Demystifying the Beef Brisket: What Brits Call this Iconic BBQ Cut

For barbecue enthusiasts in the United States, beef brisket is a cherished icon. The long, tough cut of meat from the cow’s chest is lovingly smoked, braised, and bathed in sauce until it transforms into succulent, melt-in-your-mouth perfection American BBQ joints proudly display glistening briskets as the crown jewel of their smoked meat lineups But cross the pond, and this celebrated cut becomes lost in translation. If brisket is so popular stateside, what do they call it in the UK?

As an American expat living in England I was perplexed when I first started searching for brisket at the local butcher shop. My questions of “Where’s the brisket?” were met with blank stares. I soon realized that while beef brisket is considered the king of cuts in the US it’s virtually unknown in British barbecue culture.

Through chatting with local butchers and comparing meat cut anatomy, I finally cracked the case of the missing brisket. It turns out the cut does exist in the UK – it just goes by a different name. Ready to solve the mystery? Keep reading to learn exactly what beef brisket is called in the United Kingdom and why this flavorful cut hasn’t caught on across the pond.

Anatomy of the Beef Brisket

To understand the brisket’s identity crisis, we first need to look at where this cut comes from on the cow. Beef brisket comprises the pectoral muscles of the cow’s chest between the front legs. It’s a large, rectangular cut that’s divided into two sections:

• Flat cut – The leaner, rectangular “first cut” from the cow’s abdominal side.

• Point cut – The fattier, triangular “second cut” from the chest side.

This anatomy holds true on both sides of the Atlantic – so why the separate names? The answer lies in how the UK and US historically butchered cattle.

The Origins of US Brisket Culture

In the US, brisket was not always the smoked meat celebrity it is today. It emerged as a mainstay of American barbecue in Texas during the early 1900s. At this time, brisket was an ultra-inexpensive cut viewed as scrap meat. Slow-smoking or braising brisket for hours transformed the lean, sinewy meat into a tender dish. BBQ pitmasters built their reputations on their brisket recipes.

Over the decades, brisket went from working class fare to a coveted prize at barbecue competitions. The cut’s reputation spread beyond Texas as smoked brisket staples like pastrami, corned beef, and Montreal smoked meat gained popularity countrywide. While other classic BBQ cuts like ribs and pulled pork still reigned supreme in other barbecue regions, Texas-style smoked brisket claimed its status as an American icon.

How the UK Butchers Beef

Across the pond, brisket never gained fame due to differences in traditional British butchery. While American butchers keep brisket intact as one cut, British butchers break it down further into thinner cuts. On a UK meat chart, you won’t find an entry for brisket. Instead, this part of the cow gets divided into thinner steaks and roasting joints called:

• Fore ribs – Equivalent to the lean flat cut portion. Can be up to 1 inch thick.

• Thick rib – Also from the flat cut area and up to 1 inch thick.

• Clod – The thicker point cut section. Can be up to 2 inches thick.

• Feather blade – A thin steak from the chuck end of the brisket.

• Hanger steak – Cut from the plate section near the brisket.

Rather than smoking large brisket packers like American pitmasters, British chefs treat these thinner steaks like other beef cuts – grilling, roasting, or braising them briefly as individual steaks or joints. Low-and-slow barbecue never took hold in mainstream British cooking, so brisket never claimed a spotlight like in the US.

Why Brisket Faces an Uphill Battle in the UK

While some British smokehouses are starting to experiment with Texas-style brisket, it faces an uphill battle catching on as a mainstream BBQ meat for a few reasons:

• Cost – With no popularity as a cheap cut, brisket remains one of the most expensive cuts at UK butchers.

• Low-fat expectations – British diners accustomed to lean steak cuts often find even point brisket too fatty.

• Less outdoor cooking – Smoking large cuts for hours is less common without American BBQ culture.

• Lack of wood smoking – Coal/charcoal grilling dominates UK barbecue, not wood/pellet smoking.

That said, the growing mania for American-style BBQ could see brisket start to catch on in British cookery. US-based BBQ restaurants opening in the UK and British chefs embracing smoking techniques will continue exposing Brits to properly cooked brisket. If the taste takes off, this Lone Star State icon may finally get its British beef identity.

So while the brisket remains anonymous in English butcher shops, hopefully this guide cleared up the confusion around what this acclaimed American BBQ meat is called in the UK. Whether you’re craving brisket at home or abroad, understanding the cut’s anatomy is the first step to barbecue success. The next time you visit the neighborhood butcher, share your new brisket knowledge to help give this unsung beef cut the international recognition it deserves.