The History of Brisket - From Jewish Tradition to BBQ (2024)

FAQs

The History of Brisket - From Jewish Tradition to BBQ? ›

Where Did It All Start? The origin of Brisket may not be what you expected as it didn't begin with bbq-loving country folks; rather, it began as a traditional kosher food within the Jewish community. Brisket was and is still used as a special cut of meat on Jewish holidays such as Hannukah, Shabbat, and Passover.

Brisket became popular among Ashkenazi Jews due to its low cost; farmers would sell the expensive cuts and keep the cheaper ones. Ashkenazi Jewish refugees brought shtetl cooking with them, and introduced brisket to the general American population.

19th Century Immigration

Because of the opportunities and land available in the West, many Jewish immigrants settled in Texas. Eventually, the Jewish community and Texas ranchers began sharing their recipes for brisket and working together to create new smoking processes.

Most Jewish style brisket dishes are a type of pot roast, but a southern style brisket usually starts with a dry rub, as this one does. Brisket is best when it's made ahead of time: You can even make ahead and freeze until the day of your event.

Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the lower breast or pectoral muscles of a cow. Because this area is so well-exercised, it makes for quite a tough piece of meat that's full of connective tissue. This is why it's best suited towards a low and slow cooking process.

Brisket is a part of Southern history. However, it actually originated as Jewish cuisine. If you grew up in an Ashkenazi Jewish home you might remember the delicious, oven-baked brisket your mom served for holidays.

But if you smoke or slow roast something, like a brisket, then the collagen breaks down and melts. While melting, water gets into this collagen, and creates gelatin, basically giving you meat jello, which makes your meal tender, juicy, and flavorful. Triglycerides, or meat fat, are saturated fatty acids found in meat.

The Smoke: Authentic Texas brisket is about the 'low and slow' smoking method. It's smoked for long (sometimes up to 20 hours or more) at low temperatures. The Bark: One of the unmistakable features of Texas brisket is its bark – a crispy, flavorful crust formed by the rub and the slow smoking process.

Brisket roots back to 18th-century Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern and Central Europe. It was—and still is—commonly eaten on holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Passover, and Hanukkah because it is meat from the breast of the cow, making it kosher.

Why is my Jewish brisket tough? ›

Brisket contains a lot of connective tissue, which can make it tough. The type of connective tissue in brisket is called collagen. Cook the meat quickly and you get tough, dry meat. Cook a brisket slowly, with some liquid, and the collagen turns into gelatin.

Despite its name, the Jewish delicatessen is for everyone. If anything, an overstuffed sandwich of pastrami, or corned beef, or brisket is what helped Jews assimilate into the United States after the great migrations of the 1800s and 1900s.

Brisket has a long history in the United States. Brisket is the meat of choice for slow smoking barbecue in Texas, and is often considered the "National Dish of Texas".

There aren't different types of brisket, but there are two components: point (or deckle) and flat. The point is attached directly to the rib cage and is a thicker cut with dense meat and large hunks of fat. The flat has some fat but is mostly meat and connective tissue.

Incorporating brisket into your diet offers several health benefits when enjoyed in moderation. Rich in protein, brisket supports muscle growth and helps you feel fuller for longer. It's also packed with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins, vital for overall health.

The three most well-known grades, in order from highest degree to lowest, are Prime, Choice, and Select.

In the United States, Brisket's most popular use is for barbecue. In Southern states like Texas, the meat will be smoked for several hours to tenderize and take on a pleasantly charred flavor. Strips of smoked brisket are then served on a bun with a dry rub or barbecue sauce.

There are five “primal” kosher cuts that are carved from the front half (forequarters) of the cattle: chuck, rib, brisket, plate and shank. These large pieces are then butchered into smaller, subprimal cuts such as short rib, club steak and silvertip roast.

Jewish Brisket Ingredients

Beef brisket: We like the lean flat cut for sliced brisket preparations. It still has plenty of intramuscular fat to keep the meat juicy, and it looks more appealing than the fatty point cut.

The Jewish form of corned beef usually involves a preparation in which a cut of beef, traditionally the brisket, is cured in a brine solution along with various seasonings and then slowly simmered until the meat is tender and flavorful. Corned beef can also be made from the beef round primal cut.