The Proper Way to Slice Brisket

Shred brisket coarsely with your hands to add to salads, tacos and sandwiches.

The brisket is a cut of meat that comes from the breast of the cow, just below the shoulder. It is sold with or without the bone, and is ideal for barbecuing or roasting. If you're going to put it on the barbecue it's best to purchase brisket with marbling so that it doesn't dry out. You can marinade the meat overnight using a variety of rubs and spices to help tenderize the meat as well as flavor it. Use it in stews, sandwiches, shred it to make tacos and cook in pot roasts, the latter particularly popular in Jewish cuisine.

Things You'll Need

• Very sharp knife

Instructions

1. Put the brisket on a chopping board or flat surface with the fat side facing upward.

2. Cut across the grain, rather than with the grain. The grain refers to the streaks running across the top of the meat, which are the muscle fibers.

3. Slice with a width roughly equivalent to that of a pencil. If you're finding the meat too tough, make slices a little thinner.

4. Cut off the burnt ends, which are very tasty. In fact some restaurants have started to serve the burnt ends without the rest of the meat to keep up with demand.

Tips & Warnings

• Trim excess fat off before cooking.

• To keep the brisket warm after slicing, wrap it twice in foil, place in an ice cooler and then wrap again in a towel. The cooler is insulating and will retain the heat for six to eight hours.

• Don't be alarmed if your brisket looks burned, this is how cooked brisket looks, and you will still be able to slice it.

• Be aware that you may end up with half the meat you had before after trimming the brisket and after shrinks during cooking.

References

• Cookshack: Brisket 101; 2011
• The Virtual Weber Bullet: Brisket Selection & Preparation; Chris A. Allingham