Brisket

When I start in on cutting a cow the first thing I go for is the brisket. It's handy to get to and it opens up the front quarter to other potential cuts. It also takes more doctoring up that most other cuts, so it's nice to get out of the way.

Briskets are basically a cow's pectoral muscles. The grains of meat go every which way and the fat is always abundant.  

Briskets are that wattle looking mass in between a cow's front legs.

Beings I halve and quarter the carcasses, my briskets are a bit smaller than store bought ones. This cow has been aging for 21 days. 

They are easy to identify and cutting is not complicated either. These hooks make a big difference in butchering. They help keep your own limbs out of the way of the knife. 

It's good to cut plenty beyond the brisket itself and do the trimming at the table. 

They do take some cleaning up.

And especially a lot of trimming of the fat. There is way more than most cooks know what to do with. 

The under side takes plenty of trimming as well. 

Money.

I like to cut briskets and I enjoy eating them. But I'm not any good at cooking them. This is an art that is in the hands of the next guy down the line. A good brisket is hard to beat, though. Low and slow makes this woody meat fall apart. 

Today's 1.5 hrs of cutting in between other priestly responsibilities, marks the beginning of this years butcher season. Taking a bit of time during the day for this creative hobby only fuels my ministry as a priest. That's the beauty of living out of one's sonship. It properly orders our vocation to stem from our relationship with God the Father. Then we can remain peaceful and be creative in fulfilling God's mission in our life.