Cuts of meat ?

[Optim]

Hello all I'm fairly new to low and slow cooking so I'm trying to familurise myself with the different cuts of meat and what exactly is available to us in the UK.

I'm keen on trying beef brisket , I understand it's the hardest to get right etc and won't be trying it for a while yet , I'm just trying to establish what the dos and donts are when purchasing one .

I recently contacted my local butcher who recommended a pot roast instead? ..... he told me the brisket is very fatty .

Anyway so my question is what exactly am I looking for ..... any particular type of cut to stay clear of etc and any chartristics to look for .


Sorry about the essay

Many thanks

Lee.

[Lord Grim]

Morning Optim,
Did you tell your butcher the brisket was for low and slow?
The reason I ask is that you want it fatty.
Not necessarily the fatcap, as if it's too big you'll be cutting the majority of it off anyway.
But good, intramuscular fat, marbling and connective tissue is exactly what you want.
It's this fat that when cooked out slowly makes the meat unctuous and moreish. Think braised oxtails or a forerib roast.

I'd post pics of my first one, but I haven't got round to figuring out how to do it on here yet!

[essexsmoker]

As Lord said, you want fatty. Most people don't, but you defo do. Although I'd be surprised if you get a fatty brisket. Maybe a fat cap but not much intramuscular.

Also the US cut is taken more from the front of the animal.

[Tiny]

Welcome,
It is a nomenclature minefield out there, I think the only easy translation from the "big 4" are chicken thighs, these in the UK are known as chicken thighs.....

As for Brisket, I had a long discussion with my local butcher and we agreed on the term "whole flat cut brisket" which means he chops the whole brisket off a cow and then I either take it all or he cuts me a chunk. I have struggled like many with Brisket, UK brisket does not have the layers of intramuscular fat that the USA ones do so whilst I have managed tasty I have flirted with dry due to overcooking and tough due to undercooking and as Essex points out have had to hack away great gobbits of fat to get to the good stuff.

As to flat and point this is a little trickier as I cant see but feeling a whole brisket it seems obvious as one end is a thick flat bit and the other end sort of tapers to a thin end like a tongue, so this logically seems to be the point.

I would have plenty fun with pulled pork and ribs which are more forgiving and cheaper before doing the best part of 50 notes on a brisket,
Cheers
Tiny

[Pompey Dinlo]

I'd avoid trying to engage with your local butcher, I've given up trying to explain what I want and what I want to do with it. The majority of British butchers think of brisket as only suitable for a pot roast. Give Tom Hixson a try or Turner & George (both online). TH Australian is cheaper than the USDA but compares favourably in my opinion, both are grain fed and contain a good amount of intramuscular fat.

Don't get too hung up on the price, it it goes tits up you can still make a mean chilli out of it.