Season Opener - What are you doing?

[Roaniecowpony]

With the unofficial BBQ season opener just a few weeks away, I started thinking about what I'm going to smoke. I wanna give one of Harry Soo's tips a try on brisket, but I'm sure a couple other neighbors are going to do brisket for the block party. Maybe I'll just practice a week earlier and freeze it in small servings.

What are all of you doing?

 

[Pacman]

No big plans for Memorial Day, but the following weekend I have been talked into cooking my work crew three briskets. I did two last time and people were literally wiping my cutting board with their fingers.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

... people were literally wiping my cutting board with their fingers.

Not much better feedback than that.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I've taken on doing tri-tip for our block party. One neighbor is doing brisket, another is doing chicken wings. I might toss in a few racks of babybacks or spares. I was hoping the nextdoor neighbor would ribs on his 700.

 

[C. Keeper]

I've taken on doing tri-tip for our block party. One neighbor is doing brisket, another is doing chicken wings. I might toss in a few racks of babybacks or spares. I was hoping the nextdoor neighbor would ribs on his 700.

Address?

 

[ringosmoke]

My season is "open"... rain/shine, sleet, snow, ... just not when T-storms come calling (which could be a thing in my neck of the woods on the weekend).

Plan A is smoking beef short ribs on the weekend. They also taste excellent with an even more super beefy flavor when braised in 7.5 qt dutch oven which will be Plan B if mother nature brings hours of zappage.

 

[Cavite]

Baby back ribs 3 different ways (original rub, new rub and asian style), hasselback potatoes with a sour cream/onion/chive schmear, grilled asparagus, elotes, bbq sauce and probably a smoked salmon fillet.

Asian ribs: https://meateatingmilitaryman.com/smoked-asian-ribs/
New rub: https://heygrillhey.com/best-sweet-rub-grilled-pork-chicken/#wprm-recipe-container-3637
Potatoes: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sour-cream-and-onion-hasselback-potatoes
Elotes (no brisket) https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/brisket-elotes

SWMBO's contribution
Dessert : https://www.thekitchn.com/lemon-crumb-bars-recipe-23658749
Possibly another vegetable (knowing her, more veggies for me to grill)
All the shopping & decorating

 

[Jim6820]

Kicking the long weekend off tonite with a Santa Maria-style tri-tip for our dinner. Will do an early-morning brisket smoke on Monday for a family get-together later that afternoon. It is a smaller 9-1/2 lb brisket, so probably just an 8-9-hour cook.

 

[SmokeZilla]

With the unofficial BBQ season opener just a few weeks away, I started thinking about what I'm going to smoke. I wanna give one of Harry Soo's tips a try on brisket, but I'm sure a couple other neighbors are going to do brisket for the block party. Maybe I'll just practice a week earlier and freeze it in small servings.

What are all of you doing?

Brisket, did you say brisket? I will be doing 2 this weekend (Sunday, Monday for two different groups of family/friends). The Wagyu is already in its 30 hour dry rub bath. 20lb Wagyu trimmed to 17lbs.

 

[Jim6820]

Brisket, did you say brisket? I will be doing 2 this weekend (Sunday, Monday for two different groups of family/friends). The Wagyu is already in its 30 hour dry rub bath. 20lb Wagyu trimmed to 17lbs.

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How come MY Costco never has Wagyu brisket? I’m lucky to find a Prime or two.

 

[SmokeZilla]

How come MY Costco never has Wagyu brisket? I’m lucky to find a Prime or two.

I’m sure you are being rhetorical but for others you can call your family and friends and have them call your local Costco meat manager. If the demand is there, they will stock it. At several of my local stores, they can’t keep the Wagyu in the cooler and the Prime only lasts a few hours. I watched a shopper buy 5 boxes of Wagyu one day. I sure wanted to know how must that cost since each box weighs 50 lbs. At today’s cost of $6.99 your are talking a little over 1,700.00 not including tax. I did ask him as we waited for his order to be fulfilled (I only needed one box) and he said he owned a restaurant and his delivery service was having problems with their supply chain. Other than that, if you have a Costco Business Center near, they keep a good supply of inventory. I also have 5 stores within a ~8 mile distance from my house and here in SoCal people like to entertain.

 

[Motodad1776]

My Costco also carries WAGYU, so must be a regional thing or perhaps the store manager decision? Plenty of well off folks where I live who are big spenders, so perhaps that is another factor.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

Years ago, they used to designate certain stores as premier or something like that. I don't know exactly what the differences were. But, certain stores carried things other stores did not carry. I remember having to drive to one of the premier stores to get certain things.

If you look on their website, you will find "Business Centers". The one that I've been in has things like whole goats, hogs and other things that regular stores don't have.

 

[Jim6820]

Years ago, they used to designate certain stores as premier or something like that. I don't know exactly what the differences were. But, certain stores carried things other stores did not carry. I remember having to drive to one of the premier stores to get certain things.

If you look on their website, you will find "Business Centers". The one that I've been in has things like whole goats, hogs and other things that regular stores don't have.

The nearest Costco “Business Center” is about 45 minutes away. I may have to bite the bullet one of these days and make the trip to see what they have.

And, @SmokeZilla. I was being literal when I said my local Costco never has Wagyu brisket. I’ve talked with the meat department manager and he says he’s never seen Wagyu brisket in the several years he’s been there.

The last time I saw USDA Prime brisket there, I had to ask him if they had any. He had one of his guys bring out about a half-dozen Primes and I bought the two that were in my preferred 10-12-pound range. One of them will go in the smoker early tomorrow morning (5 am).

 

[SmokeZilla]

Jim6820,
That’s definitely a “road trip” in the makings. I wonder if you got several of your friends together and ordered a box instead of a single unit, if Costco would deliver the order for free. You may also try to team up with a local restaurant and piggy-back on their orders from time to time. Just trying to turn the lemons into lemonade, lol, good luck with your cook. I’m nearing the end of an ~18hr cook for a ~16lb (after trim) Wagyu smoke myself.

 

[Pete6737]

After a thorough spring cleaning of my Recteq 1250, and the 340,,, I made these super tasty SPG no wrap ribs. Man they were excellent!