Sliced vs Chopped Brisket – Which is best?

Everyone who loves a good barbecue or a good cookout knows how good brisket is. With lots of different forms and versatility, this meat form can be seen in many meals throughout the world of cooking and grilling food.

However, many people debate which is better – chopped brisket or sliced brisket? The great thing is that both of them taste absolutely incredible and deserve their own recognition.

Our guide will hopefully help you to decide which one is best for you and how to cook and prepare them. At the end of the day, it’s always good to understand your meal before making it so that you can produce the best results.

What Is Beef Brisket?

Beef briskets are very popular because they’re generally big, fatty cuts of beef with tons of flavor.

In fact, these types of muscles are what gives the beef its rich flavors. Because of this, when you get a cut like a brisket, you’re getting the full range of flavor. That’s why it tastes so delicious!

What’s The Difference Between Sliced And Chopped Brisket?

Chopping or slicing fresh beef brisket is going to depend on what type of meat you prefer.

When we say that you can chop brisket, we mean that you could chop the whole brisket into pieces that are equal to your preferred thickness.

For example, you could slice against the grain for thin slices of beef or into strips for thicker chunks. This will allow you to create the meal that you want and suit the texture to your needs.

If we say that you can slice brisket, we mean thick slices of beef that still retain some structure to them. These slices are perfect for sandwiches and are especially helpful when you’re serving them for brisket tacos.

Either way, it’s important to remember that you want to serve brisket after it’s rested and not overcooked so that you still maintain the juiciness that you love about this kind of beef.

How To Slice Brisket

You’ll want to wait for around an hour before you place the meat onto a cutting board. Make sure that the board is big enough that all the meat will fit, otherwise you risk the meat touching surfaces that might be unclean.

It’s always good to use a sharp slicing knife so that you can get the best results possible. There’s nothing worse than having to use too much effort and energy when cutting your meat. The sharper the knife, the easier the cutting.

Find the grain and place the beef into a position where you can slice against the muscles and their fibers. Note that the brisket point and flat will have grain running in different directions.

The smoother the cut, the better the quality of your meal. There should be a slither of fat on each cut so that you have the option to cut it away or enjoy it with your meat.

The best technique is to slice in the same direction whilst sawing back and forth.

This will gently ensure that the cut is smooth but thorough, making sure that the beef doesn’t seem like it’s been torn apart with someone’s bare hands or with a blunt blade.

Once you’ve cut as many slices as you need, you can plate up the meat and prepare it ready for serving. It’s not too complicated once you get into the process!

How To Chop Brisket

When you chop brisket, it’s going to be a lot different because you’re not really slicing the meat. Instead, you’re chopping it together into smaller and more manageable parts.

If you were to try to chop the whole piece of meat, it would be a lot harder to work with than if you sliced it in half first. You’ll also find that the pieces tend to crumble more easily since they aren’t as well-defined.

Firstly and most importantly, make sure that the brisket has had enough time to rest once it’s cooked. This will ensure that the textures and the flavors are just right and will make your job a lot easier.

We recommend leaving the meat to rest for at least an hour, and up to three hours in general. The first hour is vital to ensuring your food is perfect.

Like with slicing your brisket, you want to aim against the grain for the best results.

If you cut with the grain then you’re going to end up with meat that’s too chewy to enjoy and that’s the last thing you want after investing so much time and effort into making your brisket.

The aim is to have meat soft and tender enough so that it’s perfect for sandwiches.

We also recommend adding some sort of vinegar or acidic juice to your meat to help enhance the flavors and to help keep the fat levels balanced.

Barbecue sauce is almost always used when cooking brisket, however, lemon and lime juice is also a great idea. These are both good and will all depend on which flavor you want to experience when eating your brisket.

What Part Of The Cow Is Beef Brisket?

You may wonder where beef brisket comes from. Well, technically speaking, beef brisket actually comes from the chest area of the cow.

How To Cook A Brisket

Cooking a sliced brisket is pretty simple. First off, you need to make sure that the brisket has been trimmed well, and then season it all over with a rub. This will help to let the flavors explode in your mouth once you start to eat the brisket.

Then the brisket goes on the smoker, usually between 225 or 250ºF, for up to 16 hours depending on the size of your cut.

Once cooked, remove it from the smoker and place in a cooler to rest.

Sliced vs Chopped Brisket – The Final Breakdown

What should you look out for when deciding on which method to use? Well, you need to make sure that you know what you’re going to use the brisket for.

For example, if you know that you’re going to eat this beef on a BBQ platter, then the sliced version is best.

However, chopped beef brisket is a useful option to enjoy a good sandwich or roll because of how small you can cut the beef. Chopped is also the way to go for dishes like brisket mac and cheese!

Another thing to consider is the texture. Sliced brisket will need to be cut and therefore will probably take longer to eat as a result.

However, there are many who prefer chopped brisket because it’s smaller and easier to eat when accompanied by sandwich bread and other similar foods.

Because of how small these meat sizes can be, they can be bite-sized and will be amazing as a part of a larger meal.

Final Thoughts

Many people like to chop their brisket if they prefer smaller portions that can be transformed into bite-sized versions of beef.

Ultimately, the way you prepare your brisket will come down to what you’re planning to accompany the meat with and how many people intend to eat it.

Beef brisket is easily one of the most versatile options when it comes to cooking beef and will allow you to have creative freedom over the meals you’re looking to incorporate it into.

Why not experiment? Find some recipes and have some fun making some good food!