Slice Brisket Like a Chef: A Step-by-Step Guide
You selected your brisket in NYC from a reputable butcher shop like Piccinini Bros. You followed a tasty brisket recipe line by line, ensuring deliciously tender meat. Your brisket has been cooked to perfection. Now, it's the moment of truth: time to add the slice and serve your homemade brisket. Slicing your brisket is a dedicated art form; doing it correctly ensures you can taste all the hard work you put into prepping your brisket. How do you slice your brisket so all the fantastic flavor you packed into it is present in every bite? Learn in this step-by-step guide:
1. Let the Brisket Rest
Patience is key when it comes to slicing your brisket. Don't rush into it without letting it rest first! The resting process is crucial as it redistributes the brisket's juices, preventing it from drying out after cutting. Resting also significantly enhances the brisket’s flavor. Let your brisket rest for anywhere from 30 minutes and up to 24 hours, depending on what your recipe calls for. Here are a few of the most common brisket resting methods:
Low heat: Wrap the brisket in foil or butcher paper (consider adding beef tallow to lock in moisture) and set your oven to its lowest warming setting. Place the brisket in the oven on this low heat for several hours until you’re ready to slice and serve.
Chill: Chill the entire fully-cooked brisket in the refrigerator overnight. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the fat deposits that likely formed around the meat before slicing.
Room temperature: This resting method should only be used if you’re going to let the brisket rest for a short amount of time, up to an hour or so, and eat right away. Simply take the brisket out of the baking dish and place it on a cutting board until you’re ready to slice.
Not sure which method to use? Refer to your recipe, or ask our expert butchers at Piccinini Bros. for advice on their preferred resting methods. With decades of experience preparing high-quality meats in NYC, like brisket, we have plenty of tips we’re always willing to share.
2. Use the Right Tools
You’ll want a large wooden cutting board and a long slicing knife to do the job. Pick a knife with a serrated edge that’s long and sharp. You'll want a blade long enough to cut across the full brisket width in one slice so it doesn’t fall apart, which is why we recommend using a knife that's at least 14 inches long.
3. Separate the Point from the Flat
Brisket is made up of two separate muscles: the thin, “flat” cut, and a thicker “point.” These two parts have muscle fibers that run in different directions, so it's crucial to separate them before slicing. Sometimes, the point and flat are separated before cooking or at the butcher shop where you purchased your brisket in NYC. If this hasn't been done, now's the time to do so. Brisket is large and flat and gradually tapers to a point. Cut the brisket diagonally where it gets noticeably thicker, as the flat sits partially on top of the point.
4. Slice Against the Grain
Now you’re ready to cut your brisket! The most vital part of this process is to cut against the grain at a 90° angle. This method breaks up the muscle fibers, making each slice significantly easier to chew and creating Instagram-worthy slices. If you cut with the grain, you'll end up with slices that are fatty, tough, and will break off into pieces rather than slices.
Start at the flat end and position your knife to cut slices about a half-inch thick (about the width of a pencil). Then, gently move your hand back and forth in one smooth motion with a similar force as if you’re slicing through freshly baked bread.
Note: The grain runs in different directions in the flat and the point, so you’ll need to rotate the meat differently to cut against the grain.
5. Save the Burnt Ends
Your first and last cuts are typically too small to serve as a slice, but don't scrap them! These are what we call "burnt ends." They are a delicious and often overlooked part of the brisket that you can enjoy in various ways: serve them up as they are, shred them into nachos, or smother them in BBQ sauce and make a sandwich.
Purchase Your Brisket in NYC at Piccinini Bros.
The secret to perfectly prepared NYC brisket? Use high-quality beef from an artisanal butcher like Piccinini Bros. We've supplied New York City's finest restaurants with superior beef, poultry, veal, and brisket for over 100 years. Now, you can prepare high-quality meat at home just as easily. Order our USDA Prime, hormone-free, and humanely-raisedNYC brisket along with wagyu brisket, grassfed, and organic online, call us at 212-246-8277, or stop by our store in Hell’s Kitchen to place your order today.
