There is no question that brisket is great. When you get the chance to eat this delicious cut of beef, it is a real treat, and you will often find yourself craving more.
But, if you have gone to the grocery store with the intention of purchasing brisket, it is likely that you will find yourself leaving the store empty-handed. That is because brisket is typically pretty hard to get your hands on.
Now, this cut of beef isn’t really anything special, so that isn’t the reason you might be struggling to find it. Instead, brisket is often difficult to find because it is regularly sold under a different name.
If you want to be able to get your hands on some good-quality brisket, then you have to know all the different names that this cut of beef is sold under.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at just that, so keep on reading to find out more.
What Is A Brisket?
First things first, let’s take a look at what brisket is. As we have said, brisket is a cut of beef, or sometimes veal (the meat of calves) that is taken from the breast/lower chest of the cow.
It is a recognized cut of beef, and it makes up one of the 9 beef prime cuts. As brisket is taken from the chest, it is a pectoral cut of beef, and because of this it is full of juicy flavor and goodness.
Both the superficial and deep pectoral muscles are used in this cut of beef.
Brisket is one of the tougher cuts of beef that you can buy, and for this reason it is often viewed as a less favorable cut.
But, with the correct cooking method, and a little time and patience, brisket can taste so much better than any other cut of meat.
When cooked correctly, this tough cut can become succulent and juicy, so much so that it melts in your mouth when you eat it.
So, in short, brisket is a recognized cut of beef that comes from the breast area. It contains the pectoral muscles, and that is why it can be very tough when cooking incorrectly.
But, when cooking in the right manner, brisket easily becomes one of the best cuts of beef that you can get your hands on.
Where Does Brisket Come From?
Well, as we have said, brisket is a cut of beef, and for this reason it will only ever come from either a cow or a baby cow.
Physically, it is taken from the chest area of the cow, taking meat from both the superficial and deep pectoral muscles. This is what makes brisket such a tough cut of meat. But, when did brisket become so popular? Let’s take a look.
Brisket has been a very popular cut of beef for a long time, but it first gained popularity in Ashkenazi Jewish culture and cuisine.
Since the 1700s, brisket has been enjoyed by Ashkenazi Jews because of its versatility, great flavor, and low price.
It also gained popularity in this culture because the Ashkenazi Jewish community is allowed to eat it. So, families could buy brisket cheap, and then enjoy it for many days to come, despite strict dietary laws.
Over the years, brisket has become popular in many cultures, and in particular it has become an integral part of Southern cuisine. So, while this cut of meat will always come from the breast area of a cow, it also has a rich history.
What Are The Other Names for Brisket?
Now that we have taken a look at exactly what brisket is, it seems only fitting that we get to the point of this guide, and take a look at what the other names for brisket are.
There are a lot of different names that brisket can be referred to as, and this is why purchasing it is often so difficult. So what are these names? Let’s take a look.
As we said earlier, brisket is made of 2 different layers of muscle: the deep and superficial pectoral muscles.
While these muscles are typically served as one cut, and this is what is considered to be brisket, there are some places which will separate these muscles in order to sell the meat.
When divided, the cut of meat closest to the chest of the cow (the deep pectoral muscle) is known as the flat cut, and the superficial pectoral muscle is sold as the point or the deckle.
These two cuts of beef are great when served separately, and they are both used to create different things. We will take a look at these shortly.
But, if you want to truly experience brisket, you will want to buy these two things as one cut of beef. If this is the case for you, then you should look for something labeled packer brisket, packer cut brisket, or whole packer brisket.
But, these are just the other names used for brisket in the USA. If you plan on traveling outside the States, then you will need to do your research if you want to be able to purchase a brisket correctly.
What Is Made From Brisket?
While you might only know brisket as that tough cut of meat that can be made soft and tender when cooked correctly, this cut of meat is actually used to make quite a lot of things.
Especially when the two muscles that make up the brisket are separated. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the great things that can be made using brisket.
Pastrami
One thing that is made out of the same cut of beef as brisket is pastrami. Pastrami is a deli meat that can be made using a number of different cuts of beef, but most commonly brisket will be used for the job.
To make pastrami, the flat cut of brisket is used. This area of the brisket is sliced up into even smaller pieces, and then it is transformed into pastrami.
Through a process of seasoning, brining, curing, and finally smoking or cooking, the cuts of brisket are completely transformed by the time they become pastrami.
That is why so many people aren’t aware that they are made from the same thing.
Beef Roast
To make beef roast, you can use pretty much any cut of beef. But, because of its low price tag, a lot of people use brisket to make their beef roast.
If you use brisket to make your beef roast, then you can create the entire meal at a much lower cost. Brisket also works incredibly well for this sort of dish because beef roast is cooked slowly, like brisket should be.
It would be a waste to use an expensive cut of beef for this job, that is why brisket is so popular.
Pot Roast
Likewise, brisket works incredibly well in a pot roast. This is because pot roast requires the ingredients to be cooked very slowly, and this is ideal for brisket.
Before you use your brisket in a pot roast, make sure you trim off all the fat. That way, you will just be left with delicious chunks of beef to enjoy with your vegetables.
Corned Beef
Traditionally, however, the cut of beef that is known as brisket was used to create corned beef. To make corned beef, the brisket is cured in brine, and this is what gives corned beef its traditional pink color.
Theoretically, any cut of beef could be used to make corned beef, but it makes sense to use the cheaper cuts. For that reason, corned beef is perfect for the job.
Beef Brisket Pho
But it is important to remember that brisket isn’t just used in American culture. Brisket is used all over the world, and in Vietnamese culture it is used to create a noodle soup known as beef brisket pho.
This soup is made using noodles, spices, beef stock, and thinly cut beef. This thinly cut beef is usually made by cutting up brisket.
Again, brisket works incredibly well in this dish because it is cooked slowly, and this allows the brisket to become tender and juicy. So, this is another delicious dish with brisket at its heart.
Brisket Burgers
Finally, brisket can be used to create brisket burgers. Brisket burgers are made by grinding up the brisket cut of beef into a mince, then using this mince to form burgers.
If you want to create your own burgers, but don’t want to use an expensive cut of meat for the job, then brisket burgers are perfect.
With a cheap price tag, and delicious flavor, it is easy to see why brisket burgers have become so popular.
Summary
In short, while we mainly know brisket as brisket, there are a number of other names used to refer to this cut of beef, not only in the USA but all over the world.
In this guide, we have taken a look at these names and lots more. So to find out more about brisket, check out the guide above.
