Story from my butcher

MN-Egger

Went in the other day and my local butcher knows I smoke and so does he for the business so he often tells me things or asks what I've cooked recently. This time he was chuckling and his staff was smiling as he told me his latest story. He had a young man come in looking quite confident and asked the butcher/owner if he could hook him up with a brisket to smoke? Butcher said sure, how big do ya want? The lad paused and said, Oh I dunno, how about three pounds? The butcher said he asked him if his smoker was a beer can? Anyway the guy stood by his three pounder and left with it. My butcher put the rest of the brisket on his smoker and treated his staff. 

I surmised that this must have been the customers first brisket and he just compared it to buying say a roast. A three pound roast would have some size to it but the butcher still couldn't believe the guy upon seeing the size of a three pound brisket and still took it. 

Photo Egg

My brother in Ohio called me looking for advice on cooking a brisket.
I asked him the weight...I then asked him if the butcher trimmed it for him...he said yes. I said next time bring home the brisket, not the trimmed off piece.lol
It was 2 1/2 pounds.
Sad thing is he grew up in brisket country.

gdenby

Sigh, an innocent. I have to admit, for most of my life, brisket was the name of the 3 - 5 pound hunk of corned beef made on St. Paddy's day. Or a bit gently braised by elderly folks and served "au jus."

Spaightlabs

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Spaightlabs said:

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Totally agree. I destroyed so many 3lb flats on a gasser/WSM/whatever I had at the time when trying to learn. Before interwebz and long before I found this place. 

Frankly in this case, I blame the butcher. He should have explained how brisket works and offered him an alternative like shorties or 3lbs of chuck if he didn't want to buy a 10-12 lb whole brisket. 

DoubleEgger

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Frankly in this case, I blame the butcher. He should have explained how brisket works and offered him an alternative like shorties or 3lbs of chuck if he didn't want to buy a 10-12 lb whole brisket. 

True butchers are a dying breed. Most of the “butcher shops” around here are just glorified meat slicers as they just break down cryo sealed packages. 

StillH2OEgger

I would think a butcher should encourage the best result possible for whatever he sells a customer because it would encourage him or her to return. Even if it was my own ignorance at fault, why would I go back to a place when the last purchase I made there turned out terrible?

TEXASBGE2018

I’ve learned recently that a good butcher, a true butcher is hard to beat. The butcher I’ve been going to lately has everything from choice to Wagyu and the biggest thing I’ve learned from him is that beef grade isn’t nearly as important as the quality of beef you buy. He’s shown me choice stuff that was as marbled as prime and tasted better because the beef quality was superb. If you’ve got a good butcher support them. You may pay more but the rewards you may reap are worth more than the little bit more money you may pay.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

TEXASBGE2018 said:

I’ve learned recently that a good butcher, a true butcher is hard to beat. The butcher I’ve been going to lately has everything from choice to Wagyu and the biggest thing I’ve learned from him is that beef grade isn’t nearly as important as the quality of beef you buy. He’s shown me choice stuff that was as marbled as prime and tasted better because the beef quality was superb. If you’ve got a good butcher support them. You may pay more but the rewards you may reap are worth more than the little bit more money you may pay.

That is a good butcher. 

bgebrent

Local butchers that are good deserve the business.  It can’t all default to Costco.

DoubleEgger

TEXASBGE2018 said:

I’ve learned recently that a good butcher, a true butcher is hard to beat. The butcher I’ve been going to lately has everything from choice to Wagyu and the biggest thing I’ve learned from him is that beef grade isn’t nearly as important as the quality of beef you buy. He’s shown me choice stuff that was as marbled as prime and tasted better because the beef quality was superb. If you’ve got a good butcher support them. You may pay more but the rewards you may reap are worth more than the little bit more money you may pay.

Glad you were able to find a place. I remember that you were looking a little while back. 

TEXASBGE2018

DoubleEgger said:

Glad you were able to find a place. I remember that you were looking a little while back. 

Ya I’ve found a couple actually. It really is amazing the difference in quality over grocery store stuff.

littlerascal56

Most of the butchers I deal with actually kill the beef and they cut up the Angus beef to my spec, wrap and freeze.  And it’s all local raised beef, and not from the feedlots!

bgebrent

littlerascal56 said:

Most of the butchers I deal with actually kill the beef and they cut up the Angus beef to my spec, wrap and freeze.  And it’s all local raised beef, and not from the feedlots!

Exactly the topic of discussion.

littlerascal56

Thought that’s how it was everywhere?  All the locals raise grain feed beef. And then advertise them for sale as 1/2 beef, or the whole cow.  Priced as on the hoof plus processing cost. Angus beef is really cheap here in Kansas, so we are spoiled and used to eating cowboy ribeys, KC strips, sirloin and fillets!  But seafood is expensive!

MaskedMarvel

To be fair - knowing your cut does matter...

i can pick up ten briskets in a cryo and tell you immediately which one to smoke. 

GATraveller