The Red Flag That Tells You When Brisket Will Be Mushy

A good, well-cooked brisket should be firm but not tough or chewy. After all, this is a cut of meat from the cow's pectoral muscles, strong muscles that saw a lot of use by the cow while it was alive. However, there are things you should know before buying a brisket at Costco or your local grocery store. If you're not buying a good quality cut, your brisket won't be firm like it's meant to — It'll be mushy instead.

For help choosing a brisket that'll get you fresh, appetizing results come dinner time, Chowhound spoke exclusively to Derek Piva, the Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Tu Tu' Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon. According to Piva, you should always "avoid briskets that have dry, discolored, or grayish edges, as these indicate poor handling or age." He goes on to say that you should be wary of excessive fat caps (the dense white fat on the meat's surface) or unevenly butchered pieces. Most importantly, never buy a cut of brisket with especially unusual textures because these problems will only compound once on the grill: "Steer clear of briskets that feel excessively soft or squishy, as this might mean poor muscle integrity, leading to mushy results when cooked."

An overly squishy steak at the supermarket is concerning for plenty of reasons. Raw meat, especially a pectoral cut like brisket, will gradually lose its firm texture as time passes, which means the steak you're purchasing is stale at best and spoiled at worst — it'll look slimy if it's spoiled. Smell is the biggest indicator of rotten steak, which can be tougher if you're buying a sealed package. So don't be afraid to poke at the steak before you buy it: the meat should spring back after you press your finger into it, not slouch.

In terms of color, you're not just looking for gray meat: any hue beyond red or reddish-purple is a concern. Yellow or moldy green is a clear sign of spoilage, and a raw brown steak in the store is too old. Eventually, any beef will naturally darken once exposed to oxygen by sitting in the fridge, but you shouldn't buy it that way, or it could get mushy once you cook it.

Every part of the brisket, from the flat to the point to the deckle of beef (if the butcher didn't remove it, which they should do), should look up to standards. If it looks good, brisket is a great cut of steak to smoke or cook slowly, and the result should be firm and juicy.