If you have ever had brisket before, then you might be wondering after trying it, “Why is brisket so popular?”. Well, brisket takes a long time to cook; and if you have ever tried briskets that have been cooked at various times and temperatures, then you might notice some differences in texture and flavor. For example, there is the point end of the brisket, which is more tender and juicy, and the flat end of the brisket, which is more lean. Having to try both of these from the same cooked brisket, can yield different results.
Most individuals only want to eat the point end after trying it and seeing the difference. However, this doesn’t mean that only the point end of the brisket can be good. Both the point end of the brisket and the flat end of a brisket can be bad. It’s actually this cooking challenge that makes brisket so popular.
Reason #1: Brisket is popular, because of the challenge.
This is one of the main reasons why brisket is so popular. The challenge of taking one of the largest whole pieces of uncut beef and cooking it into a delicious brisket, is enough excitement for many to try over and over again. This is why competitions, with cooking brisket only, are often held. Even individuals that do not compete to cook brisket still get a bit of a thrill from buying their own brisket and cooking it at home.
So many people struggle with cooking a brisket, plus to some it can seem magical to have the brisket form its own special bark and vary in tenderness so much, based off of how it is cooked. Briskets can be cooked for 6 hours or less, or cooked for a whole day, so there is a lot of room for experiencing this thrill.
When an individual finally cooks a great brisket, it could be one of the best experiences that they have ever had. This makes them pursue the challenge of cooking another brisket, like the first one they had that turned out good, again. Whether they succeed or not, they still love to cook brisket for the challenge. Many people are also impressed with amatuers and professionals alike, when these individuals succeed at making a good brisket.
This challenge has made brisket quite popular.
Reason #2: Brisket is one of the best barbecues.
Some individuals trying just a plain brisket with a simple salt and pepper seasoning can easily name other beef cuts that taste a lot better when they are compared to brisket. However, brisket that is made as BBQ, is some of the best BBQ that some individuals have ever had.
A brisket BBQ sandwich for instance, is pretty good for individuals that love BBQ sauce and a little mayo. When brisket is cooked correctly and shredded up, it works very well with enough BBQ sauce and some American cheese in a sandwhich. In fact, some restaurants that offer sandwiches made from different meats, like ham, brisket, turkey, and chicken, the people say that BBQ brisket sandwiches is one of their favorites.
Brisket also works really good for burgers. Whenever brisket is shredded up and eaten with sauces, is where brisket becomes very popular for some individuals, and even more desirable by restaurants. Brisket is one of those meats that can be easily beaten by other meats and cuts when tasted as plain meat after it is cooked, but hard to beat when mixed with a good sauce or the right sauce.
Reason #3: Brisket is cheap.
Even though brisket looks expensive when buying it as a whole, usually it isn’t in comparison to other beef cuts that are really popular per pound of beef. This another reason why brisket is inevitably popular. Buying a whole brisket can feed a small family for days at a fairly affordable price, and 1 person for a week or more.
When it comes to buying beef per pound at an affordable price that can be really flavorful and good too (tender too with patience), it is one of the best choices to buy. Sometimes other cheap beef cuts will not yield to slow cooking as well as brisket would, making brisket a better option.
Reason #4: A perfectly cooked brisket is both rewarding and great tasting.
Depending on where an individual is getting their brisket from, a well cooked brisket is quite good. It has great beef flavor, plenty of fat to add to the flavor, and good bark to compliment the flavor. Some people aim for getting a flavor good bark, which can really add to making a brisket taste even better. A brisket that has been cooked really well and seasoned good can be so good that it makes a person want to try a slice of brisket and end up continuously eating it after trying it. This can make the individual that cooked the brisket feel like a top notch chef after cooking one. It is a rewarding feeling.
A good brisket has a very good habit of making people continuously eat it until it is all gone. Especially the point end of the brisket, which has the most flavor, it’s juicy, and just really good when prepared and cooked correctly. There can be a huge difference in taste and flavor, depending on who is preparing and cooking the brisket. Also, not every restaurant cooks the brisket the same, and they may use different portions of the brisket to suit their own dishes well. Sometimes it can be difficult to find good brisket that has been cooked too perfection.
A home cooked brisket cooked as a whole is going to have all the fats (the natural flavor) still in the brisket, while restaurants and other places preparing and selling brisket may trim all of this off before cooking the brisket. In this case where all the fats are trimmed off of the brisket, it can be nearly flavorless without good seasonings. This can be even more true for the flat end of the brisket that is more lean than the point end.
Without the right seasonings on a well trimmed brisket, it can lack that natural extra flavorings that it has when it is cooked in its fats. This can make individuals that are only trying these types of brisket wonder why brisket is so popular. However, as mentioned brisket can become a very popular choice in restaraunts when made with sauces to substitute the missing trimmed off fats. It can also become popular in the household when you have someone who knows how to cook it right.
Most individuals don’t have the patience to cook a brisket the way it is supposed to be cooked, so individuals trying these briskets end up questioning why it is so popular. Of course, just like any cut of meat, the same thing can be said by anyone, based off of their own personal preferences.
