Briskets are the pectoral muscles of the steer, from the chest area between the forelegs. There are two per animal, and because cattle have no collarbones, these muscles bear about 60 percent of the animal’s weight. They get a lot of work, so there is a lot of springy connective tissue in and around the muscle fibers. That’s why they are so tough. Much of the world’s brisket is simmered low and slow to break down the connective tissues and made into corned beef, pastrami, or pot roast. But it is also a fine cut for barbecue, and it is required in Kansas City Barbeque Society cooking contests.
I cannot stress this enough: When shopping for brisket, go for the highest grade you can afford, either USDA Choice, USDA Prime, or Wagyu, and handpick the slab with the most marbling visible. If it is not labeled, chances are it is USDA Select. Avoid it!
Beware: Corned beef is brisket that has been corned, which means it has been preserved with salt, preservatives, and flavorings. It is not suitable for this recipe! To make Texas brisket, you need raw beef.
The whole packer brisket weighs 8 to 16 pounds and comes in an airtight Cryovac-type package. There is a fat cap on one side that can be up to 1 inch thick, and it is pretty close to fat-free on the other side.
There are two distinct muscles in a whole packer brisket: a long, flat, lean muscle that is called the flat, and a narrower, thicker, fattier, muscle called the point. The flat is pointy and the point is oval. Go figure. Your butcher probably offers three cuts of brisket, a whole packer brisket, a flat (sometimes called first cut), and a point (sometimes called second cut, or the deckle). Each cut needs to be cooked differently.
Picture 1 (right, top) shows a whole 12-pound packer brisket, untrimmed, fat side up, as it arrived from the packer. A whole packer brisket is a lot of meat! The flat is A and the point rests on top of the right side of the flat in the oval B.
Picture 2 shows the same brisket fat side down. This side is usually close to fat-free, although there may be some tough silverskin that must be removed. The flat is A and the point is B. The grain runs in the direction of the white line. Notice the fat layer that runs between the flat and the point.
The side view, shown in Picture 3, looks right at the end of the flat with the point rising in the background. Notice that the flat ranges from ¼ inch thick on the right to about 1½ inches on the left, and the point is more than 4 inches thick.
Cooking a 12-pound hunk of meat is a commitment. And although the leftovers can be good, brisket is best when fresh. You might be tempted to buy a smaller cut, like a 5-pound hunk of flat or a hunk of point. If the meat case has both, choose the point. It has more marbling and will be more tender, flavorful, and a lot more juicy. Prepare and cook it the same way as a packer, but it will cook a lot faster. If you see only flats, ask the butcher if you can order points. Flats are usually tough, and it is hard to make them tender. If you get a flat, I strongly recommend you use the Texas Crutch (see page 60).
