A Quick Guide to Brisket

Why is it so confusing?

Whether you’re celebrating Passover or Easter in the next few days, chances are there’s a brisket or ham in your future. The trouble is, there are a lot of different names for a few variations on a theme.

Let’s talk brisket first, since Passover starts tonight! (I’ll come back to ham on Friday.) I know, I’m a little late to the party, but for those of you last-minute types who haven’t started shopping yet, this info might help you out. Many people celebrate with a Seder both on the first night (tonight) and again on the second night (tomorrow). 

I find the terms used to describe the different cuts of brisket to be really confusing, but this is true of meat cuts in general. There’s no central governing board telling butchers what to call different cuts, so they can call it whatever name they want! Some names vary regionally too.