooking?
Thick cut with plenty of meat, fat, and tough tissues, brisket requires a lot of time to cook. That prolonged cooking reduces the meat significantly. Should you smoke it, the cooking procedure will cause it to shrink 30-40%. Knowing this, if you start cooking, a 15-pound 15-pound brisket will result in 9–10 pounds.
Weight Loss During Trimming
There are two sides to brisket: flat and point. Both sections have plenty of fat layers that should be cut back. Whatever chunk of brisket you purchase will need some cutting. The brisket trimmings are a personal decision; some prefer to leave the fat on the meat to make it very moist and delicious. Many cooks would want to leave the meat just ¼ inch fat-wise.
Flat or Point Portion
Two elements define brisket: flat and point. Knowing which section to prepare is equally crucial, even if you don’t need to cook the full packer.
Flat
Both sections are excellent, although the flat is leaner—as the name implies. Though the flat is rectangular and easy to cut in consistent slices, the fat covering it calls for trimming.
Point
The brisket section with most of the fat is the point. Thick and small, it boasts plenty of connective tissues and fat. Compared to fat, this cut contains less flesh. Still, the point is an excellent choice if you must cut the meat for burgers or sandwiches.
Inside is meat with a high fat content that is soft. The point also includes many strong muscles that require a long time to cook; however, once cooked to perfection, the point is juicier and more flavorful.
A whole brisket normally weighs 15 to 18 pounds. The flat cut is a larger cut, between six to ten pounds. The point section, which weighs about five pounds—is the fatty meat part. The point lacks as much lean meat as flat after cooked and contains a lot of fat.
How to Tell How Much Brisket Per Person You Need
You would require almost one pound for each person, considering everything from losing weight while cooking to cutting off all the superfluous fat from the surface.
That implies you will have enough to feed roughly 15 guests if you are preparing a 15-pound whole brisket. Likewise, if you are cooking for a smaller gathering of six to ten people, a whole flat section will be plenty. The size of the meal determines also the division per individual.
How Many Slices of Brisket Per Person?
The portion size you want to offer each visitor will determine how brisket each individual needs. Other factors include whether the guest list comprises just adults (with empty bellies!).
If there are too many other items on the menu and you want to feed each guest a quarter of a pound, start with half a pound per guest. Using a brisket weighing twelve pounds, you can serve twenty-four people this way.
However, if you increase the portion size and are planning to serve half a pound per person, then one person per pound is enough. We must take into account that the brisket will shrink greatly after cooking.
We recommend that each person should have a half-pound final serving. For uncooked brisket, assign one pound per person; this will help you to average the large eaters and children on the guest list.
Related Article: Once you’ve cooked your brisket to perfection, knowing how long to let it rest in a cooler is key to maintaining tenderness—check out our article on How Long to Let Brisket Rest in Cooler for helpful tips.
How to Serve Brisket
You may choose how you are going to serve brisket after you know how much each person needs. Shred it roughly and toss it with side dishes, burgers, sandwiches, or salads and toppings. For a formal dinner, think about slicing it and serving plates with roasted vegetables and gravy.
Conclusion
Because of its great meat and reasonable cost, brisket is a common barbecue fare. Planning the menu and side dishes depends on knowing how much brisket each person consumes. You can get one pound for an individual on average. If you intend smaller portions, though, you should cut the quantity.