QandAs: Food

What is a Brisket?

Answer:
Brisket is the cut of meat found in an animal's lower chest or breast

area. The traditional method of preparing a brisket involves slow cooking over indirect heat, as in the case of beef brisket served in barbecue restaurants.

There are actually two different sections of a brisket cut, each with their own pluses and minuses. The "flat cut" portion of a brisket is often used in stews or processed as corned beef. The "second cut" or "point" of a whole brisket contains more fat, and is often slow-roasted or braised as pot roast. The brisket used for Texas-style barbecue is ordinarily a very tough cut of meat, but it does contain a cap of fat which melts during low and slow cooking sessions in a smoker or barbecuer. The natural fat works its way between the fibers of the brisket and softens it considerably, while diligent basting adds flavor and additional tenderness.

When shopping for brisket, check to see if the butcher has left the two muscles intact or has separated them into flat and point briskets. Slow cooking at low temperature with sufficient liquid or basting is key to preparing a good brisket. Cooking over direct heat, such as the coals of a barbecue, will cause the brisket to become extremely tough. Cutting smaller steaks from a brisket will not improve the situation, either. Brisket can be prepared in a slow cooker, a Dutch oven or on a roasting spit placed away from the fire.


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