Brisket Help!


 
J

J. Ray Silva

TVWBB Fan
So my new WSM 22 will be here Thursday and for the last 2 days I have been searching for a brisket. Im in So. Cal. and have tried several places. The local Food for Less is useless. I went to Costco where I buy all my tri-tip, pork butt, chicken, ribeye, etc. and all they had was a 6lb. flat.

I talked to the butcher there and he said they had no control over what they get and suggested Smart and Final. I went over there and they had one 11 lb. select brisket that was very heavy with fat and was mostly 1-1/4'-1-1/2" thick.

Now, I have to admit I don't know what a good brisket looks like cause this will be my first time smoking one, but that thing looked amemic too me, judging by pictures I have seen of cooked ones on tv and on this forum.

So what say you guys. Do you know where a good brisket can be had in these parts. I would like to get a packer if possible. Or does the Smart and Final brisket fit the bill.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I never thought to check Walmart, but did notice signs that there is a new Walmart market in the area. I will give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up and the links Clint.
 
We have Winco up here and they carry lots of Briskets, mostly in excess of 20 lbs, unfortunately that's $150 which is a tad high for my BBQ budget
 
That is a bit of money, especially for a first brisket attempt. Of course if I mess it up, I could always build a catapult and launch it across town.
 
You'll do fine - especially with all the help around here. I've only done High Heat briskets, & they've all turned out well.... I even helped a friend do one on a 22.5" kettle I gave him & that turned out too. I'll probably try one low & slow next time just for fun.
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence Clint. I'm hoping the WSM works like my kettle. If that's the case I should pick it up pretty easily. If it is a whole other animal I'll figure it out soon enough. I know I'm a lot more stubborn than a hunk of metal and I just like good BBQ too much.

I did a tri-tip last night and some pork ribs tonight on my kettle. I need to put the brakes on till my smoker gets here. Got to save the pork butt and chicken thats left in the freezer for my first go around. Then Ill tackle the brisket.
 
My old stomping grounds, of sorts. Lived between Magnolia & Dale and Ball & Orange.
While in school, worked at the 'other' park.
Has been a few years since I left, 1969 to be exact. There was a Staters Bros near there.
Other Staters have carried briskets in the past. If you are a KCBS member, you could also try the Restaurant Depot.
There's a major beef distributor in BP but I think they're only wholesale. I'll PM you with that info.
 
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You're gonna cook quite a few briskets to figure out how to do them right. A USDA Select from Smart & Final is a good, affordable starting point. I've done quite a few and they're good. If you only see one on the shelf, make sure to ask if they have another case in the back they can bring out so you can pick.

Glad you found one at Stater Bros!
 
I'm in so cal and I've seen them at SAMs club, smart & final, costco business center in commerce and at restaurant depot. Fortunately a best friend is a salesman for a high end meat wholesaler and he'll deliver whatever I want to my door. Unfortunately high end comes at a price even at wholesale. Got a Staters not too far from me and have not seen one there, so I'm glad you did.
Cheers.
 
The S&F in Fullerton and Orange usually has choice and select full packers on hand. Since I have a RD membership too if S&F is out I head there. Costco and SAMs also has untrimmed flats if you want to do theses, I do these a lot as I am usually cooking for just 2.
 
Walmart has a good selection of packers around here (Northern Atlanta area). For some reason, Sams usually only has flats.
 
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