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Where to get a good brisket?


 
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Daniel Israel

TVWBB Member
I live in the SF Bay Area (East Bay). Where's a good place to get a good brisket? If you don't live here, any suggestions on what to look for?

The supermarkets around here have only completely trimmed briskets between 3 and 4 pounds. Hardly worth it, in my opinion.

Thanks for the help!
 
D-

Smart and Final has been the only place I have found them regularly. I would guess the one in Oakland is closest to you in Richmond. They recently had some Choice, whole, packer-trimmed briskets (usually they only have Select) selling for $1.29/lb down here in the Redwood City location.

Other options would be to find a butcher who can special order them for you, or possibly a meat wholesaler who has a cash and carry setup. Don't have any recommendations for either of those options in Richmond....

Hope that helps,
Rich G.
 
Dennis,

Smart and Final generally has them. They're all over the Bay area. Last week Smart and Final had CHOICE grade briskets for only 1.39 a pound. That's a great price for a CHOICE grade. Typically, they stock Select grade briskets, which run 1.05 to 1.15 a pound. I've had good luck cooking select grade briskets, you jut have to cook them a little longer before they become tender. Choice grade has more marbeling and is more tender and juicy. But done right, those select grade briskets turn out just fine.


I hear Sam's club has them sometimes too, but the closest one I know is out in Concord.

Otherwise, find a good butcher in your area and they can order one for you. Ask for a whole, untrimmed brisket, including both flat and point sections. Tell them you want it the packer cut style, preferably still in cryovac. The more detail you can give the butcher, the better. Some know right away what you're talking about. Others don't, but when they talk to their meat supplier the right thing usually shows up. Butcher shops tend to be more expensive than Smart and Final. So be prepared to spend a little more per pound.
 
Try looking in a wholesale club. Here in New England we have Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club. I found some nice brisket flats, ranging from 6.5 lbs and up as well as pork picnics and spare ribs. Sam's Club had a great beef and rib selection but their briskets were small and trimmed of almost all fat. Part of the fun for me with BBQ is what I think of as "The Hunt". I go in search of the brisket, rack of ribs, pork butt, etc. and keep at it until I find what I think is a good one. Makes for a great war story although I think my wife and daughter are just humoring me. Cooking with the WSM and trading tips, ideas and stories on this board is a great deal of fun. I learned in a few hours from these generous people what would have taken months to learn by myself.
 
I have been very happy with what I've found at Sam's in the way of whole briskets, and especially the big untrimmed brisket flats in cryovac. A 9x13" pastrami is a beautiful thing.
 
Oh, and don't bother looking at Costco.

I heard they used to sell them there a copule-three years ago, but stopped due to lack of demand.

I get virtually all my other meat for BBQ at Costco: Chickens, pork butts, spares, baby backs, and tri-tip.

All except for briskets, which they don't carry.
 
A Briskett Tree!!!!

Better yet call Bibby Flay and he will find one you can smoke in 5 hours...lmao

seriously.. try a butcher shop.. or check with you local meat manager
 
Well,

I went to Smart and Final this weekend. I couldn't find briskets in the meat freezer. Then as I was walking out, there was a meat box, so I decided to look inside. There were a bunch of briskets there!!

I got 2 good 10 pounders! Time to finish reading the site and make me a good brisket! YAHOO!
 
I know the feeling, there isn't anywhere around here short of a 2 hour drive to buy a real brisket. anyone know how to cook a 3.5 pounder ?

-Ron
 
Ron...

Try a Wal-Mart Super Store... They usually carry whole brisket, Choice grade, from 11 to 13 lbs. in cryovac... .98 , $1.19 lb.
 
You need to find a packing plant that serves restaurants. It took us awhile but we finally found a place to get prime briskets at $1.59 per pound. They ship the rest of the cow to Japan and Korea. Get on the phone and do some sourcing.
 
Dennis,

Do packing plants sell one or two briskets at a time to the basic retail customer? Or are we talking a case qty (4 - 6) or more at a time?
 
thanks for the replies guys.

I'm quite serious, I've hunted high and low.
super walmart & sams club 2 hour drive each way.
not a single butcher to be found within 60 to 70 miles. it's evidently not a popular thing anymore(at least around here) when I was growing up there was a neighborhood meat market that my mom used to go to. In fact my dad even took me to a slaughterhouse 2 towns over when I was about 11 or so ( why would anyone do that to a kid ? )
I asked one of the guys in the meat dept. at the local stop & shop supermarket and he gave me a look and said he never heard of it.
bizarre.... /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif


oh well, I'll keep looking.
thanks.

-Ron
 
Cash and Carry is a unit of Smart and Final they have a store at 400 Oak street in Okland 510-251-9345 according to the giant wall calendar in our office. Bragging, I got my 1st Place Brisket for the Lake Tahoe "Big Chill" Cook-off from Cash & Carry. My 180 ribs from the Nebraska State championship were spares bought from them.
Hope that helps,
 
Konrad,

Would you mind sharing with us newbies the cooking process you used to get first place brisket? Naturally I dont expect you to divulge any secret recipes, but would hope you might share the process: i.e. did you rub or marinade over night, use mopping sauce, finishing sauce, type of wood used, length of cook, etc.

Thanks!

Danny Hardesty
 
I marinaded, did not use a mop, used our rub, finishing sauce was our sauce straight (the only reason I say that is we add honey for Chicken and Ribs), I used wal-mart Hickory and Mesquite, I did finish in foil and let it rest for a long time in foil with the finishing sauce on.
It's the basic Mike Scrutchfield technique for Brisket. http://www.rbjb.com/rbjb/gold/recipe.htm
HTH,
 
Thanks for the tips Konrad!

My wife does not like "finishing sauces" on her Q, so have generally limited myself to marinades/rubs pre-cook and then dipping sauces at the table. Maybe I will cook one batch for her, and then one for me with finishing sauce!

Danny Hardesty
 
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