Beef Brisket

Name: Beef brisket — a large, flat, tough cut from the lower chest of the cow, made up of two muscles, the leaner flat and the fattier point, with a thick layer of fat on top. It is full of connective tissue, and is cooked low and slow.

Description

Brisket comes from the breast, a heavily worked muscle that supports much of the animal's weight, which gives it deep beefy flavour but also a lot of tough collagen. Cooked gently for many hours, the collagen melts into gelatin, leaving the meat tender and succulent. It is the centrepiece of Texas barbecue, Jewish holiday braises, Vietnamese pho, and the base for corned beef and pastrami.

A whole “packer” brisket weighs 5 to 7 kg, and is often trimmed and sold as flat or point. Slicing against the grain is essential, since the muscle fibres are long, and slicing with the grain makes it stringy.

Main nutrition value

Beef is a rich source of high-quality protein, highly absorbable haem iron, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and niacin, with the amount of fat varying by cut. Brisket is a fatty cut, particularly the point, with more saturated fat than lean cuts.

How best to be consumed

Brisket needs hours of slow, moist or smoky cooking.

1. Smoke at 110 to 125°C for 10 to 14 hours, until a probe slides in like butter, as in Texas barbecue.
2. Braise in a covered pot with onions, stock, wine or tomato for 3 to 4 hours at about 160°C.
3. Rest the meat for at least 30 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
4. Use sliced brisket in sandwiches, tacos, chilli, and pho broth.
5. Cure it for corned beef or pastrami, with salt, spices and time.

Overconsumption could cause…

Brisket is a rich, fatty cut, best in moderation.

1. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
2. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
3. Harmful compounds (heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) formed when meat is charred or cooked at very high heat over flames, so avoid burning it, marinate first, and cook gently. Smoking and barbecue add smoke compounds.
4. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.
5. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products. This applies to cured brisket such as corned beef and pastrami.

GroupsBeefMammals (red meat)High proteinHigh saturated fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin B12Rich in zincFresh

Related foodsBeef RibeyeBeef Mince / Ground BeefBeef ChuckCorned BeefBeef Flank SteakVeal

Wikipedia — Brisket, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisket