Brisket Test Prime vs Angus Choice

Money_Hillbilly

I prepped and loaded 2 prime and one angus choice briskets into the smoker at 8PM last night.  I have been disappointed in the quality of big box prime briskets for the last few years and I haven’t smoked a choice in years.  A local grocery store had angus choice briskets on sale for $2.99 so a perfect opportunity to test using my current method and the big gravity unit with a side by side test.  Wrapped at 7AM, more to come later.

Foghorn

Looking forward to this.  This is a question that has run through my mind as well.

lousubcap

Standing by as the protein variable is the challenge regardless of labeling.  
Around here of late Costco has only been carrying choice packers.  Prior to a few months ago it was always prime for the packers and choice for the flats.  Not sure the reason for the change.  
And their selection and butchering have definitely taken a down turn.  

GoldenQ

After trying both I like the Angus Choice.     May just be the taste of Angus vs others

Money_Hillbilly

I have found 4 different brands of prime briskets at local grocery and big box stores.  My preferences are ranked below, I haven’t done any research on their sourcing or practices just my observations on cooking what is available locally without resorting to mail order.  The flats are getting thinner to where it is a rare exception to find a prime brisket with a decent flat.  The 2 primes I am cooking now are Excel since that is all I could find locally.  I have no affiliation to any of these brands, these are just my observations cooking a good many briskets.

IBP Tyson Foods
Swift
Excel
National Beef. 

Thatgrimguy

Money_Hillbilly said:

I have found 4 different brands of prime briskets at local grocery and big box stores.  My preferences are ranked below, I haven’t done any research on their sourcing or practices just my observations on cooking what is available locally without resorting to mail order.  The flats are getting thinner to where it is a rare exception to find a prime brisket with a decent flat.  The 2 primes I am cooking now are Excel since that is all I could find locally.  I have no affiliation to any of these brands, these are just my observations cooking a good many briskets.

IBP Tyson Foods
Swift
Excel
National Beef. 

I'd slide CAB in above swift, never had IBP. Past that I agree!

Money_Hillbilly

Out of the smoker, cooled down to 180, wrapped in butcher paper then foil until 6PM serving time.  I always use foil on the smoker to wrap and for the non believers, look at the firm bark.  I cook on the grates from my adjustable rig and foil over the pan.  Makes it very easy and I can recover the liquid gold aujus along with no greasy mess to clean up in the smoker or fire risk.  More later when we cut into them for the taste test and comparison.

Money_Hillbilly

Well the verdict is in.  The choice was excellent but the prime was far more juicy.  The choice was $2.99lb and the prime was $4.29.  I would be perfectly happy with the choice since there isn’t enough difference to justify the cost differential.

Money_Hillbilly

And the money shots.

Botch

Just a past experience, FWIW.  This was before I got an Egg, using a water smoker.
 
I cooked two briskets for an office party.  Bought them both at the Commissary at the same time.  They looked identical to me, but No I did not notice if one was Choice and one Prime (honestly don't think the Commissary ever stocked Prime).
They were cooked side-by-side, and treated identical.  It became apparent while I was slicing them up that they were two completely different pieces of meat: texture, juiciness, and especially taste (they looked the same).  
So, the cow drives the cook.  No idea if this was one cow.  Again, FWIW.  
 
EDIT:  Oh, and I wanted to ask: is the judgement between Choice and Prime, done visually, or by testing?  If the former, then we shouldn't even pay attention to the label; look thru the cellophane.  

Foghorn

Any taste difference?

littlerascal56

Never cooked a “prime” brisket.   100% of the local packing plant packers local to me are Angus Choice.  And everyone of those have turned out awesome on my cookers. Never paid more than $2.99/lb for an Angus choice full packer here.

Thatgrimguy

Botch said:

Just a past experience, FWIW.  This was before I got an Egg, using a water smoker.
 
I cooked two briskets for an office party.  Bought them both at the Commissary at the same time.  They looked identical to me, but No I did not notice if one was Choice and one Prime (honestly don't think the Commissary ever stocked Prime).
They were cooked side-by-side, and treated identical.  It became apparent while I was slicing them up that they were two completely different pieces of meat: texture, juiciness, and especially taste (they looked the same).  
So, the cow drives the cook.  No idea if this was one cow.  Again, FWIW.  
 
EDIT:  Oh, and I wanted to ask: is the judgement between Choice and Prime, done visually, or by testing?  If the former, then we shouldn't even pay attention to the label; look thru the cellophane.  

I’ve cooked 4-5 briskets at once probably 25+ times now and with exact pieces of meat in exact conditions they have come out wildly different.  

That’s one thing that kills me about YouTube comparisons.

lkapigian

Thatgrimguy said:

Botch said:

Just a past experience, FWIW.  This was before I got an Egg, using a water smoker.
 
I cooked two briskets for an office party.  Bought them both at the Commissary at the same time.  They looked identical to me, but No I did not notice if one was Choice and one Prime (honestly don't think the Commissary ever stocked Prime).
They were cooked side-by-side, and treated identical.  It became apparent while I was slicing them up that they were two completely different pieces of meat: texture, juiciness, and especially taste (they looked the same).  
So, the cow drives the cook.  No idea if this was one cow.  Again, FWIW.  
 
EDIT:  Oh, and I wanted to ask: is the judgement between Choice and Prime, done visually, or by testing?  If the former, then we shouldn't even pay attention to the label; look thru the cellophane.  

I’ve cooked 4-5 briskets at once probably 25+ times now and with exact pieces of meat in exact conditions they have come out wildly different.  

That’s one thing that kills me about YouTube comparisons.

True this @Thatgrimguy ......

Money_Hillbilly

@Foghorn Not a notable difference in taste.  The only real difference I noticed the prime was remarkably more juicy to actually filling the drip ring on the cutting board with aujus.  I cook over foil pans and wrap the entire brisket and pan so I get incredible aujus.  I wound up with over a quart of liquid gold after skimming and straining the liquid from the 3 briskets.  It’s magical.  I smoked the third prime for a friend, I didn’t cut into it so I don’t have any data on it.

lkapigian

“ Jus”