If you are in Texas and you have been invited for a barbecue, then a common item that you will find at the event is a brisket. Barbecue is the one and the only method of eating brisket practiced in Texas. Regardless of where you reside, barbecued brisket seems to be one real treat provided it is done in the right manner. For the ones who might not have an idea, beef brisket is a cut that is taken from the cow’s breast section just under the first five ribs and behind the foreshank.
What Is A Brisket?
Brisket is the part of the cow that makes up the pectoral muscles that support the weight of the animal. Therefore, the brisket can be a massive cut of beef weighing between 3 and 8 pounds. It is rich in its content of connective tissue collagen. This means that it can be a little chewy of not cooked properly. The right way of cooking this piece of meat is cooking it slow and low. Brisket is a long meat part that is generally separated in two halves and sold in the form of two various meat pieces. It is a meat cut that is ideally suited for cooking procedures like casseroling, smoking and braising. It is also suited for shredding.
Making The Choice Of A Brisket
It is always good to buy fresh brisket though it is a bit expensive. As has already been mentioned, the cut is sold in two pieces namely the Point End and the Navel End. So, which part should you select? Going for the point end is perfect for making satisfying and rich braises and stews.
On the other hand, the navel end in square shape can be sliced up neatly to be used in varied recipes. The point end is rich in its fat content, and thus it makes for juicy and flavorsome smoked beef. However, you have also got the option of buying a whole brisket for parties and get-togethers. Whole briskets generally weigh something around 9 kilos.
The Cut Always Matters
There are two common ways of cooking brisket, and they are braising and smoking. Both these cooking procedures result in varied tastes. This is mainly because braised brisket is made ordinarily from just the first cut that helps the meat in holding moisture. On the contrary, smoked brisket is prepared using the second and the fattier cut and thus, it does not dry out after several hours in the smoker. Since brisket tends to be a tough cut, smoking and braising are the right cooking procedures for it. These are methods that help the chefs in preparing a brisket recipe by cooking it at low temperature for a very long period. There is one more cooking style that can go with brisket, and that is brining. The method turns the piece into corned beef.
Regardless of whether it is smoked, braised or brined, beef brisket requires a lot of time to cook. It takes around 12 hours to render a smoked brisket, delicious and soft at 225F.
