Food - Drink
Why You Need To Repeatedly Check Brisket Towards The End Of Cooking
By NATASHA BAILEY
Beef brisket, or “breast meat," is a tough piece of meat cut from a cow's lower breast, packed full of thick connective tissue, and is usually sold in three kinds of cuts — the full packer, the flat, and the point. But no matter what part of the brisket you're working with, it must be cooked slowly on low heat for a lovely seasoned crust and soft, juicy meat inside.
One of the ways to cook it is by roasting it in a pan or Dutch oven to sear, then wrapping the pan with foil, and baking it in the oven for up to four hours. However, it is not enough to leave your brisket alone to cook; instead, you need to check on it by hand every fifteen minutes when you're in the last hour of baking to ensure it’s not overcooked.
To use this method, cover your hands with a clean towel, and feel out the length of your brisket — when the brisket feels squishy in your hands, remove it from the oven or smoker. If you are uncomfortable with the hand test, you can also pierce your brisket with a fork, and if it sinks in like a knife through butter, it is ready to eat.