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What is brisket? Beef Brisket Cuts

Brisket is a tough cut made tender by a long cooking process

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com

beef brisket point cut recipes receipt

Beef Brisket Point Cut

© 2006 Peggy Trowbridge
With a little bit of time and the proper cooking method, even the toughest piece of meat can be made palatable. Brisket is one of the least tender cuts of beef, but it can be made tender and the flavor is tough to beat.

What is brisket?

Brisket is a beef cut taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs, behind the foreshank.

Fresh brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut that requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues achieve tenderness. The long piece is cut in half for marketing. You'll find it sold as a flat cut or a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but the point cut has more flavor due to a bit of extra fat (called the deckel).

More about Brisket

• What is brisket?
• What is corned beef brisket?
• Beef Brisket Storage
• Corned Beef Storage
• Brisket Cooking Tips
• Brisket Recipes
Beef Brisket Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Cookbooks

• The Best of Meats : From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens
• The Complete Meat Cookbook
• Charlie Trotter's Meat and Game
• The Lobels' Guide to Great Grilled Meats
• More Cookbooks

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