This northern California native naturally considered bottom sirloin tri-tip the go-to cut of beef. But as I continue on my lifelong journey to fully understand the greater meat community, I have found another contender. In many circles, if you’re talking versatile and delicious, the conversation turns to a cut that is humble yet elegant: the beef brisket.
A mainstay of the Texas diet and the celebratory protein at nearly all gatherings, Lone Star barbecue terminology for the two main brisket muscles have evolved to rather more gastronomical descriptions over time. You will see the brisket flat, extremely straight grained, versatile and consistent, merchandized at a smokehouse as the “lean” portion. After all, the cooked Flat Half Brisket, average for all grades, has only 6.8 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving. That’s less than my sirloin tri-tip. This portrayal as the lean portion comforts the more timid barbecue amateurs, as does the satisfaction from the dining experience, with its moderate and delightful flavor that covers the plate well but in not such a messy way as to frighten those less familiar with the religion of ’cue.