Here's another good video
Questions on buying brisket
- Thread starter Cuajinais
- Start date
I just returned from Costco, Torrance. I found a couple big briskets in the pile. All Prime. There was a 21 pounder, but the 19 pounder was nice and floppy, the 21 was stiff and had a lot of hard fat. Got the 19 pounder.
I'll cook this one for slicing and freezing meal size packs for 2.
I'll cook this one for slicing and freezing meal size packs for 2.
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Good choice…er, prime.
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- Grill(s) owned
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Yeah so strange thing that I noticed today is that the flats are choice but the whole packers are prime. Guess my area is just lucky for the moment. I don't expect it to last long. I bought 3 in the past month. Only cooked 2 of them so far. Gonna save the last one for a special occasion.
chadinsc
Well-known member
just around the corner from you today at the spartanburg sams club. prime full packers $4.28lb and choice flats $6.38. interesting the flats was all choice cuts here also like previously mentioned. never noticed that before. anyone ever seen a point for sell separately? i never have.
So the answer to one of my initial questions:
1. Is the Costco choice brisket at $8.49/lb. crazy expensive even by August 2022 prices?
Heck yes!!! Even if that is close what flats go for, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m cooking it right now but it will be full packers going forward. If it doesn’t fit in my R-340 I’ll buy a vacuum bag device so I can split in two, freeze the other half for later. Also, trimming was fun! It’s like carving a weird material. And I weighed what I trimmed and it was 20.3% of original weight so spot on what someone posted above. Not that I’m an expert at trimming. What is not clear to me is if the fat that is hard should be left to 1/8-1/4” like the soft fat, or whether it should be removed completely. I basically removed all the fat that was hard to the touch.
1. Is the Costco choice brisket at $8.49/lb. crazy expensive even by August 2022 prices?
Heck yes!!! Even if that is close what flats go for, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m cooking it right now but it will be full packers going forward. If it doesn’t fit in my R-340 I’ll buy a vacuum bag device so I can split in two, freeze the other half for later. Also, trimming was fun! It’s like carving a weird material. And I weighed what I trimmed and it was 20.3% of original weight so spot on what someone posted above. Not that I’m an expert at trimming. What is not clear to me is if the fat that is hard should be left to 1/8-1/4” like the soft fat, or whether it should be removed completely. I basically removed all the fat that was hard to the touch.
@Cuajinais, if you stick to smaller full packers (12-14 pounds before trimming) you will have no trouble getting them into your RT-340. Likely, packers up to about 18# will trim out to fit in the RT-340 as well. Sometimes you just have to trim a little of the thin area of the flat and round up the corners a bit, but that’s good brisket trim practice anyway.
As for the hard fat, I remove most of it until I can press my finger on it and feel the give of the meat underneath. That sounds pretty much like what you did.
Be sure to post a finished photo of that beautiful brisket. And, don’t forget to let it rest in an insulated cooler or warm oven for several hours before slicing. You will be glad you did.
As for the hard fat, I remove most of it until I can press my finger on it and feel the give of the meat underneath. That sounds pretty much like what you did.
Be sure to post a finished photo of that beautiful brisket. And, don’t forget to let it rest in an insulated cooler or warm oven for several hours before slicing. You will be glad you did.
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Yes, it's a total case of supply and demand, plus an added dose of inflation. LGB
Once upon a time when there was no gray in my beard, briskets were still a "poor man's cut" and no one wanted them. Thanks to the emergence of BBQ Pitmasters and similar TV shows along with the introduction of easy to use pellet smokers, cheap briskets are a thing of the past. When no one knew who Franklin was and heard he was cooking briskets in Austin, it was cheap and I screwed up a bunch of them on stick burners with reckless abandon.
Now we (myself included) now consider a brisket a "special occasion" meat in line with prime rib, porterhouses, and other special cuts. Five years ago, even tri-tip was cheap...so cheap I used to buy it and cook it for my dog when the spoiled thing would refuse to eat dog food (and I was instructed to do so by my wife).
Long story short, unless we're comparing hobbies that require high octane gas, this is no longer a cheap hobby. No regrets though as I do enjoy the food and the simplicity and consistency of my grill!
If you want beef - brisket is on the cheap side, only a little more than ground beef. It's my go-to cheap eats (for beef). Chicken thighs, pork shoulder and even pork belly round out my bbq budget. I know some here buy the fancy cheap meats - specialty butchers and mail order. I'm just talking Costco and Sams type purchases.
Difference between high octane and bbq is - once you're done going 155mph or whatever... you still gotta eat.
I'm amazed at how clueless I was. All this time, because brisket is at the forefront of BBQ smoking channels, I thought it was a very expensive and desirable meat. It was something to work up to. I spent my time smoking pork ribs and chicken to get experience to 'work up' towards finally being able to smoke a brisket. As I was cutting that hard thick fat with a slight odor yesterday, some alarm bells were ringing in the back of my mind. Then I read people making comparisons to it being like pot roast if you foil it and it does not get good smoke flavor (more bells). Then the large emphasis on cutting it against the grain so it is easier to eat. And now looking at the actual price compared to other meats and these recent comments and it has finally dawned on me that brisket, which I had regarded as the sacred cow, (pun intended) is really making an otherwise crappy* meat taste good. I hear this is the true spirit of BBQ and this aligns perfectly with my thrifty ways so I'm fine with that. But it's amazing how clueless I was about brisket. *I say crappy compared to steaks, but I enjoy all meats.
I kid you not, I thought brisket was near the level ribeye steak and it seems it is much closer to pot roast.
I kid you not, I thought brisket was near the level ribeye steak and it seems it is much closer to pot roast.
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The light is dawning, Grasshopper! Your enlightenment is awakening.
Much of what we regard today as high-end cuisine originated with people of limited means cooking with what they were able to afford, gather and grow. Over time, they learned how to make it delicious with spices, different cooking techniques, etc. With grilling and smoking, we simply build on that tradition.
Much of what we regard today as high-end cuisine originated with people of limited means cooking with what they were able to afford, gather and grow. Over time, they learned how to make it delicious with spices, different cooking techniques, etc. With grilling and smoking, we simply build on that tradition.
FF Cory
Well-known member
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
FF Cory
Well-known member
I was the same way when I started. I was afraid to ruin, what I thought, was an expensive cut of meat. I’m 2 for 3. I have done them the exact same way all 3 times and I had one not turn out very good. They were bought at costco and done in the exact same manner with the 3rd having very different results. I’m gonna blame it on the meat. I‘ve had the same luck with ribs as well. Sometimes the meat is just different and we can’t control that side of things when it comes to quality. It’s still one of the best hobbies I’ve taken up.
FF Cory
Well-known member
That makes sense to me. I’ll start looking at them in that way. Thank you
Yep, this it tastes like putting “smoke lipstick” on the same beef my wife throws in the crock pot. I’m not a fan at all. It’s been ages since I’ve had brisket in a BBQ place. Will need to try in a BBQ joint again ASAP becuase I remember liking it a lot and I did not like this at all. I’m sure it is dryer than it should be but I’m hard pressed to believe you can change the taste of this meat. My baby backs come out restaurant quality and take half the time to cook. If I ever try this again it will be the full brisket and prime grade. But I’m hard pressed to try again unless the local BBQ joint proves to me this can be made to taste different than the wife’s crockpot meat.
Sorry to hear about your less-than-successful brisket cook. I’ve had my share of them over the years, but let me assure you that they can turn out better than a crockput-cooked one. No disrespect intended to your wife’s crockpot cooks.
When it goes well, a smoked brisket will have an incomparable smoky taste, good texture and tenderness, and great appearance. It does take some learning and practice to get there, however. And, cooking just the flat is pretty hard to get right IME. That takes serious effort and attention to detail to keep it from drying out. When I cook a flat (not often), it gets a serious injection beforehand and some spritzing during the cook. I also cook it at a lower temperature (200-225F) for a longer time and wrap it in paper around halfway through the cook.
Hang in there; brisket cooking is an art more than a science and takes a bit of practice to get it right. Try a smaller packer and see if you get better results.
When it goes well, a smoked brisket will have an incomparable smoky taste, good texture and tenderness, and great appearance. It does take some learning and practice to get there, however. And, cooking just the flat is pretty hard to get right IME. That takes serious effort and attention to detail to keep it from drying out. When I cook a flat (not often), it gets a serious injection beforehand and some spritzing during the cook. I also cook it at a lower temperature (200-225F) for a longer time and wrap it in paper around halfway through the cook.
Hang in there; brisket cooking is an art more than a science and takes a bit of practice to get it right. Try a smaller packer and see if you get better results.
Since we're showing our chests, here's mine...er ah the cow's. It's the Costco Prime packer I posted earlier. Good looking flat.
Did a low effort, had too much pinot before to remember to inject. Tossed in the freezer for an hour, trimmed (not my best butchery, but I didn't cut a finger off, so it was good enough), and seasoned with John Henry's Texas Brisket Rub, put it directly on the 700 at 225F @ 11:30pm, went to bed. Awoke at 5:30am and "wrapped" in a foil covered tray (I dunno what internal temp), ramped up to 275F. Should finish by mid morning, then rest til early afternoon. This one's for slicing and freezing dinner for 2 sized packs.
Did a low effort, had too much pinot before to remember to inject. Tossed in the freezer for an hour, trimmed (not my best butchery, but I didn't cut a finger off, so it was good enough), and seasoned with John Henry's Texas Brisket Rub, put it directly on the 700 at 225F @ 11:30pm, went to bed. Awoke at 5:30am and "wrapped" in a foil covered tray (I dunno what internal temp), ramped up to 275F. Should finish by mid morning, then rest til early afternoon. This one's for slicing and freezing dinner for 2 sized packs.
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You can really make dry meat more enjoyable by getting some beef stock (the dark kind) mixing in some rub, a little soy sauce, worchestershire (very little), and a dash of hot sauce. Bring to a simmer for a bit, then use it for a dipping sauce or just flood it over the sliced meat. Worse case, chop it up and add some taco sauce in a skillet and make tacos, burritos, or enchiladas out of it. They'll be great.
Me personally, I prefer a medium rare prime tri-tip to brisket. They are apples and oranges, but still of the same animal. I do brisket for a change of pace and to tell myself I can do this.
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