Beef Brisket, possibly the most versatile cut around

This cutis flavour packed so there's no question why Brisket is seen as a prized cut for smoking and an essential at any American-style barbecue. In Australia Brisket is commonly used for roasting, braising and corning (Corned Beef).

Brisket comes from the breast and lower chest portion of cattle and as they don't have collarbones the muscles that make up the brisket have to support roughly 60% of the animals body weight. This cut is quite tough, as the muscles are well-exercised and contain a high level of connective tissue. Due to the connective tissue and the collagen, it is always best to cook Brisket at a low heat over a long period of time to ensure the collagen tenderises and gelatinises which means big flavour rewards for you. Slow and low cooking will make sure that the Brisket is ultra-tender and juicy. Although it takes a fair amount of time to cook a brisket, rest assured it is certainly worth the wait! If you cant get your hands-on Brisket great alternatives are the Skirt Steak and Chuck Steak.

• Barbequing and Smoking - Using woods like apple or hickory
• Roasting
• Braising
• Corning
• Slow cooking Its best to first brown the meat before transferring it into a pot or a slow cooker with a liquid that covers the entire meat.