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"angus" brisket? Better than prime or choice?

I went to restaurant depot for the first time yesterday. I was amazed at the meat prices. A nyway, they have an Angus brisket and a select. Select is 3rd tier right? Same stuff they sell at walmart I think? What is "Angus?" I did some googling but thought id ask here. Is the "angus" any better than choice or prime (which I cant seem to find for less than $10/pound)? The Angus brisket was $2.99/pound so I am wondering what the quality is actually like.
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Comments

  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    I could be wrong but I believe Angus is the breed of cow and has no bearing on what grade the meat receives. 
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    edited August 2015
    Angus is just a particular type of cattle and it doesn't have anything to do with the USDA grade.  It should also list the grade on the package.  I think the brisket is probably choice grade at RD.   

    That being said- I have heard that Angus choice briskets are better than other choice and have heard good things about the RD briskeys in particular. 




    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • busmania
    busmania Posts: 414
    Angus is just a particular type of cattle and it doesn't have anything to do with the USDA grade.  It should also list the grade on the package.  I think the brisket is probably choice grade at RD.   

    That being said- I have heard that Angus choice briskets are better than other choice and have heard good things about the RD briskeys in particular. 


    Good to hear. They were actually out of them so I could not look at the packaging. I will be going back early next week when they have more. at $2.99/pound, how could I not try it? Cant wait!
  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
    edited August 2015
    Be careful of the whole "angus", "black angus", and "certified angus" thing.
    much of the supermarket beef in the US is angus, and deserves no special pricing just because the name sounds cool.  it's merely a dominant breed.

    you can verify this by some googling, but from what i recall, the dominant color used to be red, still is I think in the UK or scotland r wherever this breed came from. black angus though started to get trumped up as a marketing thing in the US.

    whether red or black, they are the same on your plate.  haircolor doesn't mean jack.  and a "black angus" may exhibit 49% of red angus features and still be referred to as black angus.

    so, just buy good looking beef, and if there's an "angus" sticker on it, have some fun and ask the meat cutter what other beef they offer, because you are 'deathly allergic to angus'. 

    but.  the 'certified angus beef' thing is pretty legit.  no, they are NOT certifying that it is angus.  they are certifying that it is amn angus whcih fits their (semi-arbitrary?) criteria which they themselves came up with.  they have 'graded' it independently of the USDA, and that the meat they are selling passes some PRIVATE (corporate) standards that they set themselves, all of which are very close to "top choice".  very similar to Lobel's branding maybe, or Omaha Steak (quick, what USDA grade is Omaha Steak? answer.  none), or "Chef's Choice" or whatever local program you may have. 

    what that means is anyone can start their own certified beef program. " My Fancy-Sounding Certified Beef".  your criteria is yours alone.  you may make the criteria public (fat content, etc.), but you don't have to.  your customers are likely buying based on reputation and marketing.  if your criteria are high, the quality of your product will be too.

     

    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • kkdpt
    kkdpt Posts: 6
    The RD in my area (Fort Worth, Tx) sells a brand line they call "superior angus beef" along with regular select.  They avoid the exact labeling of CAB.  After taking to them at the store they told me it was either a high choice/low prime exactly like certified angus beef and they don't go through the CAB certification process.  I have bought a few and would concur with the assessment, they were great quality, a little disconcerting that you can't actually see it graded when purchasing, but I've had good luck with them.
  • ChuckR
    ChuckR Posts: 248
    Certified Angus has more fat content than regular beef. However it is still graded the same. A CAB (certified angus Beef) brisket choice will have more fat than a regular choice at the grocery. However a prime regular brisket will have more fat than a CAB choice. I have had great success with CAB briskets and would suggest you go for it. Here is a nice link that explains it better.
    http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/zen_of_beef_grades.html
    Suwanee, GA
  • yeah.  as long as someone is making a judgement about the beef and packaging it under some criteria, it's just a matter of whether you agree to their criteria, i.e. is it "good stuff" and do you value (literally, like with ca$h) their judgement.

    sometimes though you will see orange "angus" stickers on beef packages.  Those mean absolutely nothing in terms of quality, flavor, etc.  but people LOVE the word angus.


    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    Just read about this on Nibblemethis . . . check it out:  http://www.nibblemethis.com/2015/08/how-certified-angus-beef-is-graded-cab.html
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    edited August 2015
    Like mentioned, Angus is just the breed of the cow, or might just be the dominant traits of the cow if it's a cross breed.

    Black Angus and brown Angus are the exact same cow, just different color. I think they came from England.  It's like Labrador dogs. You can breed two yellow Labs and end up with yellow, brown, and black puppies. The momma wasn't sleeping around, it's just the genes. Anyway, someone in England decided he wanted all black Angus cows and started to selective breed them to end up with an all black herd. And someone else only wanted browns and did the same. So we ended up with a separation of the colors.

    So why do a bunch of ranchers in the South raise mostly black Angus and ranchers in the North mostly raise brown Angus? It's mostly due to the market, but it also has to do with the cow. In the South, there's a huge market for black Angus. You can go to some restaurants and see them advertise their steak as "Black Angus Steak". Until recently, an all black cow would get a higher price at the auction barn because it was black. That's what the buyers wanted. Though recently, the brown cows (any breed) are getting a much higher price than the blacks. Not sure why and the ranchers don't know either. In the North, the brown Angus sell really well. But also, they do better in the winter due to their color. When it snows and then the sun comes out, the udders on a black cow will sun burn from the sun reflecting off the snow. The brown cows fare better with their lighter color udders. Hence why there are more brown Angus up North. Or at least that's what a brown Angus rancher from Nebraska told me. He runs a herd of 5000+ brown Angus so I'll take his word for it.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

  • Angus1978
    Angus1978 Posts: 390
    I approve all this "angus" talk (couldn't resist posting)
    LBGE and Primo XL Plano TX All right all right alllll riight
  • FWIW, Certified Angus Beef is recognized by the USDA and is graded at Choice or higher (Upper Choice). Otherwise the term Angus does not really mean much in regards to the grade.  There are packers who will label their product as Angus No Roll which is not graded, but contrary to what you would think the product is normally very good quality but fell outside of the criteria for grading, i.e. the cow was greater than 30 months old. Personally, I don't believe a Prime graded brisket or other tougher cut is worth the price over a CAB or Choice grade. But I would certainly pay for Prime for a tenderloin, ribeye, or striploin. Again just my opinion.
    LBGE 2015 - Atlanta
  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
    As a beef producer, I chuckle at the Angus thing since I was at a meeting several years ago where it was revealed that it is just a marketing hoax perpetuated not by my industry but rather the restaurant and meat sales industries. The truth of the matter is if the animal has one black hair on it, it can and will be marketed as Angus beef. A Holstein cow or steer, which is a dairy breed that is not ideal for beef production, WILL have some black on it. Your certified Angus beef may very well have been an old, washed up Bossie from Farmer Dan's dairy herd that he decided to ship since she won't produce milk like she once did. There may very well be standards that the meat has to meet - such as fat content or marbling - but the breed of the animal that the meat came from isn't one of them.  :)
  • Be careful of the whole "angus", "black angus", and "certified angus" thing.
    much of the supermarket beef in the US is angus, and deserves no special pricing just because the name sounds cool.  it's merely a dominant breed.

    you can verify this by some googling, but from what i recall, the dominant color used to be red, still is I think in the UK or scotland r wherever this breed came from. black angus though started to get trumped up as a marketing thing in the US.

    whether red or black, they are the same on your plate.  haircolor doesn't mean jack.  and a "black angus" may exhibit 49% of red angus features and still be referred to as black angus.

    so, just buy good looking beef, and if there's an "angus" sticker on it, have some fun and ask the meat cutter what other beef they offer, because you are 'deathly allergic to angus'. 

    but.  the 'certified angus beef' thing is pretty legit.  no, they are NOT certifying that it is angus.  they are certifying that it is amn angus whcih fits their (semi-arbitrary?) criteria which they themselves came up with.  they have 'graded' it independently of the USDA, and that the meat they are selling passes some PRIVATE (corporate) standards that they set themselves, all of which are very close to "top choice".  very similar to Lobel's branding maybe, or Omaha Steak (quick, what USDA grade is Omaha Steak? answer.  none), or "Chef's Choice" or whatever local program you may have. 

    what that means is anyone can start their own certified beef program. " My Fancy-Sounding Certified Beef".  your criteria is yours alone.  you may make the criteria public (fat content, etc.), but you don't have to.  your customers are likely buying based on reputation and marketing.  if your criteria are high, the quality of your product will be too.

     


    Angus is from Scotland you maroon
  • cowman
    cowman Posts: 13
    I raise Black Angus and Herefords.  The muscular development of Beef cattle is different among breeds. A brisket is some of the toughest parts of the steer and takes a long time at a low temperature to be good.  Grades of beef are based on the fat marbling within the carcass measured at the fifth rib I think. Could be the seventh.. Only less than 3% of cattle grade out as prime then another 20% or so grade as choice and the rest are some grade of select. Old bulls and very lean beef ends up as hamburger.  Black steers have a better chance of being prime.

    You really need to look at marbling when you buy beef.  Sometimes you can get cheaper grades with good marbling.  Briskets need good marbling so Angus or Choice are a safe bet.

    Hope this helps.


  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,676
    I could be wrong but I believe Angus is the breed of cow and has no bearing on what grade the meat receives. 
    Angus is just a marketing stratagedy. I hesitate to say a marketing ploy. The fact is black breeds of cattle generally bring higher prices at auction.
    I wouldn't go out of my way to buy black Angus. I grew up on a farm producing Hereford. I think the Hereford breed is every bit as good as the black Angus.

    It all comes down to the individual steer. If the marbling is good on either breed the steak will be flavorful.

    Our local Restaurant Depot in Birmingham AL is not on par with other places to buy meat. As others have mentioned they sell a lot of select grades. Our RD doesn't even require membership fee's.
  • @littlesteven

    the breed is from scotland, every idiot knows that, but thanks.  they don't ship the frigging things over here when i want a hamburger. 

    (ps: don't forget to swap out the tires on the boat trailer for trailer tires, you maroon )

    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Scotland (unfortunately) is still part of the UK as far as I know. Course you knew that already too. Adzole

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    @Little Steven you're a maroon, apparently. 

    Darby_Crenshaw said: @littlesteven

    the breed is from scotland, every idiot knows that, but thanks.  they don't ship the frigging things over here when i want a hamburger. 

    (ps: don't forget to swap out the tires on the boat trailer for trailer tires, you maroon )


  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited August 2015
    theyolksonyou said: quoting the nasty dialogue between both characters! 
    My gut feeling is you don't have a clue about these dueling dudes and iffin I were you I would steer clear as the battle between them can get vicious! The short statured Canadian is armed heavily with electrical connections and has a wicked throwing arm, and the other dude who lives near Boston spends $2 per lead pencil to have some chap sharpen them for him by the dozens and besides being a gifted architectural artist he can throw those sharp pencils like deadly darts! My advice is just back away a few steps, turn around and run like HELL!  You do NOT want to get between them!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    @rrp I really don't give a rat's behind either way, but maroon in the place of moron is funny. 

    The internet doesn't scare me. Sorry. 
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    @rrp I really don't give a rat's behind either way, but maroon in the place of moron is funny. 

    The internet doesn't scare me. Sorry. 
    maroon is an inside joke and besides that this battle isnt just Internet...both dudes could show up in your neighborhood in a day's time posing as a friendly electrician sent by your local utility company, or a friendly sidewalk artist you stroll by enjoying your noon lunch! Again...my advice is don't get between these dudes as they take no survivors who could finger them! 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Littlesteven doesn't know who he's dealing with. But he knows the person he is dealing with. (Those two statements are not mutually exclusive)

    he's also onlu on the scotland/england/uk kick because as a canadian he is painfully aware of the intricacies of English imperialism. You know, where each country is independent up until they aren't. 


    Whereas in the US we don't really keep track of that because we don't need anyone's help

    And ron seriously. You dont get any internet points for solving this first. I'm not hiding.  I said who i was in my second or third post. I'm not trying to "hide".quit pissing on the campfire. 

    Hey everyone. Ron figured it out it's me!

    Whereas steven still hasn't despite me telling him at least five times directly. 
    Steven, it's me. Poutine. Blue chemical toilet. Mocking you catching smallies when you wanted walleyes. Etc etc

    But why does anyone care anyway? Does someone here have a hall monitor badge i'm supposed to be aware of? Is there a trial period?

    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    @RRP if y'all all stay north of KY where not everyone has a 9 in the car, and we all stay down here, alls good. 

    PS, either way, I'll aim low. 
  • Smoked a 15 lb packer angus (whatever that means) brisket from RD last weekend.  It went hotter and faster than I wanted, and I had to foil in a pan, but it still turned out amazingly tender at 205 IT.  I agree that the grade is probably choice but this one was well-marbled, and came out great in both point and flat.  My guests were very happy and asking for more.  At $2.99/lb I would not hesitate.
    Twin Cities, Minn. XL BGE, cheap barrel smoker and old Weber kettle

  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    I seem to recall Bugs Bunny using maroon in place of moron many years ago. I may be wrong about which character it was but it was in a cartoon. I guess only those of us "of a certain age" have heard this play on words.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • busmania
    busmania Posts: 414
    WTF happened in here? For all of those who answered my question, thank you.
  • cowman
    cowman Posts: 13
    A packer just means untrimmed.  They are the best. Trimmed doesn't have enough fat and the top piece is removed.
  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    To get back on topic, a farmer pal of mine said he prefers to raise the angus breed as it has a better weight gain to feed input than other breeds. Can't vouch for any other suppliers, but the beef I buy from him is excellent and grills up very well. He does the normal pasture at first and finish in the lot type of production.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa