Brisket for 87 cents?

[Guest]

While in a store today I noticed they had about 12 briskets priced at 87 cents per pound. The total price per each piece was between $12 and $14.

Is that a good price for brisket or should I look elsewhere?

Can raw brisket be frozen until the day you use it?

 

[Keri C]

If it's under a dollar a pound, it gets my attention. My opinion is, yes, .87/lb is a good price for packers.

Are the briskets in cryovac? You will definitely want to pull it out of the freezer a few days before you're going to cook. It won't thaw in one day, and you don't want any part of it still frozen when it goes on the smoker. If it's in sealed cryovac, it can sit in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks before cooking without ill effects - some say a month. If it's not in sealed cryovac, I would take it from the freezer to the refrigerator 3 days before you plan to cook. If I'm going to start an all-night cook on Friday night, I usually pull a brisket out of the freezer on Tuesday night or very early Wednesday morning.

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
(with a freezer full of 12-lb $8.00 sale briskets /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif )

 

[Rob B.]

That would be a GREAT price in my neck of the woods. I've paid nearly $3/pound before. The cheapest I can ever find them is $1.49/pound.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Vic...

That price MAY be good...it will depend on what grade the meat is. Our local Sam's just started carrying whole briskets. They are USDA Choice and the cost is $1.18/lb. For around these parts, that is an awesome price.

Wally World usually has them for around the same price you are seeing, but they are only Select grade. Not good, but they will do in a pinch.

 

[Keri C]

Yes... okay... Kevin speaks true. The places where I buy my briskets don't carry select, only choice, so I didn't even think of that point. Sorry about that! I remember seeing Excel brand select briskets at a Walmart neighborhood store here, but wasn't too impressed with the way they looked.

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
(with a freezer full of 12-lb $8.00 sale CHOICE briskets)

 

[Guest]

Ah that is the 'rub'. These are at Save Rite which is a part of Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie sells only choice meats but the Save Rite sells mostly select. The reason for this is that Save Rite was formed to combat the erosion of Wal-Mart into Winn Dixie's market.

Publix, Kroger, Save Rite - all of them in the Atlanta Metro market now sell mostly select meats which is a grade lower than normal to be competivie with Wally World. The public doens't know the difference apparently.

There is also a new issue of brinning in the meats in the Atlanta market.

Save Rite doen't have this yet but Wally World and some others have gone with up to a 10% added solution to the cuts of beef. Even Wally World's best extra cost beef cuts have this.

I almost got into a fight with one manager when first noticed the added brine solution. I shouted that he should be locked up for what they were doing as I considered it an illegal marketing trick to enhance their profits! Now I find out it is prefectly legal. - egg on my face.

Water solution from $6 tp $12 a pound works out to buying water at up to $48 to $96 a gallon! Not bad to your bottom line if you can get away with it!

Anyway Save Rite's Brisket is trayed up like any other meat they sell. I asked them about the price and they said they had a big sale on it several weeks ago and the distribution center 'added out' an extra pallet of the stuff to each store to move what was not sold during the sale to get it out of the warehouse.

So they marked it down to move it at 87 a pound.