It practically took an act of Ahnald, but I finally found a butcher here in NorCal to cut a flat. I pick it up tomorrow. $3.00#
My questions relate to the curing method.
1. Prefer wet or dry? The last (and first) time I did it I used a 1 lb. heavily trimmed flat from the supermarket. It come out fine but quite firm and dense and could have more flavor. I used Chris A's dry cure. I smoked at 225, pulled at 165.
2. Assuming dry, does it make sense to puncture small holes in the brisket so that the dry cure may penetrate better, or does it matter?
3. Curing times. I went 4 days last time and it was fine, but some say 1-2 weeks. What is the downside (and benefits) of a longer cure time?
Thanks!
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