Which brisket to buy?

[Chasdev]

I'm looking at top shelf briskets to award myself for Xmas (with my wife acting as Santa) so what say you on which is best or closest to being worth the stratospheric price levels?
I know the names of a few outfits that get mentioned..Snake River Farms, Creekside Farms but what are the others that end up at competition cooks?
I'm wobbling like a weeble over buying two or three HEB Prime One "Natural" briskets or going for a top shelf offering.
Are they worth three times more than a very good prime version? (not Costco prime, they have a ton of fat in my experience and the taste was more or less the same as a normal HEB offering.)
FWIW, I would NEVER spend $200 on a brisket so if I get one it will be as a present for Xmas.

 

[thirdeye]

I've had Creekstone Farms and SRF briskets, I lean slightly in favor of SRF which are wagyu and wet aged for 21 days. Creekstone briskets are Prime Angus and have been grain finished.

 

[912smoker]

SRF provides a lot for the competition cooks. Might also try Kevin at The Butcher Shoppe in Pensacola, FL. They shop tons of Australian wagyu for comp cooks. I've talked with him on the phone but our team couldn't make the cookoff.
Give him a call and tell him what your looking for.


Keith

 

[DougE]

(not Costco prime, they have a ton of fat in my experience and the taste was more or less the same as a normal HEB offering.)
FWIW, I would NEVER spend $200 on a brisket so if I get one it will be as a present for Xmas.

You want fat in a brisket. Costco prime briskets are fine.

 

[TNJAKE]

Get you a srf brisket. Never had one better personally. All we use for comps

 

[clifish]

I'm wobbling like a weeble

showing our age we?????...lol

 

[daspyknows]

You want fat in a brisket. Costco prime briskets are fine.

They also carry Wagyu briskets for $6.99/lb at the Costco near me.

 

[jcam222]

SRF provides a lot for the competition cooks. Might also try Kevin at The Butcher Shoppe in Pensacola, FL. They shop tons of Australian wagyu for comp cooks. I've talked with him on the phone but our team couldn't make the cookoff.
Give him a call and tell him what your looking for.


Keith

I totally forgot about the Butcher Shoppe. I almost ordered some from them last year

 

[Chasdev]

I guess I'm not ready for prime time brisket wise so I'm trending toward a $100 version from HEB.
For some reason, personal taste probably, I prefer Texas beef over whatever country Costco sources theirs, was it Argentina, or Chile, I forget....maybe Brazil?
The wife and I agree though that the Costco steaks and burgers we've tried were only so-so flavor wise.
I did one of their prime briskets four or five years ago and the point was VERY fatty.
I'm a point addict and gobble up the fatty parts with glee, but too much is too much IMHO.

 

[sandyut]

I dunno man, if your gonna smoke it for 10 hours, is it really worth throwing down mass cash for the name of the store? Ive smoke my fair share, costco, butcher, kroger etc. where I buy it seems to have no affect on the outcome for a brisket. I would shop around, give them the bend test, put eyes on a few a pick one. I wouldnt mail order one for more than I can pay at costco - but thats just my $0.02 worth.

 

[Chasdev]

My thoughts too.

 

[thirdeye]

I guess I'm not ready for prime time brisket wise so I'm trending toward a $100 version from HEB.

Consider buying one from HEB and wet aging it at home. You will need the pack date from the actual case (not the sell-by date that is printed on the label), so you need to have the meat cutters bring out a few so you can pick the one you want. Then they will go back and print a label. I like about 21 days of age and my Sam's club is very accommodating. If you are lucky you can buy one with 15 days of aging, then you can cook it 5 or 6 days later.

 

[sandyut]

Chasdev avatar thing doesnt say where you live... Around CO primes run @$4-4.50lb at Costco. pretty sure they are labeled with the pack date, if not the sell by date is one week from pack date...if I recall a previous discussion on this topic.

IMO - I have never noticed a difference between choice and prime briskets - besides the cost. it hurts more to trim pounds of fat off a prime - this I know for sure. Give them the bend test, look for the least amount of hard fat and roll the dice. It will be good.

 

[radioguy]

Don't waste your money on an expensive brisket. Just buy a Costco Prime. I did a side by side comparison Costco choice vs SNF Wagyu. If you want wagyu buy a steak or prime rib.

RG

Wagyu vs Choice Brisket, side by side

I have to apologize for not finishing the original thread Bunch of Briskets, but life got in front of me. Had to load the camper on one of the hottest days of the year This post will conclude that brisket cook. We go to North Myrtle every year for a week with the extended family. We make a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[sandyut]

Don't waste your money on an expensive brisket. Just buy a Costco Prime. I did a side by side comparison Costco choice vs SNF Wagyu. If you want wagyu buy a steak or prime rib.

RG

Wagyu vs Choice Brisket, side by side

I have to apologize for not finishing the original thread Bunch of Briskets, but life got in front of me. Had to load the camper on one of the hottest days of the year This post will conclude that brisket cook. We go to North Myrtle every year for a week with the extended family. We make a...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

100% agree!

 

[schlotz]

Wagyu from most suppliers is a mix, usually crossbred with Angus. A lot of which will be close to a 50/50% mix. Now there is nothing wrong with that but there is one heck of a difference between meat at that level vs Purebred or FullBlood. Here is a bit of detail that helps explain:

Wagyu - know what you are buying

Our daughter & her husband are in the business. They are continually educating potential customers regarding Wagyu and how it can vary. Instead of resurrecting an old 2021 thread where I posted this as a comment. Here is some Wagyu information that is good to know before reaching for the wallet...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[Chasdev]

I am confident that top Japanese Wagyu served in Tokyo would catapult me straight to beef nirvana, BUT, I was gifted a "wagyu" brisket last xmas via a gift cert.
Turned out they were out of briskets so I had to choose lesser offerings... tri tip, 80/20 burger meat, fajita flaps and wagyu hot dogs.
My exeriences with THAT wagyu labled meat was simply put, south of bad.
The burgers had so much fat they were almost pale pink, and they cooked that way too.
Instant volcano flame job over charcoal and what's worse, they were tough as shoe and most probably the flat off the brisket they were out of stock when I called!
I sou vide the skirt and it was good to ok only, no reason to go seek it out over normal HEB skirt though.
Tri tip was ptobably the best they sent me.
I tenderized with baking soda per instructions, sliced and grilled over coals.
A little chewy but enjoyable.
The 100% wagyu hot dogs were like biting a cat tail plant, dry dry dry and did not taste right somewhow.
My wife is a hot dog gourmet and she spit her's out.
I ended up with 6 lbs of burger meat and have used two lbs in chili, still not as good as HEB.
After hours of low simmer, still tough as a shoe.
Anyway rave off.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Chasdev avatar thing doesnt say where you live... Around CO primes run @$4-4.50lb at Costco. pretty sure they are labeled with the pack date, if not the sell by date is one week from pack date...if I recall a previous discussion on this topic.

IMO - I have never noticed a difference between choice and prime briskets - besides the cost. it hurts more to trim pounds of fat off a prime - this I know for sure. Give them the bend test, look for the least amount of hard fat and roll the dice. It will be good.

I agree but when you trim that fat do not toss it out. Place it in a pot in your smoker. When you are ready to wrap the brisket the tallow should be melted enough and pour it all over your brisket when wrapping. You have now turned it in to a better than wagu brisket.

 

[schlotz]

I am confident that top Japanese Wagyu served in Tokyo would catapult me straight to beef nirvana, BUT, I was gifted a "wagyu" brisket last xmas via a gift cert.
Turned out they were out of briskets so I had to choose lesser offerings... tri tip, 80/20 burger meat, fajita flaps and wagyu hot dogs.
My exeriences with THAT wagyu labled meat was simply put, south of bad.
The burgers had so much fat they were almost pale pink, and they cooked that way too.
Instant volcano flame job over charcoal and what's worse, they were tough as shoe and most probably the flat off the brisket they were out of stock when I called!
I sou vide the skirt and it was good to ok only, no reason to go seek it out over normal HEB skirt though.
Tri tip was ptobably the best they sent me.
I tenderized with baking soda per instructions, sliced and grilled over coals.
A little chewy but enjoyable.
The 100% wagyu hot dogs were like biting a cat tail plant, dry dry dry and did not taste right somewhow.
My wife is a hot dog gourmet and she spit her's out.
I ended up with 6 lbs of burger meat and have used two lbs in chili, still not as good as HEB.
After hours of low simmer, still tough as a shoe.
Anyway rave off.

Very sorry to hear you had that experience. Obviously something was off with that provider. As mentioned in my link there is no governing on the use of the wagyu label for meat. Unfortunately you weren't in a position to decide given the gift card.

 

[nomoreusmc]

Let's be honest, genetics is a lottery. For cattle and human beings. Wagyu\special farm\shipped from over seas is a scam designed to separate you from your money.

I sat down with a neighbor I had a couple years ago before I lost my farm. He had over 500 head and swore he could identify and Angus steak from anything from the store. So I accepted his challenge and went to the local grocery store and got a good looking marbled steak. He provided me with one of his steaks. Salt pepper garlic on both and into my smoker. I then blindfolded the man and handed him two forks with a piece of steak on each one. Guess which one he liked better? Again this is a man who grows fancy cattle for a living. Don't waste your money.