Holiday travel: Brooke Shields packs 'big pieces of meat' in carry-on

Brooke Shields told the morning show "Live with Kelly and Ryan," a flight didn't get in the way of her family's favourite holiday meal. Photo / Getty

'What item can you not travel without' is a question we love asking travel veterans and celebrities alike. As if the contents of their suitcases could reveal some intimate character trait, or at least a handy essential to add to our packing list.

Sometimes, the answer is genuinely helpful, like packing cubes, microfiber towels or other functional objects.

Other times, the response is a little more bizarre, or in Brooke Shields' case, meaty.

During an interview, the famous actress shared one item she always takes with her when travelling home for the holiday season. Something so unforgettable, Shields said airport security often knew it was coming when her family went through check-in.

The item? Brisket.

Or, more specifically, a brisket Shields' husband smokes with a special dry rub blend.

When it comes to cooking brisket, the general rule of thumb 30 to 60 minutes per pound of meat. Photo / Isaac Taylor

While on the morning show "Live with Kelly and Ryan," she said the dish was a holiday favourite, meaning it simply had to come along with them.

"My family loves it the night before Christmas so we go through security with these big pieces of meat, " she explained.

As for the potential smell, Shields said they made sure to wrap it in lots of tin foil and plastic so the smell didn't dominate the aircraft cabin.

Carrying a brisket on board may seem a little outrageous, however, it seems Shields isn't the only one who doesn't let a flight get in the way of her perfect holiday meal.

"Live with Kelly and Ryan" shared a clip on their Instagram page titled "Can you guess the food that could make it through TSA?!". Many fans commented on their own experiences of taking pies, cake and even frozen cranberry sauce on a flight.

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A post shared by LIVE with Kelly and Ryan (@livekellyandryan)

According to Travel + Leisure, model Chrissy Teigen also took to Twitter once to ask followers whether cold gravy could make it through TSA and onboard.

let’s play “is cold gravy tsa approved” pic.twitter.com/ykxh0pJ1l6

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) June 25, 2019

Fortunately for those planning an extra special Christmas meal, food can be taken on board for domestic flights with Air New Zealand and Jetstar.

However, for any particularly liquid-heavy or smelly dishes, it may pay to check with your carrier before departure.