Brisket facts for kids
Brisket is a special cut of meat that comes from the lower chest area of a beef or veal animal. It's one of the main cuts of beef, though exactly how it's defined can be different in various countries. The muscles in the brisket area help support a lot of the animal's weight, which means this cut has a lot of strong connective tissue. Because of this, brisket needs to be cooked in a special way to make it tender and delicious.
The word "brisket" comes from an old word meaning "cartilage." This makes sense because the cut of meat is found near the animal's ribs and breastbone, which are made of cartilage and bone.
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How Brisket is Cooked
Brisket can be cooked in many ways, like baking, boiling, or roasting. People often pour juices or sauce over the meat while it cooks, which is called basting. This helps keep the meat moist.
Brisket is naturally a tough cut because of all the strong fibers in it. But when cooked slowly, these fibers turn into something soft and jelly-like called gelatin. This makes the brisket much more tender. Brisket often has a layer of fat on top, which helps stop the meat from drying out during the long cooking time needed to make it tender. Water is also important for this change to happen.
Smoking Brisket
In the United States, a very popular way to cook brisket is by smoking it. This involves rubbing the meat with a mix of spices or soaking it in a marinade. Then, it's cooked slowly over indirect heat from charcoal or wood.
Chefs often use special types of wood like oak, pecan, hickory, or mesquite to add unique flavors. The smoke from the wood and the dripping meat juices makes the flavor even better. This kind of smoked brisket is a famous type of barbecue, especially in Texas barbecue.
Sometimes, after the brisket is cooked, smaller pieces are put back into the smoker to make "burnt ends." These are extra smoky and crispy pieces, very popular in Kansas City-style barbecue.
Other Ways to Enjoy Brisket
Brisket has been a popular meat in the United States for a long time. In Texas, it's often called the "National Dish" because it's so loved for slow-smoked barbecue.
In Britain, brisket can be smoked, but it's also often roasted very slowly in a covered dish with gravy. This dish is sometimes called braised or stewed beef. It's usually served with vegetables like carrots. It's a traditional and hearty meal.
In Germany, brisket is often cooked slowly in dark beer with vegetables like celery, carrots, and onions, along with herbs like bay leaves and thyme.
Brisket Around the World
- In traditional Jewish cooking, brisket is often braised (cooked slowly in liquid) as a pot roast. It's a popular main dish for holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and for the weekly Sabbath meal. It was a common and affordable choice for Ashkenazi Jews. Brisket is also used to make corned beef, which can then be spiced and smoked to create pastrami. The Jewish community in Montreal also makes a similar dish called Montreal-style smoked meat from brisket.
- In Cantonese cuisine (from China), brisket is often cooked with spices over low heat until it's very tender. It's commonly served with noodles in soup or in a curry.
- In Korean cuisine, brisket is sometimes boiled at a low temperature with flavorful vegetables. Then, it's pressed and soaked in a soy sauce marinade. This preserved meat, called jang jorim, is served in thin strips as a side dish. Brisket is also the main ingredient in a spicy soup called yuk ke jang. Today, thin slices of brisket are also popular for quick cooking on a hot plate.
- In Thai cuisine, brisket is used to make suea rong hai, a popular grilled dish from northeastern Thailand.
- In New Zealand cuisine, brisket is used in a "boil-up." It's boiled in seasoned water with green vegetables and potatoes, and is popular among Māori.
- It's a common cut of meat used in Vietnamese phở soup.
- In Italian cuisine, brisket is used to prepare bollito misto, a traditional recipe from Northern Italy.
- On the Indian subcontinent, brisket is used in nihari, a popular dish.
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