Crazy Brisket Prices

SciAggie

So just a few weeks ago select grade briskets were $6.99 a pound at my local grocer. Here are the tags:

You can bet your sweet bippy I did NOT buy one of those. 

So how do you explain that on Thursday the same store had 600 briskets for sale at $1.58 a pound? They had select, choice, and PRIME grades mixed together - all at the same price. Well, I DID buy three of those... I picked up three prime briskets (the limit) and I have them on now. They are not SRF quality - but did I mention they were $1.58 a pound? I’m going to cook them, divide into 3-4 pound chunks, vacuum seal and freeze them. When I reheat sous vide, they taste just like they came off the smoker. 

I’ll post updates along the way today...

JethroBodeen

Nice find! Chuck roast is still $7/lb. here. I did find butts for yesterdays events for $.99/lb.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

23lbs! 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Get some rub on the front and side of those things. That where all the crusty goodness is when you make chopped 

northGAcock

Chopped over Mac & Cheese would be awesome About right now. Outstanding score and bet you enjoyed the “keepin your eyes on them” while they did their majic. Cheers!

pgprescott

Yeah, my buddy did one of the choice Kroger he got at 2.49 vs a Costco prime he had in reserve. No difference except the choice took longer to cook. Would have been exceptionally difficult to discern the difference in a blind tasting. 

SciAggie

These have only been on for three hours so far. They seem to be doing well. 

SciAggie

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Get some rub on the front and side of those things. That where all the crusty goodness is when you make chopped 

Lol - yeah, it always seems like I’m behind on time and have two left hands when it’s time to get the rub on and get things on the smoker. I was making a huge mess so I skipped the front of those things. I did get a good coverage on the rest. Way to Go keeping me honest and on my toes...

lousubcap

Briset cook and on the stick burner.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Enjoy the whole adventure.  

Foghorn

That's a great day right there.  At our store yesterday there were only Select briskets.  However, they have had a pretty good supply of beef ribs since the pandemic started.  Interesting times.

FarmerTom

pgprescott said:

Yeah, my buddy did one of the choice Kroger he got at 2.49 vs a Costco prime he had in reserve. No difference except the choice took longer to cook. Would have been exceptionally difficult to discern the difference in a blind tasting. 

May be opening a can of worms here, but I've wondered the same regarding the SRF offerings that are often highly touted on this board.  I have no doubt it is exceptionally good meat, but in the final analysis, could you tell the difference in a blind trial?  I've come close to ordering a SRF brisket, but just can't bring myself to pay for one what two or three prime costco briskets would cost me.  

pgprescott

FarmerTom said:

pgprescott said:

Yeah, my buddy did one of the choice Kroger he got at 2.49 vs a Costco prime he had in reserve. No difference except the choice took longer to cook. Would have been exceptionally difficult to discern the difference in a blind tasting. 

May be opening a can of worms here, but I've wondered the same regarding the SRF offerings that are often highly touted on this board.  I have no doubt it is exceptionally good meat, but in the final analysis, could you tell the difference in a blind trial?  I've come close to ordering a SRF brisket, but just can't bring myself to pay for one what two or three prime costco briskets would cost me.  

It’s a personal choice. The cost benefit is not worth it to me, but I have several customers and buddies who buy SRF and Creekstone briskets and steaks. I’ve had some of it and it’s usually exceptional. It’s just not so much better that I can justify it. It’s the same with Scotch and bourbon for me. I just won’t pay 300 or more for a bottle. Now if I ever win that Powerball, watch out! The rage is Bourne of the competition circuit IMO. Keep in mind those guys spend lots of money and stand to win lots of money. There is  also the desire to reach celebrity status or peddle their line of products. They have to keep up with the Jones’s 

SciAggie

@FarmerTom I don’t think it’s opening a can of worms but it does highlight a good point. The point being that many of us here on this forum are always chasing the very best experience of ________ food that we are cooking/eating. 

You are right, many folks, like my next door neighbors who are great folks but not foodies, would never discern the difference between a select, prime, or Wagyu brisket. That doesn’t mean some folks can’t appreciate the difference. Is the $$$ for the better meat worth it? It surely depends on the person. 

I’d make the same argument about cookers and cooking methods. Is my offset a better tool for smoking a brisket than the egg or a pellet grill? The real - honest - truth is that it depends...
I can tell the difference between the clean smoke from my offset and other cookers but dang - it’s a thin line. If I have the time I like using the offset. The egg puts out a fantastic product with a fraction of the work. I agree most would never know the difference in a blind taste test - heck I might miss it. 

So my answer to, “is _____ worth the money?” is depends on who you ask. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I’m fortunate that I can buy American Wagyu for $6 lb any time I want so it’s a no-brainer for me. 

Better grade of brisket makes a huge difference. More so with How they are raised and what they eat than what grade of beef it is. I would buy an all natural choice from someone like creekstone or Meyer over the best looking Costco prime any day. No growth hormones or preventative antibiotics makes a huge difference in the feel and flavor of briskets. You could absolutely tell a snake river farms apart from a commodity prime brisket. You can feel in in the bag at the store and know they are not the same. One is way softer than the other and the fat is bright white and soft as opposed to yellow-ish and hard. The fat is where all the flavor is so better fat equals better brisket. 

SciAggie

@The Cen-Tex Smoker You and your shady parking lot deals...
You said it all better than I did. In fact, between the three briskets I have on one of them is by far a better brisket. It has better marbling as well as the better fat that you mentioned. It may be the difference in a steer that came from a better producer, who knows?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

SciAggie said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker You and your shady parking lot deals...
You said it all better than I did. In fact, between the three briskets I have on one of them is by far a better brisket. It has better marbling as well as the better fat that you mentioned. It may be the difference in a steer that came from a better producer, who knows?

Could be. Some cows eat grass and grains and some eat expired Jolly Ranchers. When you get a brisket from a cow raised in the commodity/factory system, they eat whatever is cheapest and they are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics to grow them faster. The Antibiotic/hormone thing makes a huge difference. You can see it in the fat.  Picked that up from Aaron Franklin several years back and never looked back. 

Ozzie_Isaac

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

SciAggie said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker You and your shady parking lot deals...
You said it all better than I did. In fact, between the three briskets I have on one of them is by far a better brisket. It has better marbling as well as the better fat that you mentioned. It may be the difference in a steer that came from a better producer, who knows?

Could be. Some cows eat grass and grains and some eat expired Jolly Ranchers. When you get a brisket from a cow raised in the commodity/factory system, they eat whatever is cheapest and they are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics to grow them faster. The Antibiotic/hormone thing makes a huge difference. You can see it in the fat.  Picked that up from Aaron Franklin several years back and never looked back. 

All natural, is not always better.  We have a ranch in my part that touts their "all natural cattle methods".  I like the no hormone/antibiotic practice, but they are also range fed.  In the desert that means sage and other scrub brush.  The meat is very lean, gamey, and hard to cook.  It is very expensive and underwhelming.  I prefer corn fed beef, or at a minimum corn finished.

SciAggie

Because I have nothing better to do - here’s how they are going. (5 hours in).

The color is getting better and bark is trying to start forming. They smell good anyway. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Ozzie_Isaac said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

SciAggie said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker You and your shady parking lot deals...
You said it all better than I did. In fact, between the three briskets I have on one of them is by far a better brisket. It has better marbling as well as the better fat that you mentioned. It may be the difference in a steer that came from a better producer, who knows?

Could be. Some cows eat grass and grains and some eat expired Jolly Ranchers. When you get a brisket from a cow raised in the commodity/factory system, they eat whatever is cheapest and they are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics to grow them faster. The Antibiotic/hormone thing makes a huge difference. You can see it in the fat.  Picked that up from Aaron Franklin several years back and never looked back. 

All natural, is not always better.  We have a ranch in my part that touts their "all natural cattle methods".  I like the no hormone/antibiotic practice, but they are also range fed.  In the desert that means sage and other scrub brush.  The meat is very lean, gamey, and hard to cook.  It is very expensive and underwhelming.  I prefer corn fed beef, or at a minimum corn finished.

True. I was more referring to the larger producers who do it right (creekstone, SRF, Meyer, and the like) but you are right. 

caliking

@SciAggie you win today. Great brisket score, and a lovely day to spend some time with them. 

Hoster05

Great score.  Prime went from 3.98/lbs to 5.99/lbs a few weeks back and hasn’t moved since then.  

jdMyers

20 lbs in ohio was $51 kroger

jdMyers

Cut on half long ways

SciAggie

They’re firmly in the stall and looking better all the time. 

jdMyers

SciAggie

@jdMyers That looks good. Nice price.

Gulfcoastguy

A lot of meat prices are edging or even soaring up. I looked at baby backs and St Louis pork ribs yesterday and they are easily a dollar a pound up this year if not more . I would have committed to a 4 rack cook in a couple of weeks! maybe the 4th of July piracy will be over by then.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Man those look awesome Gary. The color is fantastic. You are going to have some insta-worthy briskets when this is all over. 

SciAggie

@The Cen-Tex Smoker Lol - you made me laugh and snort - I disturbed my wife’s nap. I had forgotten about that thread. I better get my dang thermometer out...

SciAggie

Just wrapped them in butcher paper. I liked the way the bark looked. Now I just have to wait until they get tender.

danlbrown

Those look great!  As far as price... been paying $6.98/ lb in NE Tennessee. Sure miss the $2.00 we paid when we lived in Texas.