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OT - Sort of rant- Bland Brisket when eating out

What is it with these BBq joints up here in the north that seem to get a brisket to have a 'semi' good consistency but they just have no flavor at all.  I never realized what brisket could taste like until I went to Austin last fall. You'll ruined it for me ;)

I have yet to find a place in MN that is anywhere near what I had at any of the places down there.

I think I'm going to Costco tomorrow and get me a hunk of heaven to see what I can do with it....arg


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Comments

  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,234
    I would love to go to Franklin's and try his. I am sure I would love it! 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • Careful what you wish for, while I did get to his joint, I wasn't able to eat there.  I was able to find way to much awesome brisket though thanks to a bunch of local members here. 

    The downside, there hasn't been a piece of brisket I have tried since that has tasted any good. 

    I'm just going to have to do it myself...

  • Bbq joints around here serve brisket with bbq sauce... and the pizza joints cut their pies into squares!!
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • There really aren’t all that many places outside of central TX where you’ll find that high a quality brisket.  When you do, it’s usually from a crew that trained in... central TX.  At least that has been my experience. 
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike

    "The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat
  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,387
    Yeah we’ll you live in MN.  
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP PitBoss Navigator 850G 11/25
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
  •  Could be worse.... in Canada Costco doesn’t even carry brisket so you have to buy from a butcher at two to three times the cost I see folks buy for on here 
  • Everything is 2-3 times the price in canadia
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • SSQUAL612
    SSQUAL612 Posts: 1,186
    There really aren’t all that many places outside of central TX where you’ll find that high a quality brisket.  When you do, it’s usually from a crew that trained in... central TX.  At least that has been my experience. 
    Kinda like sushi for me.  I use to eat at some of the best Japanese owned sushi bars in California and it’s hard to come close to the quality I became accustomed to enjoying. 
    Tyler, TX   XL BGE 2016, KJ Classic 2019,  MES, 18.5 WSM,  Akorn Jr,  36"&17" Black Stone, Adj Rig, Woo, Grill Grates, SS Smokeware Cap, KAB,  FB 300, Thermapen 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,800
    M¥ first restaurant rule:  "Never eat in a restaurant that which you can cook at home."  Now- the only exception is brisket in CT (Central Texas) as when there that is the only reason for the pilgrimage. But you can get close with practice and great quality cow going in.  So, time to go again.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
  •  Could be worse.... in Canada Costco doesn’t even carry brisket so you have to buy from a butcher at two to three times the cost I see folks buy for on here 
    ^^^ This. Two summers ago, my local Costco, just outside of Ottawa started carrying packers at good prices. Months later, they were gone and haven’t been back. Costco works in mysterious ways.
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,532

    I never realized what brisket could taste like until I went to Austin last fall.

    Dang. For a split second when reading the sentence my mind went to Austin, MN. The half second later it shifted to 1,097 miles away. I'm guessing one city does it better than the other. I guess Austin, MN will stick to making Spam. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • frazzdaddy
    frazzdaddy Posts: 2,617
    Bbq joints around here serve brisket with bbq sauce... and the pizza joints cut their pies into squares!!
    We still have a spot for you here. Come on back home. There is a really great Pit cooked Q place 3 miles from the Little Bar! I'll buy.
    Xl bge ,LG bge, two 4' crusher cone fire pits. Weber Genisis gasser and 
    Two rusty Weber kettles. 

    Two Rivers Farm
    Moncure N.C.
  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    I feel your pain. Most mass market brisket is like sliced pot roast. Too often it's so over done it's just a sloppy pile of loose meat. I tend to be cautious when and if I order it out. We have a couple of small BBQ joints near me that have it figured out, but it sells out quick.
    Michiana, South of the border.
  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    I would love to go to Franklin's and try his. I am sure I would love it! 
    Save the long trip and make the short one to John Lewis BBQ in Charleston.  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
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  • Bbq joints around here serve brisket with bbq sauce... and the pizza joints cut their pies into squares!!
    We still have a spot for you here. Come on back home. There is a really great Pit cooked Q place 3 miles from the Little Bar! I'll buy.

     That’s a sweet offer! Good pies down there too with all the relocated yankees!
      We are selling our rental house in Raleigh so I may be called on for something...
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    I am with you......but over the holidays i had a unique experience. (DoKo Smoke BBQ) a local food truck, served brisket over a mac and cheese. I about ship my pants. Best thing i had over the holidays.....and that included some mighty fine meals.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    edited January 2019
    I would love to go to Franklin's and try his. I am sure I would love it! 
    Save the long trip and make the short one to John Lewis BBQ in Charleston.  
    What? Eat BBQ in South Carolina? You big softy you.

    @johnkitchens I will ride down there with you. I am just off the interstate on the way.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,316
    edited January 2019
    To directly answer your question - most of the BBQ joints that server bland brisket are using electric smokers. Some are ok, some are good and some are great, but they're never going to blow your mind like a joint smoking over true burning wood.  Same reason brisket on the Egg is good but not great. 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    edited January 2019

    What is it with these BBq joints up here in the north that seem to get a brisket to have a 'semi' good consistency but they just have no flavor at all.  I never realized what brisket could taste like until I went to Austin last fall. You'll ruined it for me ;)

    I have yet to find a place in MN that is anywhere near what I had at any of the places down there.

    I think I'm going to Costco tomorrow and get me a hunk of heaven to see what I can do with it....arg


    They all use gas "smokers". Although they use one of those at Loro too and I think you saw that was pretty good when you visited :).  I made "pulled pork" for years but one bite of Rodney Scott's whole hog Q in a parking lot in Houston made me realize I had no idea what I was doing. My game stepped up big time (for a lowly Texan) after that but if you are not immersed in the culture and being pushed by 10 other guys just as good as you every day, you just don't have any real context of what is truly good. That was the first bite of pork I had that made me think that the best pork is as good or better than the best brisket.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • and btw- 90% of the places down here suck at brisket too. I am rarely surprised on the upside and often skip brisket when I get bbq at places I don't know.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Jasonbird said:
    It might take me a couple years,  but I'm going to be a Kansas version of Franklin's 😃
    Get your sleep in now. Can’t wait to follow along! 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • SonVolt said:
    To directly answer your question - most of the BBQ joints that server bland brisket are using electric smokers. Some are ok, some are good and some are great, but they're never going to blow your mind like a joint smoking over true burning wood.  Same reason brisket on the Egg is good but not great. 
    Hmm. never realized Egg brisket couldn't be great brisket...Is this the common consensus?
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,605
    SonVolt said:
    To directly answer your question - most of the BBQ joints that server bland brisket are using electric smokers. Some are ok, some are good and some are great, but they're never going to blow your mind like a joint smoking over true burning wood.  Same reason brisket on the Egg is good but not great. 
    Hmm. never realized Egg brisket couldn't be great brisket...Is this the common consensus?
    I don’t think it’s fair to say it can’t be great. Things are relative. Egged brisket will blow the doors off Brisket that comes out of the average backyard cooker. Gas grill, propane, electric etc. In which case it’s great brisket. However, someone with a big reverse flow or offset wood burner that has taken it seriously is in a much different  league. You have to look at competing devices. Eggs are roughly $800-1000, big wood burners, lots of 1,000’s. Even then, as others mentioned those aren’t full proof. Plenty of folks here produce better brisket on their eggs. Unless I can watch them slice the brisket in front of me, I don’t get brisket when I go out. 
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,800
    Jstroke said:
    SonVolt said:
    To directly answer your question - most of the BBQ joints that server bland brisket are using electric smokers. Some are ok, some are good and some are great, but they're never going to blow your mind like a joint smoking over true burning wood.  Same reason brisket on the Egg is good but not great. 
    Hmm. never realized Egg brisket couldn't be great brisket...Is this the common consensus?
    I don’t think it’s fair to say it can’t be great. Things are relative. Egged brisket will blow the doors off Brisket that comes out of the average backyard cooker.
    @jstroke said- it is all relative and you can definitely crank out top-shelf brisket with the BGE.  One of the main drivers is the quality of the protein going in and I think that is frequently missed with any cooker and follow-on output.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
  • Okay, so asking for real here,,,,is a Costco prime packer a top shelf piece of meat?

    Their king crabs legs where stellar :)

  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    edited January 2019

    Okay, so asking for real here,,,,is a Costco prime packer a top shelf piece of meat?

    Their king crabs legs where stellar :)

      No
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • we all don't have access to parking lot wagyu :((
  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,176
    we all don't have access to parking lot wagyu :((
    Just keep an eye out for SRF sales or buy 2 and get a discount and hedge the shipping costs. An average Costco brisket will run you about $55. Average on sale price of an SRF is $110-$125. I’d much rather eat SRF half as often for equal money. 
  • we all don't have access to parking lot wagyu :((
    I know but you can’t sell $2.99 prime brisket at any margin and start with a cow raised in humane conditions and fed quality food. Your king crabs were wild caught so they can get as good as anybody else. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX