Price of Brisket

[vision]

What are you paying for brisket? I've found two places that carry packers and they are $3.40 and $4/lb. Kinda thought it would be cheaper than that.

 

[daveomak]

Price of brisket has gone up here in the last 5 years from $1.25 to $3.25 for a 12-16 # packer......I think more folks are smokin' briskets and that drives up the price. Demand u-know. TV smoking comps and local competitions that coupled with folks eatin' at home and doin' Q could have a lot to do with the price raise.......I remember when tri-tip was a really cheap cut of meat and then it bacame the choice of back yard Qers.  

 

[terry colwell]

Seems about twice what I am paying, but, it also depends what grade meat it is. All I can get around here is select, happen to know what grade meat it was?? if its Choice grade it might effect the price that much , not sure how much difference Choice is then Select grade

 

[flutterbye1]

The price here is very high as well I looked at one the other day and for a nice size one I was looking at $32.00, which we use to be able to find em on sale around the holidays for .99cents... makes it hard to smoke with the prices that high 

 

[Bearcarver]

Probably can give SMF some of the blame!!!

A lot of good looking Smoked Briskets have hit the Internet from this Smokers Haven, including some awesome Burnt ends!!!

Supply & Demand !!!

Bear

 

[chef willie]

Beef prices always go up in summertime...wholesalers know it's grilling time & take the extra margin. We just got in 2 large briskets at work from the food supplier & they were 2 bucks a pound. Costco's is a little higher than most but it's a 'choice' grade & decent quality so, to me, worth the extra. Prices should drop some as we ease into Fall but will go up again around Christmas as folks do a lot of prime rib for New Years. Pork is up as well....butts used to be .99 a pound, now a good deal is 1.50 or so.

 

[coryb]

I can usually pick up a full packer at WalMart for $2.18 - $2.69 /lb.  They're not the best cut of meat, but I've never seen one that i'd label as 'bad'.  Last weekend i got a membership at Sam's Club after checking out the meat there.  The whole packers are the same price, but stamped 'choice' quality and are visibly a better cut than what i've gotten at WalMart previously.  I'll be picking up q 12 pounder or so tonight along with a large pork butt for an overnight smoke i'm doing for my father in law's 60th birthday party this weekend.

 

[rcfire77]

Just checked prices of pork butt around me in central NJ. From Costco it was $1.98/lb. but I had to buy two butts for a package weight of about 15 pounds. From the local Amish market, where it is cut fresh, it was $3.19/lb but I could but just one butt that averaged  6 to 8 pounds. I also went to our local Stop & Shop supermarket and they had them for $2.19/lb., again I could buy just one (it was about 6 pounds). It is just me and the wife at home so I don't want to have to buy two and freeze one of them. I don't know how badly using frozen butt would affect the finished product vs fresh. 

As for the brisket I haven't been able to get a price for that as of yet. They can order them for me at the Amish market and the price will vary week to week, and at Costco the butcher told me he had them but was they are kept in the back and not out on display. He did not know the price and was too busy to check unless I was buying one...that was nice of him.

 

[SmokinAl]

If you have access to a Sam's or Costco, their prices & quality are very good.

 

[happy2meatu]

Here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, we have "United Grocers" or "Cash and Carry"... Basically a restaurant supply that also sells to the public. Last week my local one had Briskets $2.28/lb for Select, and $2.18/lb for Choice. The Choice ones were quite large, which I am sure is partly why they were priced so well.

They also had good prices on Pork, I picked up a boneless shoulder butt 2 pack for $1.62/lb, which weighed in at 16.5 pounds. I did pulled pork with it at a weekend youth campout, and it turned out great... pleased with the quality of the meat.

If any of you have these stores I would definitely give them a try. I also get my charcoal there, 40 lb bags of Lazarri Mesquite hardwood lump for $13.95.

 

[meateater]

Smart and Final is a good place also. 

 

[vision]

The Costco I usually go to says they can only get flats in. What's up with that?

 

[chadinclw]

Price will vary regionally and even within markets. Around here I can get whole packers at WalMart Supercenter, GFS, and some Sam's, bu my regular Sam's only carries flats due to demand. Once in a long while they have small 10-12# packers. The flats are 7-9# and of good quality so for home use it's not that big of a deal.

 

[garyinmd]

Vision, I go to the Costco by Columbia and they also only have the flats.  I have found packers at Wegman's in Sparks although they were $3.99 awhile back.

 

[vision]

Hi Gary, there's a butcher in Catonsville that sells them and I'm looking into local restaurant supply houses. Wegman's is my only connection for prime beef.

 

[garyinmd]

Vision, are you talking about JW Treuth's.  I went there once and bought some ribs and if I remember the store/counter area is not very large.  They were busy so I never had a change to talk to them about ordering before hand then picking up later.  They have a good size display case but two of the coolers that were in the meat counter section the meat was frozen, not sure if you care about fresh or not.  I will bookmark this post and let you know if I find anything better.

http://www.jwtreuth.com/

Good luck with the storm coming this way.

 

[vision]

I am talking about JW Treuth.

Am looking at the hurricane track now, it's moving closer to land dammit. A few tracks have it over Baltimore. Sunday will be a mess.

 

[roller]

Sam`s Club and Walmart here has a packer for 1.99lb  normal price and a nice trimmed up Select flat for 3.66lb . If you want one already in the rub then its going to be close to 5.00lb...I have started just buying the packers because when I finish them they all taste the same...GOOD !

 

[garyinmd]

Thanks Roller, will have to check at Walmart, we belong to Costco here and really don't need another membership club.  I agree, when done all is good,

Vision, yea the weather does not look good.  I see your offline now but there is another thread talking about the impending mess.  The misses and I have to drive to Richmond tomorrow and back to Columbia on Sunday, could be interesting.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...time-to-see-about-getting-in-land#post_682542

All take care.

 

[bamatmac]

Just ran by Publix here in the Atlanta area...was marked at $5.99/lb.  I headed over to Costco where it was $5.29/lb (trimmed).  I asked if they had any whole ones in the back (untrimmed) and he came out with 2-3 beauties...especially since they were $3.69/lb!  I grabbed an 8 pounder and will put it on the MES tonight