To cut a brisket, slice it against the grain, about a quarter inch thick, after it has rested. A whole brisket has two muscles whose grain runs in different directions, so separate the flat from the point along the fat seam and slice each one across its own grain. A braised holiday brisket slices most cleanly when it is chilled overnight, cut cold, and reheated in its sauce.
Brisket is the centerpiece of many Hanukkah tables, slow-braised with onions and wine, and it turns up on Christmas tables too. It is forgiving to cook and unforgiving to carve. The same piece of meat can be tender or stringy depending entirely on the direction of the knife.
Why the grain matters
Brisket is a hard-working muscle from the cow’s chest, made of long, thick fibers. Cut along those fibers and every slice is a bundle of long strands that have to be chewed apart. Cut across them and each slice is made of thousands of short pieces that fall apart under a fork.
The grain is the direction the fibers run, visible as fine parallel lines on the surface of the meat. Slicing against the grain means the knife crosses those lines at a right angle.
Mark the grain before cooking. After hours of braising or smoking, the surface darkens and the lines disappear. Before the brisket goes in the pot, cut a small notch off one corner across the grain. When it comes out, the notch shows you which way to slice.
The flat and the point
A whole, or “packer,” brisket has two parts:
- The flat is the long, lean, even rectangle. Its grain runs along its length. This is the cut most supermarkets sell on its own as “first cut” or “flat cut” brisket, and most braised holiday briskets are flats.
- The point sits on top of one end of the flat. It is thicker, fattier and rounder, and its grain runs at roughly a right angle to the flat’s.
If you have a flat alone, there is one grain direction to follow. If you have a whole brisket, separate the two muscles before slicing.
To separate them, find the thick seam of fat between the point and the flat at the fatter end. Run a boning knife or the tip of a chef’s knife along that seam, lifting the point away as you go. After a long cook, the fat in the seam has softened and the two muscles come apart with little resistance.
How to slice a braised brisket
The traditional Jewish holiday brisket is braised, and it carves best the next day.
- Cool it in its liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The meat firms up, and the fat rises to the top of the sauce where it can be lifted off.
- Lift the cold brisket onto the board and scrape off any congealed fat.
- Find the grain or your notch, and turn the brisket so the knife will cross it.
- Slice about a quarter inch thick with a long carving knife or a sharp chef’s knife, using long strokes rather than sawing. Cold meat slices cleanly without shredding.
- Lay the slices back in the pan, overlapping, and spoon the defatted sauce over them.
- Reheat covered in a 325°F oven, usually 30 to 45 minutes, until the meat reaches 165°F on a thermometer, the USDA’s target for reheated leftovers.
This is why brisket is a favorite make-ahead holiday dish. The carving happens a day early, in a quiet kitchen, and the meat often tastes better for the rest.
How to slice a smoked or roasted brisket
A smoked brisket is served hot and needs a long rest instead.
- Rest it wrapped for at least an hour, and up to two or three for a whole packer, in a warm oven or an insulated cooler, keeping it above 140°F, the USDA’s minimum for holding hot food. Open the wrap a little at first to let steam escape so the bark does not go soft.
- Unwrap it onto the board. Expect a lot of juice.
- Separate the point from the flat as above.
- Slice the flat across the grain about a quarter inch thick, roughly the thickness of a pencil.
- Turn the point 90 degrees and slice it across its own grain, a little thicker, about three-eighths of an inch. Or cut it into cubes for burnt ends.
- Slice only what you will serve. Unsliced brisket stays moist; slices dry out fast.
Choose the knife and the board
A long knife, 10 to 12 inches, slices a brisket flat in one stroke. A sharp 8-inch chef’s knife does the job with two. Sharpness matters more than length; a dull blade tears the fibers. How to sharpen a knife at home covers the method.
The board matters too. A resting brisket releases juice, and a smoked one releases a lot.
A board with a juice groove keeps it in place where it can be spooned back over the slices instead of running onto the counter. The WONAMU. bamboo cutting board has a perimeter juice groove and a 12 by 9 inch surface. Set a damp towel under the board so it does not slide while you carve; why your cutting board slides explains the trick.
Serving and food safety
Fan the slices on a warm platter or serve them from the pan in their sauce. Spoon the juice from the groove over the top.
Keep to the USDA’s two-hour limit for cooked meat at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers in their sauce within two hours; braised brisket keeps three to four days and freezes well, sliced, in its liquid.
After carving, wash the board with hot water and a little dish soap, rinse, and dry it standing on its edge. For the deeper cleaning routine after raw meat, see how to deep clean a cutting board after raw meat. The same board carves the holiday turkey; how to carve a turkey covers that bird.
The short version
Slice brisket against the grain, about a quarter inch thick. Notch a corner before cooking to mark the grain.
On a whole brisket, separate the point from the flat along the fat seam and slice each across its own grain. Chill a braised brisket overnight, slice it cold, and reheat it in its sauce. Rest a smoked brisket at least an hour and slice only what you serve.
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WONAMU. makes a bamboo cutting board, 12 × 9 inches, bamboo, with a perimeter juice groove. Available on Amazon.
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