Brisket is a cut of beef popular for barbecuing and despite it being a bit tough it’s becoming more and more present on menus all around the country. The normal way to prepare it is to cook it at low temperature for a long time so that it ends up moist and tender. Here are five things that you may not know about brisket (but should).
- Brisket is a Pec Muscle – it’s cut from the pectoral muscles of the cow and normally weighs from 12 to 20 pounds.
- It Needs To Be Cooked For a Long Time – since it has an abundance of connective tissue it needs to be cooked slowly with low heat to break down the tissue and make the meat tender.
- It Has A Secret Deckie – a deckie is the ‘second cut’ that is marbled with fat and falls apart when you cook it. The first cut is called the flat and is lean and easy to slice.
- The Cut Matters – braised brisket is made from the first cut only which helps the lean meat hold moisture in. Smoked brisket is made with the second cut which is fattier and doesn’t dry out in the smoker.
- Fat Is Good – you should keep the fat side up when you cook brisket so the juices drip through the meat and it stays moist.
Use these tips if you don’t already know about them to get great results when cooking your brisket.
Source: Real Simple
