Is Beef Brisket Overrated
Introduction
For some time I have felt a sense of guilt, a sense of not completely fitting in with the crowd. And the reason is simple. I do not rate beef brisket. There I said it out loud. I am free of the burden.
Of course, this is a little satirical and I don’t actually feel any different, but I did think it was a topic worth exploring to see if I was the only BBQ enthusiast that feels this way or not.
I am writing this article to provide support to those fellow BBQ enthusiasts who may also think that beef brisket is overrated, at least for your “average” BBQ enthusiast. I am writing this to let people know that it is perfectly fine to not go with the crowd.
What is Brisket?
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef. The beef brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, though the precise definition of the cut differs internationally.
The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving cattle. This requires a significant amount of connective tissue, so the resulting meat must be cooked correctly to tenderize the connective tissue.
Where does Brisket come from?
According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Second Edition, the term derives from the Middle English brusket which comes from the earlier Old Norse brjósk, meaning cartilage. The cut overlies the sternum, ribs and connecting costal cartilages
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisket
These images should give you a good visual to the whereabouts of its location on the animal.
US Diagram
UK Diagram
I also found this great video from Jess Pryles which gives you a very good understanding of the location of the meat. There is also some great opinions included in some of the competition teams here in Australia. They give an interesting insight into the intrigue of cooking a brisket.
Typical Cooking methods.
As the brisket is a working muscle, almost everything the animal does relies on this muscle. Working muscles have a lot of heavy-duty connective tissue and this basically equals extra cooking time. A good basic rule is that the more work a muscle has had to do, the more time we need to cook it.
Brisket is suited to any form of “Low and Slow.” This can be in the smoker or a casserole. The purists would have you believe the “only” way to cook a brisket is to smoke it “Low and Slow.” Heck, brisket is one of the most common categories for nearly all BBQ competitions. Not only the most common, but often seen as the premium category.
I asked the internet and this is what it said.
I’ve categorised the answers into two categories, those that feel brisket is NOT overrated and those, like me, that think brisket is in fact overrated.
Not Overrated
Overrated
Glenn Todd, former State Trooper at NC Highway Patrol (1969-1989)
It is not overrated to me. Brisket is a large cut from the chest area of the beef. It is heavy muscle which equates to the need for baking or roasting. Brisket is delicious cooked at high heat with usual spices and rubs of your choice.
Dorene Whatley, Head Caregiver/Activities Coordinator (2012-present)
I certainly think it is. My hubby smokes all kinds of meat but most of the time when he does a beef brisket it comes out dry and tough and I cannot eat it at all. His pork shoulder or butte is wonderful; his pork chops and chicken breast, delightful. Smoked veggies, great. But only once has a beef brisket turned out edible. It was tender and flavourful. However, as expensive as they are, brisket is not a choice I am ever excited about.
Chris Peters, Programmer, Welder, Home Cook and Photographer (1992-present)
If you know how to select a good brisket, trim it, and know how to cook it, it is definitely not overrated. A good brisket has a lot of intramuscular fat and collagen that melts and bastes the meat from inside at low cooking temperatures (225F or so). That, combined with smoke, can produce an incredibly delicious meal when done right.
Ron Weitnauer, Rub Developer, Grilling Mythbuster, Connoisseur of BBQ BS.
I believe it is. Unless you can find an absolutely prime cut, it will almost always come out dry. To make brisket that makes the angels sing, you need fat, marbling, just like a steak. So, if you want to spend $199 for a 14 pound Wagyu beef prime brisket (I just now researched that price, folks. I’m not making it up), you start out at a disadvantage. A butcher told me once that all the exceptional brisket goes to the trade (ie: to restaurants etc) and only the Costco-quality stuff makes it to you and me. If you can find a local source for truly prime brisket, you’re a lucky grillmaster, believe me. For the average person, it’s not worth the trouble.
Loren McCune, cooking Southern foods for 45 years.
I don’t think brisket is overrated. It is overpriced, in my opinion, at least here in Georgia. When slow-cooked with a little smoke to 200℉ internal temperature, it is a wonderful cut of meat.
Donna Grant, Member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF)
I don’t know if it’s overrated, but I will opine that I prefer to do beef short ribs over brisket as they are easier to prepare, in my opinion, more flavorful and cook more evenly so you don’t have to be concerned about one end cooking more than the other. Plus, your guests get a whole rib versus slices of brisket which normally are sliced thin. My preference – dinosaur cut beef short ribs.
Scott Yaklin, former Marine Desert Storm 1 Veteran (1985-1991)
Absolutely NOT! Brisket is the “go to” meat for low-and-slow barbecuing! In fact, it was brisket that put Texas barbecue on the map.
During cattle drives, the Trail Boss would occasionally have a steer slaughtered so his hands could have fresh meat – a welcome change of pace from beans and salt pork.
The more senior cowboys would get the more desirable cuts of meat and the younger, less experienced hands would get the brisket or whatever was left over. Because brisket is a working muscle – grainy and lots of fat – it had to be cooked low and slow in order to break down the collagen and make it tender.
Is Brisket for your average home BBQ enthusiast?
I would say NO. It is generally expensive (at least in my area). It takes a LONG time to cook. There is a very high chance of the end product being dry and not very enjoyable. It is on this basis that I would recommend a number of other cuts of meat before brisket.
I get that it is the holy grail of BBQ and it is most likely on every BBQ enthusiasts bucket list. All I suggest is that you consider the alternatives before diving head first into a brisket cook. Disappointment is the world’s quickest killer of any interest. I have seen it time and time again where enthusiasts get super excited and invested into an interest. They then suffer a setback or disappointment and quickly lose interest.
In the BBQ scene, it is all too often someone gets the latest BBQ or smoker, wants to impress all of their mates so invites a crowd around for a BBQ feast only to try and attempt the hardest cooks. It almost always sets them up for failure.
Start with something that is a little more forgiving and has a higher margin of error. You can still impress people with an amazing pulled pork or lamb shoulder. You could also wow their pants off with an amazing reverse seared steak.
In my personal experience, I have tried to string together a number of cooks that helps me learn the craft. There has been some logic in the progression and each time it is to not only enjoy the end product but to learn something about the process. Temperature control, fire management, grill placement – these are all important aspects of getting the most out of your grill and learning your equipment
Closing argument
This one is simple, if you want to cook a brisket – go for it!! Just don’t say that I didn’t warn you 🙂
In all seriousness, BBQ’ing is about learning and enjoying a cold beer or two, if it’s an excuse to have a couple of mates around to enjoy a beer and hopefully some super delicious smoked meat at the end of the day, go for it! There is no better way to learn your craft than by just doing.
Till next time, Joe On !!
Feel free to leave a comment below on how you feel about brisket.
Further reading and resources :
Feature image provided by Raymond Caldwell from Warnbro Meats
5 Must Watch Kamado Brisket Videos
http://www.beefandlamb.com.au/
