Technique

Rest and slice

Heat equalizes, juices thicken, and the grain tells you which way to cut. Skipping the rest is how a good cook dies on the board.

When: Always. Minutes for steaks, an hour or more for brisket and shoulder.

Steps

1. 1

   Steaks: 5–10 minutes on a warm plate, loosely tented. Do not wrap tight or the crust steams.

2. 2

   Brisket and shoulder: hold at 150°F or in a dry cooler, still wrapped, 1–3 hours.

3. 3

   Find the grain on the flat — it turns at the point. Separate the muscles if needed.

4. 4

   Slice brisket pencil-thick across the grain. Pork can be pulled or chopped. Steaks, ½-inch, across the grain.

Common mistakes

• Slicing a whole packer the same direction from end to end. The point grain runs differently.
• Resting a steak in foil for 20 minutes and wondering where the crust went.

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