American Wagyu brisket at Costco?

[BNeal]

Maybe only the Costco stores in the high-roller neighborhoods stock the American Wagyu.

There is LOTs of money up here NE of Dallas. Dak Prescott only lives about 5-minutes from me and Deion Sanders old Mansion is right down the road as well, so our Costco is pretty well stocked to cater to the big-buck crowd. I have seen the Wagyu briskets in there, but overlooked them because the prime is so fatty to begin with, but maybe I'll have to give it a try next time I see one.

 

[SmokeZilla]

There is LOTs of money up here NE of Dallas. Dak Prescott only lives about 5-minutes from me and Deion Sanders old Mansion is right down the road as well, so our Costco is pretty well stocked to cater to the big-buck crowd. I have seen the Wagyu briskets in there, but overlooked them because the prime is so fatty to begin with, but maybe I'll have to give it a try next time I see one.

BNeal,

You are correct with your assessment of the fat content in Prime. It can be overwhelming if not properly trimmed and you can’t do much about the intramuscular tissue other than ensuring you cook at a high enough temperature to break most of it down. The point will always be a different beast compared to the marbling on the flat which is why is sometimes have to foil the flat to keep it from over-rendering. I like slicing the point but realize most people turn it into burnt ends which future processes the fat. Another trick I use is to put a lit pellet tube near the point as it will raise the temp in its immediate area about 10F to make the point render faster so the entire protein clears the stall at the same time. Once wrapped, I don’t have any tips other than putting the point in the hottest area of your cooking chamber if that is possible and putting aluminum foil on the flat to protect it (kind of like tenting a turkey or its wings). When it comes to Wagyu, its fat renders at around 105F-110F and turns into a semi-buttery substance that is easily digestible. The overall cook times remain close to a Prime Grade but the output is a much moister end product (in my opinion). I recommend everyone try each to see which compliments their personal preferences. YMMV.

 

[Maule Guy]

I usually go to the Costco in Puyallup (pew-al-up for the non-Washingtonians) but may have to expand my range if I can’t convince the meat department manager to get some American Wagyu in from time to time. Actually, I do wonder whether the meat department manager is the one who decides what grades of meat to order. That decision may come from higher up—including corporate. Who knows. Next time I see him, I’ll find a delicate way to ask him.

Jim; Give the Costco at Southcenter a shot. I was in there this Fall and they had a really nice brisket selection. Maybe the Boeing employees and/or techies have something to do with it.

 

[TheRicker]

BNeal,

You should give it a try. Interestingly, I cooked Prime and American Wagyu grade briskets for a party I hosted with around 40 people (5 x ~20lbs, full packers) all prepared the same and the jury was mixed. They all liked the Wagyu’s flat but some of the females in the crowd thought the point of the Wagyu was too fatty. I sliced some and did burnt ends with some. I’ve done a similar “tasting” with 15 Prime Grade Ribeyes cut at ~2.5” and 15 Wagyu Ribeyes all prepared the same way and more people leaned towards the Prime grade as it wasn’t as off-putting with the fat content. My lesson learned was to find the best marbling on my steaks/briskets irrespective of the Grade or label because the grading isn’t based on the cut, but instead is based on the whole cow. I may be having a SuperBowl party with about 60 and anticipate A9 Japanese Wagyu, A5 Japanese Wagyu, grass fed and regular prime grade proteins that I will grind and turn into burgers for my next experiment. Needless to say, my “taste testers” always look forward to their visits. YMMV.

Sounds like some seriously good eats.

 

[TheRicker]

BNeal,

You should give it a try. Interestingly, I cooked Prime and American Wagyu grade briskets for a party I hosted with around 40 people (5 x ~20lbs, full packers) all prepared the same and the jury was mixed. They all liked the Wagyu’s flat but some of the females in the crowd thought the point of the Wagyu was too fatty. I sliced some and did burnt ends with some. I’ve done a similar “tasting” with 15 Prime Grade Ribeyes cut at ~2.5” and 15 Wagyu Ribeyes all prepared the same way and more people leaned towards the Prime grade as it wasn’t as off-putting with the fat content. My lesson learned was to find the best marbling on my steaks/briskets irrespective of the Grade or label because the grading isn’t based on the cut, but instead is based on the whole cow. I may be having a SuperBowl party with about 60 and anticipate A9 Japanese Wagyu, A5 Japanese Wagyu, grass fed and regular prime grade proteins that I will grind and turn into burgers for my next experiment. Needless to say, my “taste testers” always look forward to their visits. YMMV.

SmokeZilla…what cooker(s) do you use to cook so many at once?

 

[SmokeZilla]

SmokeZilla…what cooker(s) do you use to cook so many at once?

TheRicker,

I have a pretty large vertical New Braunfels stick burning smoker. It’s about 5 ft tall and I can put up to 6 shelves in it. When I want different smoke profiles, I will split the load between the Old Dirty Verti and the RT Bull. It is the best of both worlds. I only use it about 10 times a year but it comes in handy when I have real estate problems. FYI, as you can tell from the surrounding grounds, she’s a scorched earth beast.

 

[Jim6820]

Those “veteran” New Bransfel stick burners were solidly built and last. I’m told the new versions (after the acquisition by Char-Broil) are not as well built. I’d love to find a 1980s NB vertical in my area.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Those “veteran” New Bransfel stick burners were solidly built and last. I’m told the new versions (after the acquisition by Char-Broil) are not as well built. I’d love to find a 1980s NB vertical in my area.

Jim6820, You are correct. Mine is built like a tank and I have to move it around on a hand-truck as it really heavy. I purchased that one in ~1984. The exterior has not been cleaned or painted except for the inside pit area power-wash every 2 years and scrubbing of the grates. I don’t use a cover on it has been dropped/abused over the years (my bad). You can see the “steel-patina” all over it. I keep telling myself that I will strip it down and make it look better but then it reminds me that I am also weathered and showing my age.

 

[TheRicker]

TheRicker,

I have a pretty large vertical New Braunfels stick burning smoker. It’s about 5 ft tall and I can put up to 6 shelves in it. When I want different smoke profiles, I will split the load between the Old Dirty Verti and the RT Bull. It is the best of both worlds. I only use it about 10 times a year but it comes in handy when I have real estate problems. FYI, as you can tell from the surrounding grounds, she’s a scorched earth beast.

View attachment 21040

That’s awesome.