I love a moist, tender, juicy and flavorful brisket. Something I’ve learned from dining at Rudy’s is to always ask for the “MOIST” brisket–stay away from any brisket at Rudy’s not labeled as such. Fact is: brisket consists of two sections, the flat and the point. When shopping for a brisket to barbecue, one will find that the flat section is a chunk of lean meat, and usually more expensive, whereas the point is more flavorful and fattier. Fat = flavor, get it? If you’re lucky or have a good butcher, you will find the “packer’s cut” which is a full-sized brisket that includes both flat and point ends blanketed in a layer of fat. True Texas barbecuing involves the whole chunk of meat, a smoker, and a good amount of patience to cook. But eating Texas barbecue…well, you have to know the lingo. Every BBQ joint I’ve visited, I’ve always called for brisket that was “moist” (Rudy’s and Big Daddy’s Roadhouse), the “fatty” cut (every BBQ joint I’ve been to), or the crusty flavorful “cap” (Dickey’s)…but after reading an article on barbecue, I will have to add “off the point” and “deckel end” to my bbq-feasting vocabulary. It has been a rarity that I don’t get the well-marbled brisket that I asked for (of course, it perhaps helps my cause that I’m a petite asian girl demanding a piece of fatty brisket on her plate). But when I have to choke down flavorless, dried-out lean brisket, then I can safely assume that the restaurant serving me such an atrocity have no clue about real barbecue.

So there you have it: don’t be embarrassed to ask for the best brisket on your plate…because if you don’t, the next person in line brave enough to ask for the “crusty fatty brisket” will enjoy their meal much more than you did.