# Left Handed Brisket?



## navionjim (Mar 6, 2008)

Somebody tell me again if its the left handed or right handed brisket that's more tender, and how you determine which is which. Remember this was the story about which leg a cow pits it's weight on when it gets up off the ground. I can't remember which it was and with the thick side of the brisket on the table which way it should curve. Anyone remember or know where the thread was?
Jimbo


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## richtee (Mar 7, 2008)

Jim... I dunno if I should be in awe or sending meds... LOL!
Never heard tell. Could be possible... but if I knew that much about 'ole Bessie.. I don't think I could whack 'er.   ;{)


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## sparky30_06 (Mar 7, 2008)

Well it depends on if it uses it hind legs or front legs to get up on first or which lead it like to lope around the pasture on.   LOL sorry couldn't resist some farm boy humor.


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## walking dude (Mar 7, 2008)

jim........i have heard/read this.........and the side you wanted was pointed out in the article.........but i can't remember.......bout the only way to get the less used side............is taking YOUR beef to be slaughtered.......only way i would know


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## walking dude (Mar 7, 2008)

in fact..........folks....just google it

gotta LOVE the google

http://www.bbqsearch.com/search/101390.html


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## walking dude (Mar 7, 2008)

also......from the virtual weber bullet site

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]*Flexibility & Left-Handed Briskets*[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Some people believe that the flexibility of a brisket is an indication of its tenderness. Frankly, I don't know how to evaluate this when a brisket is still in Cryovac. I don't know about you, but my butcher won't let me unwrap meat and handle it before purchase. So I don't know what to make of this claim.

A more colorful claim is that the brisket from the left side of the animal is more tender than that from the right side. I don't know if this is true, but it does make for a great story, especially after a few beers. You can read all about this claim and how to identify left- and right-handed briskets by clicking the InfoBullet below.[/font]



there is another link at this site............go visit and click on it.......its at the end of this article


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## bossman (Mar 7, 2008)

When you pick a whole packer brisket you place the point of the brisket in your hand with the flat on your forearm FAT SIDE DOWN. If its a left point brisket it will curve to the left and like wise for a right point brisket, but to the right. I cook nothing but left point brisket and have be known to go through an entire case looking just for a left point brisket!
It sounds stupid but after driving on the highway and looking at cattle laying in the fields it is true all their weight is on the right side when lying down! I also place the middle of the brisket in my hand and see how flexable it is, it should hang down on both sides, if its stiff as a board throw it back and pick another.
Learned this from my butcher when we had a conversation about this. And so far I've done pretty well in  contests with left point briskets! Hope this helps!


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## walking dude (Mar 7, 2008)

ahh.......heck.........i will just copy and paste it



*[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]TVWB InfoBullet[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]The Tale Of The Left-Handed Brisket[/font]*
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Posted by "Shingleman" on The BBQ Forum, July 18, 2001:[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]A few years back at the Texas State Finals, lovingly known as the "Meridian", several of us early birds would arrive on Thursday to get in line for the first-come, first-serve pick of the best cook sites. Thursday night was devoted to serious drinking, hoping to pry secret tips out of other cooks.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]One of the better cooks there was ole Connie Baker of team "Lil' Pit of Heaven". He was throwing back quite a few of those Mexican beers with a chunk of lime stuck in the neck of the bottle. Connie had so many of them limeade beers that he was starting to smile with a pucker. As a matter of fact, some of the strangers started to scook away and look at him kind of funny. This was when I figured that ole Connie was ripe for the prying of secrets.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]One of us asked him how come his brisket was so tender and always placed in the top three. I thought to myself, boy oh boy, if loose lips sink ships, then Ole Connie is going down tonight. All got quiet as he stuffed another lime in a long neck and said that he only cooks *left-handed briskets*.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]He explained that most, but not all, steers rest on their left side, which means when they get up they have to push harder with their right legs.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]At this point about half of the bunch murmured something to the effect of "bull hockey" and went back to their 4 or 5 different conversations.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]A few of us noticed that ole Connie wasn't smirking. Hmm, was he onto something? Two or three of us moved closer and I told him, "You can't stop there. What does pushing up with their right legs have to do with the left brisket?"[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Ole Connie stuffed another lime and told us that when they push up with the right legs it flexes the right brisket muscle more so than the left. Therefore, the right-handed brisket will be tougher and less marbled than the left, not always, but usually. Most everyone had written Connie off as a bull sheeter and was not paying much attention to me and Connie. I had to know more and asked him, "How the heck do you tell a left-handed brisket from the right?"[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]As expected he stuffed another lime and I mixed another Makers. He then told me that with the fat side down, on a left-handed brisket, the point will curve to the right.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Saturday awards time rolled around and Connie took 1st brisket and Grand Champ over 180+ of the best cooks in Texas. His next stop was gonna be the American Royal.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]I think that I came in 19th with my right-handed brisket. I just could not get this left-handed brisket thing off my mind. When we got home Sunday afternoon I stopped to look at the cows. Four were laying down and three were on their left side.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Welp, I have been raising a few head of cattle for 24 years and this got me to thinking about what ole Connie had spilled out to us that night. I phoned the kin folk in LaGrange, Texas and told them the story and asked if they would check out their herd. Yep, you guessed it--only 3 out of 37 consistently rested on their right side.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Dangnation, Connie has got it going big time. I went to 5 different grocery stores and flexed briskets to see which sides were more limber and which ones were more marbled.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]I have found that there are exceptions to every rule. There are some right-handed briskets that are more limber and marbled than the lefties, but for the most part I find that the majority of the best pick comes from the left-handed pile of briskets.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Another exception to the rule is that you can find a Prime Grade quality brisket that is marked Select and a Select grade marked Choice.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]My rule of thumb is flexibility and marbling. Evenness on the flat end is a plus. I'm going to inspect the lefties before I move on to the right-handed ones.[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Welp, there it is folks. Take it or leave it. As Jack used to say in the 1950's Dragnet TV detective show, "Only the facts, mame".[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]- Shingleman[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Reprinted with permission from Ray Basso.[/font]


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## desertlites (Mar 7, 2008)

I going looking south paw from now on. damn what i learn here. thanks dude


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## walking dude (Mar 7, 2008)

NP

d88de


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## bbqchris (Mar 7, 2008)

interesting read Dude. thanks for posting it


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## nicko (Mar 7, 2008)

Good thing I read that.....Just looked and I just got a 17lb leftside brisket.
Going to smoke it next week.


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## richtee (Mar 7, 2008)

Huh. Will wonders never cease. NOW I gotta do 2 briskets... a left and a right and compare...sigh.


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## fatback joe (Mar 7, 2008)

Let me know if you find a difference........if you do, I will have to retest my results.  LOL   No difference IMO


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## erain (Mar 7, 2008)

rich if you do post results, geez now i gonna be lookin at every cow to see if it layin on rt or left as i drive to work. at first i thought i was in the joke section by accident.


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## navionjim (Mar 7, 2008)

Well what reminded me of this post was that I WAS driving through the fields the other day and looking at some resting cows (longhorns) and damn if 90% of them weren't on their left side. I'm buying a brisket after work today for this weekends smoke. It will be a left hanged one to be sure.
Jimbo


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## cowgirl (Mar 7, 2008)

Hmmm, I've heard this before. I'll run out to the pasture and check.


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## desertlites (Mar 7, 2008)

I just came back from my meat store ( picking up fat for a sausage WE) I asked him about it-He didn't have a clue.so whail waiting for him to get the fat ready I proceded to play with the brisquits-holding them in arm to see which way turned-I found 2 lefts outta [email protected] $2.49# had to get them both.Dang I glad Allie loves my smokin & cooking!


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## navionjim (Mar 7, 2008)

Seriously Cowgirl, let us know what ya see!
Jimbo


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## cowgirl (Mar 7, 2008)

Jimbo, my cows were grazing....my neighbor's corrientes were laying on their left side....their buffalo was on it's middle. lol
I will check on my other neighbor's red angus when I go back out to feed.
Also, will check on mine later....they have to lay down sometime.


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## rw willy (Mar 7, 2008)

The cow part  sorta understand.
But why do we have to hear about your neighbor's angus?  Tell him to use cornstarch.


HaHa!


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## richtee (Mar 8, 2008)

Enquiring minds, yanno...


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## erain (Mar 10, 2008)

i been following this post a little thinking it a bit humorous, i went to work friday and mentioned it to one of the old timers. he didnt sound the least bit surprised about this left brisket being tenderer than the right. as a matter of fact he even had a reason for it which sounds plausible... here it is just for ya all. cattle are considered to be ruminants as are sheep and goats. pigs,deer,elk etc. have a digestive system comparable to humans. basically ruminent have four stomachs instead of one, each one doing a certain part of the digestion process, the first stomach is called the rumen which grass,hay, etc whatever thecow eats goes and is stored where it starts to break down. when the cow is not eating-ie laying down, it needs to regurgitate this and further chew referred to as chewing cud. this first stomach being forward left located does not have muscles which enable it to work the material stored there back to the chewing mechanism. hence the reason the animal lays in a posistion to place pressure on the rumen to sort of squeeze the material back up. so whether or not the left is tenderer than the rite i dunno but ya never know!!! we will have to wait until rich gives us the result of his lefty vs righty brisket showdown.


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## navionjim (Mar 10, 2008)

Well I carefully picked out a 16 pound flexible left handed brisket on Friday and smoked it for 22 hours from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. Now the problem is I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a "suspect" right handed one to compare! This one was excellent and I'd hate to smoke something substandard just to see if if the story is true!
Jimbo


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## fatback joe (Mar 11, 2008)

Keep buying up those lefties.........maybe the price will fall for those of us who don't mind a righty.


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## cowgirl (Mar 11, 2008)

After harassing all of the cattle within a 30 mile radius today..........
I found they were laying on both their left and right sides in equal numbers.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






RW Willy, next time I talk to my neighbor, I'm gonna tell him I do not want to hear about his red angus.


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## navionjim (Mar 17, 2008)

Dang Cowgirl, that sort of disrupts the theory, ruminant stomach being on the left or otherwise.

But seeing as how your a medical professional, couldn't you give your neighbor some cream for that?

Jimbo


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## cman95 (Mar 18, 2008)

Left, right brisket.......I was in a strip joint on time........oh, wrong thread. Sorry!!!

Really I will try a left hand brisket when I get back to the states.


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