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Walmart Brisket

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MattBTI
MattBTI Posts: 417
in Beef
Picked up a whole packer last night on sale at our local Walmart. $35.65 @14.74 lbs. Choice. I have yet to cook a brisket...ever. Debating on whether or not to smoke it whole, turn the flat into Jerky and the point into Pastrami, or pastrami the point and smoke/slice the flat. So many options! Any Ideas/pointers would be appreciated.
Pratt, KS
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  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
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    I would trim, S&P and then smoke whole. I'd put a little aluminum foil under the edge of the flat during cook (help to keep from drying out). In my experience, Walmart (Excel brand) briskets are a little hit & miss, but I think this is excellent practice for you. Not sure where you are located but Costco has been carrying Prime Briskets for near that price. With Prime, you get more marbling and it will generally be a little more forgiving. I'd cook at ~250 degrees about 1 hour per pound until I/T 190-195 (you want it to feel jiggly it fattest part). A few chunks of oak/hickory. 

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

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  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
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    190-195 is a good starting [point, but don't remove it until it probes very tender. Sometimes it gets to 205 before being "butter" tender.

    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
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  • Rte1985
    Rte1985 Posts: 304
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    Every time I see a Walmart brisket I stop.... Look at it..... Pick it up...... Debate wether today is going to be the day I buy a Walmart brisket... Then I put it back.  Just never pull the trigger! Let me no how it turns out!
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  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
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    I've bought one or 2 at Walmart, but you have to check the grading carefully. Sometimes the one near us has Choice briskets and other times they are Select.

    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    I've had a couple. Their ok compared to SRF. Good for sandwiches and chili. Save the SRF for company. I should note I've only had one SRF, one that was gifted by brother @theyolksonyou but if anyone else wants to gift me another one, I'll further my obvervations. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,337
    edited March 2017
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    @Jeremiah -  I will gift to you the opportunity to treat yourself and immediate family to SRF on a minimalist approach.  Father's Day is a perfect setup for getting one in-house prior and then enjoying.  No skin in the SRF game but you deserve the self enjoyment of the cook and follow-on eats.
    Dang- I've even got my 80+ year old M-I-L (from northern CA) convinced that brisket is better tasting than prime rib.  She gets it.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    @lousubcap you sir are a gentleman. However the only way I'll accept such an offer is if you and yours are able to attend.  :)
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • billt01
    billt01 Posts: 1,528
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    Briskets are not the magical unicorn of protein...

    Buy a whole packer like the good folks on here have said...if its too big for your egg ...separate the deckle from the flat...

    trim off ONLY the hard fat...leave the gelatin type attached...

    I cook mine between ~250 / 275... wait for it......for as long as it takes to get to ~160..

    I double wrap in foil until 200 degrees...

    pull it out of  cooker and poke a hole in the side of the foil and catch the juice in a mason jar, put that in the fridge...

    put said mason jar in fridge and DO NOT OPEN the foil for 1 hour....The protein will "pull back" and firm up in that time frame this makes it slice well.

    After the hour slice brisket about No 2 pencil thick and pull out the mason jar...

    scrape off the layer of fat that has accumulated on the top and reheat until piping hot..
     
    then pour that magical liquid all over your slices..

    Texas toast, 1/4 inch slice of tomato and some Dukes Mayo...

    Then just drop the MIC... 
    Have:
     XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
    Had:
    LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby

    Fat Willies BBQ
    Ola, Ga

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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    Certainly the higher end briskets will out perform the choice ones if you do not discern while shopping. However, you can get extremely good choice briskets that are every bit as good as prime if you have a big enough sample to choose from and know what you are looking for. Maybe not as good as a good waygu or top notch prime, but there is some overlap between prime and choice in all cuts. The savvy consumer can get really good eats from the choice bin from time to time, not always. Just because it says choice doesn't mean it isn't or cannot be great.
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  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 5,429
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    Is there a briskets of walmart photo gallery somewhere?
    Large, Medium, MiniMax, & 22, and 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    kl8ton said:
    Is there a briskets of walmart photo gallery somewhere?
    ooooo. I think I know where you're going with this and it's not good!
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  • SirSquatch
    SirSquatch Posts: 109
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    kl8ton said:
    Is there a briskets of walmart photo gallery somewhere?
    Here is my contribution to "Briskets of Walmart"
    Northern VA - LBGE
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  • Hntnhrd
    Hntnhrd Posts: 713
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  • MattBTI
    MattBTI Posts: 417
    edited April 2017
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    Not sure what's going on. I foiled at 150F and the meat temp just shot up and kept going. I'll post a graph. I unwrapped because this things for supper, not lunch. The temp has continued to drop now as the moisture on the protein is evaporating. 

    Anybody know why it hit 190 so fast?
    Pratt, KS
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  • MattBTI
    MattBTI Posts: 417
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    Here are the brisket results. All in all I am pleased. It was good. Nothing great but for the first brisket of mine I was satisfied. I never do get the smoke ring that I like to see. Maybe my cook temps are too low for a good smoke on the egg. Mixed apple chunks throughout the lump. 

    Pratt, KS
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  • MattBTI
    MattBTI Posts: 417
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    Pratt, KS
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  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
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    if you can cook a butt, you can cook a brisket. basically the same cook, except for rub and maybe type of smoke.  

    t
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
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  • MattBTI
    MattBTI Posts: 417
    edited April 2017
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    I think next time I will separate the two muscles prior to cooking.  A - I like more surface area for bark. B - the flat over cooked by the time the point was ready. I don't think I will foil either. That really ramped-up the pace when I gave my self plenty of time.


    I may foil for an hour at the stall next time just to extract some drippings for dipping sandwiches.

    Pratt, KS
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  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
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    Foil at 160
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    Nothing wrong with Walmart choice briskets.  Made plenty of them. 
    Dave - Austin, TX
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