Difference Between Beef Brisket and Corned Beef Brisket (With Table)

Brisket gets obtained from the chest area of the cow. And it is also the hardest cut of meat. Beef brisket and corned beef brisket are the two most available brisket in the market. Both of these gets made from beef. 

Beef Brisket vs Corned Beef Brisket

The main difference between beef brisket and corned beef brisket is that the beef brisket is unprocessed meat that gets cut from the front trunk of the cow. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is the processed meat to store for a longer duration. 

Beef brisket gets obtained from the front chest of the cow. The cow uses this part to maintain its balance. Therefore, the obtained beef from this part is tough and requires a large amount for cooking. This type of beef is unprocessed, and one can not store it for a longer duration.

The corned beef basket has nothing to do with its name. As the name suggests, it does not get cooked with corn. However, it is not true the term corned refers to the processing and stages this beef gets passed. Corned beef is processed beef and can get preserved for a longer time.

Comparison Table Between Beef Brisket and Corned Beef Brisket 

PropertiesBeef BrisketCorned Beef Brisket
Cooking TimeDue to its hardness, it takes almost four hours to get cooked. A beef basket should be cooked slowly. To reduce the cooking time one can also soften it by pot-roasting or smoking.Corned beef brisket is not that hard but it also requires slow cooking. Most of the time it is reduced into slower pieces to reduce the cooking time. Before cooking, it is advised to soak the meat to remove the salt.
PreservationIt is unprocessed meat, therefore it is not preserved with any chemical.This meat gets preserved by Prague powder, which gives this beef a pink colour. Prague contains sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. These chemicals help in suppressing bacteria. And in this way protects the meat. This beef then passes through a brine solution, and after the beef is sprinkled with pepper, salt, and other spices.
ColourThe beef brisket has the original colour of the beef. Corned beef brisket is pink or red due to a powder called Prague.
CookingIt need not get be soaked before cooking. It is needed to soak this beef because of its salty taste that could lead to indigestion.
Served withBeef brisket gets used with all the items like soup, salad, BBQ sauce, street tacos, eggs, mashed potatoes, gravy etc.Corned beef brisket gets more often served on a piece of rye bread with sauerkraut in a Reuben sandwich.

What is Beef Brisket?

Beef brisket is a cut from the lower part of the chest or the breast of the cow. The two ways of cutting this beef are point cut and flat cut. The pointcut is a triangular-shaped beef brisket that has a patch of fat over the beef. The flat cut is used in restaurants and hotels. This flat cut beef has very little fat on the surface. 

As the beef is taken from the tougher part of the cow, it takes a very large amount of time to get cooked. It is cooked slowly for breaking collagen in the tissue. It can be cooked using various processes like roasting, baking, and boiling. 

One of the popular methods of cooking beef brisket is by marinating or rubbing spices over the meat, afterwards cooking it under slow heat. Some prefer to cook it over wood or charcoal, as it will protect the kitchen from excessive heating. 

What is a Corned Beef Brisket?

Corned beef is also known as salt beef because of its salty taste. The salty taste comes from treating the meat with rock salt. This meat is processed with a powder known as Prague. A Prague is constituted with ammonia nitrate and ammonia nitrate solution that converts the myoglobin present in the beef to nitrosomyoglobin and gives the beef, pink or red colour. 

The beef that is not passed through the ammonia nitrates or ammonia nitrites has a grey colour. This grey-coloured beef is called New England Corned Beef. This beef does not contain much fat on the surface. Before cooking, one has to soak it to release excessive heating. 

Corned beef brisket is sometimes served with cabbage on the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day. It comes with a seasoning packet. It has some fat that gives a taste while cooking.

Main Differences Between Beef Brisket and Corned Beef Brisket

  1. Beef brisket is a lump of raw cut meat therefore, it tastes like beef. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is brine-cured, therefore it has a salty taste.
  2. Beef brisket is unprocessed beef. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is processed beef.
  3. Beef brisket can not be preserved for a longer duration. On the other hand, corned beef brisket can be preserved for a longer duration.
  4. Beef brisket has the colour of beef. On the other hand, corned beef brisket has a red or pink colour due to a powder called Prague.
  5. Beef brisket is served with common eating materials like potatoes, carrots etc. These are mostly used at home. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is used mostly in restaurants.
  6. Beef brisket is cheap. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is expensive.
  7. Beef brisket is not soaked in water before cooking. On the other hand, corned beef brisket is soaked in water before cooking to remove the salt from the beef. Not removing salt can cause indigestion.

Conclusion

A brisket is obtained from the tougher part of the cow. It can be cooked in several ways. Due to its hardness, it cooked for a longer duration of time. The longer the duration of cooking, the tastier the taste. 

References

  1. https://ipfs.yt/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Corned_beef.html