Beef Brisket
The beef brisket is located beneath the primal chuck on the front half of the beef carcass. The primal accounts for approximately eight percent of carcass weight. This primal consist of the steer's breast (the brisket), which contains also the ribs and breast bone, and its arm the (foreshank), which contains only the shank bone.
The ribs and breast bone are always removed from the brisket before purchase or preparing. The boneless brisket is very tough and contains a substantial percentage of fat, both intermuscular and subcutaneous. It is well suited for moist-heat and combination cooking methods such as simmering, braising, or slow smoking.
Soon after slaughter, the beef carcass stiffen due to chemical changes in the flesh (green meat). This stiffness is called rigor mortis, gradually disappears. Softening is a process that take three to four days for beef. This softening is caused by enzymes in the flesh. Enzymes are naturally present in meat. They break down some connective tissue and other proteins as meat ages. These enzymes are inactive at freezing temperatures, slow acting under refrigeration, active at room temperature, and destroyed by heat above 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Green meat is meat that has not had enough time to soften. It is tough and relatively flavorless. Because it takes several days for meat to reach the kitchen from the slaughter house (process plants). Green meat is seldom a problem except when meat is frozen while still green.
The beef brisket is located beneath the primal chuck on the front half of the beef carcass. The primal accounts for approximately eight percent of carcass weight. This primal consist of the steer's breast (the brisket), which contains also the ribs and breast bone, and its arm the (foreshank), which contains only the shank bone.
The ribs and breast bone are always removed from the brisket before purchase or preparing. The boneless brisket is very tough and contains a substantial percentage of fat, both intermuscular and subcutaneous. It is well suited for moist-heat and combination cooking methods such as simmering, braising, or slow smoking.
Soon after slaughter, the beef carcass stiffen due to chemical changes in the flesh (green meat). This stiffness is called rigor mortis, gradually disappears. Softening is a process that take three to four days for beef. This softening is caused by enzymes in the flesh. Enzymes are naturally present in meat. They break down some connective tissue and other proteins as meat ages. These enzymes are inactive at freezing temperatures, slow acting under refrigeration, active at room temperature, and destroyed by heat above 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Green meat is meat that has not had enough time to soften. It is tough and relatively flavorless. Because it takes several days for meat to reach the kitchen from the slaughter house (process plants). Green meat is seldom a problem except when meat is frozen while still green.