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Brisket is the beef cut used most often to make corned beef and pot roasts.

The Brisket is the breast area of the cow -- below the Chuck (the shoulder area.) The Brisket extends back as far as the Plate (the underbelly.) More specifically, it's the area beneath the first five ribs.

In North American beef cut terminology, the Brisket usually includes the shanks of the fore legs too, whereas in the UK those are usually identified separately.

All Brisket cuts are boneless. The meat in this area is muscle tissue ligaments; the collagen in these tissues must be broken down through slow cooking. Because it's such a tough cut of meat, it is inexpensive as far as beef goes, but it does reward you by being extremely flavourful.

The whole Brisket is long and triangular shaped. It's rarely sold whole like this; it's usually cut for retail into "First Cut" and "Front Cut." It may also simply be cut up and sold as stewing beef.

When slicing Brisket, you'll notice that you really have to slice across the grain into thin slices. Thicker slices cut with the grain may have you chewing for hours like someone's grandmother by the fire.

Montreal Smoked Meat is made from the Brisket. Pastrami is also made from Brisket, except New York and Kosher styles, which are made instead from beef plate.

Cooking Tips
Braise in oven for two to three hours at 350 F (175 C), or dry-roast (covered) slowly at 325 F (160 C ) for about 4 hours until very tender. You can also cube it and use it as stewing beef.

A crock pot or a slow cooker will really prove their worth in cooking Brisket.

Nutrition
3 oz, fat trimmed: 310 calories, 21g protein, 24g fat, 0 carbohydrates

Storage
Store well-wrapped in refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 year well-wrapped.

Also called:

See Also:

Braising Meat, First Cut Beef Brisket, Front Cut Beef Brisket

Other entries for:

Beef Brisket
Beef Brisket Deckle-Off, Corned Beef, First Cut Beef Brisket, Front Cut Beef Brisket

Other entries for:

Beef
Baron of Beef, Beef Brawn, Beef Chuck, Beef Cuts Illustrated -- North American, Beef Flank, Beef Leg, Beef Plate, Beef Rib, Beef Roasts, Beef Round, Beef Shank, Beef Short Loin, Beef Sirloin, Beef Steaks, Braising Beef, Bresaola, Chianina Beef, Chipped Beef, Cube Steak, Ground Beef, Kobe Beef, London Broil, Minute Steak, Montreal Smoked Meat, Oxtail Brawn, Oxtails, Pastrami, Pork, Pot Roasts, Salisbury Steak, Steak, Steamship Round, Stewing Beef, Wadschinken, Wagyu Beef

Other entries for:

Meat
Affettati, Buffalo, Cap On / Cap Off, Game, Goat, Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications, Minced Meat, Offal, Paillards, Potted Meats, Poultry, Roasts, Sausages, Sheep, Veal, Venison, Yak