Brisket

Brisket is a beef cut from the lower chest of a cow, made up of tough, collagen-rich muscles that become tender with slow cooking.

Pectoral muscles: Muscles on the chest that move and support the forelimbs. Brisket comes chiefly from the deep and superficial pectoral muscles.
Low-and-slow cooking: Cooking food at relatively low temperatures over an extended period. Long cooking gives brisket’s connective tissue time to soften.
Texas-style barbecue: A regional barbecue tradition, especially associated with Central Texas smoked beef. Central Texas barbecue commonly centers on simply seasoned, smoked brisket.
Chuck steak: A beef cut from the shoulder region, often containing substantial connective tissue. Chuck also benefits from slow cooking, but comes from the shoulder rather than the chest.
Connective tissue: Body tissue that supports, binds, and connects other tissues. Its collagen makes brisket tough before cooking breaks it down.
Braising: A method that browns food and then cooks it slowly with a small amount of liquid. Braising tenderizes brisket while retaining moisture in a covered vessel.
Jewish cuisine: The diverse food traditions of Jewish communities around the world. Slow-braised brisket is a familiar dish at many Ashkenazi holiday meals.
Short ribs: Beef ribs cut from the plate, chuck, or rib sections of a carcass. Short ribs share brisket’s slow-cooking uses but include rib bones and different muscles.
Collagen: A structural protein that forms strong fibers in connective tissue. Heat and time convert brisket’s collagen into gelatin.
Smoking (cooking): Cooking food with heat and smoke from burning or smoldering wood. Smoking is a traditional way to cook brisket slowly and build a bark.

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BarbecueBroader topic: Its connective tissue makes brisket a classic test of slow barbecue cooking.