Brisket vs. Tri-Tips
- This cut is typically sold as a roast or cut into steaks. The roast comes from the bottom part of the sirloin, is triangular shaped and usually weighs around 2 lbs. Tri-tips are particularly popular in the Western states, especially California, and are often unavailable at supermarkets in the Eastern parts of the country and Canada. Tri-tips are either trimmed or untrimmed, with the former type used for slow roasting and the latter being preferred for dry heat cooking as the fat cap on one side keeps the meat moist and juicy.
- Brisket comes from the front of the beef breast located between the front legs. A whole beef brisket is a huge piece of meat, weighing on average between 10 and 12 lbs., and frequently cut into two or three pieces for packaging and sale. A 1/2-inch fat cap is commonly left on brisket to keep it from drying out during cooking.
- Although frequently cooked like a pot roast, tri-tips are tender enough to be broiled or grilled. They are preferred for parties based on their generous size and their unique shape, which is thick on one end and tapers considerably to the opposite side. When grilled or broiled, this thickness variation produces medium-well meat on one side and rare meat on the other to satisfy various tastes. When carving tri-tip, be sure to cut against the grain for optimum tenderness.
- Unlike tri-tip, brisket must be slow-roasted to produce tender meat. It can be braised in the oven like a pot roast, treated with herbs and spices and turned into corn beef, or smoked and roasted over wood or charcoal and served with barbecue sauce. Smoked brisket is frequently brined for a minimum of 24 hours, or injected with a brine mixture to break down its fibers and connective tissue. The brisket is then rubbed with a dry seasoning mixture and put on a covered grill to slow roast and smoke for 10 to 15 hours at temperatures between 180 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. When the meat yields to the tines of a dinner fork, it is done.