Point End & Naval Brisket: Overview
North America has a love affair with brisket, if not one of the most popular & highly sort cuts, it would certainly come close.
When writing this article, I considered my options:
a. Brisket is packed with flavour & has a nice fat content but if not cooked correctly, eating boot leather can be a better option.
Engage an American chef who had a restaurant in Montana which served a braised brisket casserole for many years & this dish was never too far from being discussed
b. I have never had the patience to master the fine art of cooking a brisket; to suggest it is a confidence thing & the realization that I may possibly fail would be pretty close to the mark.
The brisket is a flavourful, affordable cut that’s commonly braised (pot roast), smoked, ground, or made into corned beef. It can also be cubed for use as stew meat or ground into 75%/25% lean/fat ground beef.
This brisket is the triangular Point End Brisket (briskets are commonly separated into two cuts: Navals & Point Ends).
After cooking, brisket should be sliced against its prominent grain for ideal tenderness.
Applications: Braise, Roast, Corn, Smoke, or minced.
Its time I addressed my insecurities & inferiority complex, particularly when it comes to cooking this beast & have an in depth conversation with my colleague in Montana.
We include two recipes in this module
1. Sous Vide Smoked Brisket
2. Slow Braised Brisket in red wine w/ horseradish cream
Both have to produce the most succulent & flavoursome cuts of cooked brisket known to man. Research will be exhaustive; no leaf will be left unturned in this epic journey to discover the holy grail.
Furthermore, I fully intend to promote my new found skill & tell the world that lamb flaps are a thing of the past, consigned to ancient history & brisket is the way to go. A new chapter is about to be written
Strap yourself in for the ride & enjoy the below article as we dissect the intricacies of the point & naval end brisket.
What’s the Difference between Naval & Point End Brisket:
Refer to picture below which clearly defines both naval & point end brisket. You would think the point end would definitely be the preferred choice; however, there are a few things to consider.
Parts of a Brisket:
A whole brisket divides into two parts—the flat & the point. The flat is, well, flat. It is the large section of meat that covers one side. It is rectangular in shape & may contain fat or silver skin on the surface (which I recommend removing). The flat can be lean, but when selecting, look for an even distribution of small flecks of fat.
The point is an oddly shaped section of meat on the opposite side of the flat cut. A layer of hard fat separates the flat from the point cut, though it can run together at one end. In some areas, the point is trimmed away after smoking & served as burnt ends.
Brisket is available trimmed or untrimmed. Trimmed is usually the flat section. For barbecue, we look for an untrimmed or packer brisket with the fat cap intact. While you can make delicious barbecue with a trimmed flat, it will need a little extra moisture in the form of an injection. I recommend wrapping it for a portion of the cooking time. Smoking the flat is a fast way to make a smaller portion of barbecue brisket.
When buying brisket, there are a couple of things to consider. First, look at the thickness of the flat. You want one that is thick enough to produce decent slices. You might find that the flat tapers to nearly nothing by the time it gets to the thinnest section of the brisket. The way brisket is cut & packaged; it can be difficult to determine thickness. Try your best to find a thicker cut.
It is worth considering the cooking technique you will apply. Your cooked yield will not look anything like your uncooked yield whether you smoke or braise. The brisket is indeed a flavoursome cut & this can be attributed to the extent of fat cover associated with the cap & internal coverage. Both cooking methods will render this fat content as you apply heat & weight loss is going to approach 30% of your original yield.
Consideration should also be given to the cook time. Braising will take a lazy 12 hours on a slow simmer; whereas smoking will consume 16 hours of your time.
Why are we so scared of Brisket
Keep in mind that brisket is a tough cut of meat. It is a working muscle loaded with plenty of connective tissue & a large muscular grain. It takes long, slow cooking times to make it palatable. But this is what barbecue is all about. Low & slow smoking takes the worst cuts of beef & pork & turns them into something truly fantastic. It has taken centuries of development to produce the barbecue we enjoy today.
The secret with brisket is that the connective tissue makes it ideal for smoking. At around 70°C, connective tissue starts to break down, turning into gelatine & water. This water adds moisture, & the gelatin creates a sweet flavour & silky texture. In barbecue, this is referred to as the stall, or when the internal temperature of the meat holds steady for an hour or two. The stall is nothing to fear; this is when the magic happens.
J. Kenji López-Alt has contributed yet another excellent article for Serious Eats which I have included an extract below. His analytical & thought provoking approach to food science writing is eagerly anticipated as he breaks down the how & why of how best to produce & cook an exceptionally tender brisket. His journalistic mastery, in depth research & willingness to share this knowledge is an excellent training tool only because of his ability to clearly explain the science behind what he wants to achieve.
“Good brisket is often called the holy grail of barbecue. I’ve tasted barbecued brisket all over the country, & while you can certainly find some truly transcendent barbecued brisket, the vast majority of the time, it’s a dry, bland disappointment. What makes it so hard.
Two factors: It’s tough & it’s lean. With traditional smoking methods, a pork shoulder will tenderize in a matter of hours, & it has tons of connective tissue & fat to help keep it moist as it slow-cooks. A brisket needs to be cooked overnight to completely tenderize. There isn’t as much fat or connective tissue to lubricate the dry meat when it’s finally tender. Unless you have either the experience or the luck to nail every single step of the process, moist, tender brisket exists only in the realm of dreams.
Sous vide cooking changes all that by allowing even a novice to produce brisket that’s as moist & tender.
Why Cook Brisket Sous Vide?
I can already hear the barbecue purists moaning: But it’s not really barbecue! What’s the appeal of boil-in-the-bag? Or perhaps simply muttering into their keyboards, Sacrilege.
It’s a fair point. Sous vide barbecue is not “true” barbecue. We aren’t using hot, smoky air to slowly break down connective tissue & imbue flavour. But, with a bit of good technique, we can certainly come up with a dish that looks, smells, & tastes like barbecue. Not just any barbecue—really, really good barbecue. Barbecue that has a thick, crisp, near-black bark that gives way to meat that melts in your mouth, with a deep smoke flavour.
And let’s be honest here: That’s better than what can be said for at least 98.3% of the “true” barbecue brisket out there How many times have you had brisket that’s rubbery & tough? How many times have you had brisket that falls apart in your mouth like it’s made from sawdust? Yup, I thought so. Sous vide makes those scenarios a thing of the past.
For many folks, sous vide offers convenience. I personally don’t have a pellet smoker
capable of maintaining a nice low temperature without being monitored, which means that if I want to smoke a brisket the right way, I’m camping out overnight in my backyard, with a thermometer & an alarm to make sure I keep that fire at the exact right level throughout the night.
This is fun to do when there are friends & beers involved, but it’s not something everyone is willing to do every time they get a hankering for brisket. With sous vide cooking, there’s no babysitting required. Set the precision cooker to the right temperature, drop in the meat, walk away until it’s cooked through, then finish it off on the grill or in the oven when you’re ready to serve.
Depending on the temperature of your water bath & how long you leave the meat in it, you can achieve a wide range of textures in the finished brisket.
At 57°C, brisket will never achieve the fall-apart texture of a traditionally barbecued brisket. Instead, it will soften while retaining its structure. After 12 hours, it’s still quite tough. After 24, it’s as tender as a New York strip steak. After 36 hours, it’s even [tender, &, by 72 hours, you’ll have brisket that can be cut with a spoon, while still giving you a meaty bite & juicy texture.
At 63°C, the meat will just barely start to separate into a traditional brisket grain, but it will be a little drier than it is at 57°C. This is sort of a temperature dead zone for me: too cool to significantly break down muscle fibres to the point that they shred like traditional brisket, but hot enough that the meat will dry out as it cooks.
At 68°C, we get much better results than at 63°C. Yes, the brisket will expel a lot of moisture as it cooks, but what it loses in water it gains in tenderness & moisture, in the form of more connective tissue breaking down & fat rendering. For me, 68°C for between 24 & 36 hours is ideal point. To place this text box anywhere on the page, just drag it.]
What Temperature & Timing Should I Use?
Naval End or Point End?
A full brisket is made up of two distinct cuts of meat: the flat cut & the point cut. The naval is a wide, thin muscle about the size & shape of a large flank steak. It has a small amount of intramuscular fat (marbling), & typically has a nice fat cap on top. The point end is a triangular hunk of meat that lies on top of the flat. It is much higher in intramuscular fat & is correspondingly tastier & moister.
Whether you prefer one over the other is largely a matter of taste, but a point cut brisket is far more forgiving. The real problem? It’s very difficult to find point cut; most of it gets sold to restaurants, leaving us, the lowly home cooks, with the lean flat to deal with.
I strongly recommend looking for brisket with the fat cap still intact & a good amount of intramuscular marbling. Very lean, trimmed brisket is more likely to come out dry.
Slow Braised Brisket in red wine w/ horseradish cream
Ingredients:
4,5 -5kgs Beef Brisket
Southwestern style wet rub
7-8 whole garlic cloves
50mls canola oil
10 thyme sprigs
1litre beef stock
500mls red wine, merlot or shiraz
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
500gms Potatoes
4 bay leaves
3 celery stalks (divide by half)
5 large onions (divide by half)
4 large carrots (divide by half)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp horseradish cream
300mls heavy culinary cream
parsley
salt & pepper
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180˚C.
Thickly slice your mirepoix of onion, carrots & celery.
Apply wet rub & place brisket in large baking tray, add mirepoix, oil & roast for 2 hours to initiate mailard reaction & caramelization of the vegetables. Remove, & deglaze tray with beef stock.
Adjust oven to 135˚C. Heat Dutch oven, separate naval & point end to fit oven, add mirepoix, beef stock, red wine & mustard & place in oven & cook on a slow simmer for 3½ hours.
Remove from oven & add other half of mirepoix, potatoes, horseradish cream & culinary cream & return to oven for another 1½ hours.
Remove from oven, add lemon juice & test for tenderness. Rest in hot sauce if necessary for ½ hour.
Plate the brisket with the braising liquid & vegetables. Garnish with additional parsley & serve with horseradish cream on the side.
Southwestern Style Wet Rub
Ingredients:
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ground paprika
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp ground cumin
Method:
Clean & dry the brisket.
Combine rub ingredients & apply them onto brisket.
Place brisket in the smoker for 8 to 10 hours.
Keep the smoker temperature at 105°C. To increase tenderness, take the brisket out of the smoker, wrap in aluminium foil & place in the oven at 180 to 200 F/80 to 90 C for the last two hours.
Typically, after 8 to 10 hours a piece of meat will have absorbed as much smoke as it can & additional smoking may impart a bitter flavour.
Take brisket off of heat & allow to sit for 20 minutes before slicing.
Authentic Texas-Style Brisket Dry Rub
Ingredients:
5 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
¼ tbsp hot chilli powder
½ cup brown sugar
Method:
In a medium bowl, whisk together paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, hot chili powder, oregano, & if desired, the brown sugar until thoroughly mixed.
Pat the brisket dry on all sides using paper towels.
Sprinkle the rub liberally onto the meat. Simultaneously press it in & rub it with your fingertips until it adheres to the entire surface.
Turn the meat & repeat on all sides. Let the brisket sit for up to 24 hours, refrigerated.
Adding the optional sugar tames the heat without eliminating it completely. The sugar in the rub also crisps to a nice brown crust on the meat, but it does burn easily so keep dry-rubbed meat away from high flames. Low & slow.
Recipe Variation
Try adding dry mustard or ground chipotle pepper to the rub. Experiment with the spices to find a combination that suits you best.
You can also use this rub on other cuts of beef or for other meats such as pork, lamb, & venison, or poultry & seafood. When you cook poultry, you want to work the rub both underneath & on top of the skin.