COSTCO Baby Back Ribs

I've had good success with Costco ribs (still on the elec Charbroil; 055 later this month!). I guess you have to hit it right to find a real butcher, the guys I've talked to try to be helpful, but the closest they have come to a packer cut brisket is a 3 lb. flat with the absolute life trimmed off it!

I guess you have to come to Texas to get Brisket. Just about every supemarket will have it in 10lb cuts give or take a few pounds. I try for the 8 pounders because they fit well in the ST.

Yeah, Tony, you're probably right about brisket. And, ahem, by the way, you'll notice I'm from SoCal...how long will I have to look at "How bout them Horns"????

Brisket all over the super walmarts round here!

I try to avoid the Super Wal-Marts when I am buying meat. It is unfortunately the closest supermarket to my home, so we do shop there. But when it comes to meat those packages of meat look all too slimy. Plus, I don't think they have anything but select grade. What I normally do is wait until a store has a sale on Brisket then buy up a few. Also there is only so much freezer space available.

I bought Brisket 2 weeks ago at Tom Thumb for $.99 a pound. I picked up 4 of them.

Also, I have found that around a 8-1/2 pounder fits nicely in my ST. It will be touching the sides initially but shrinks up nicely when done.

I have never seen or bought any 'slimy' meat at any walmart. Any and all meat I have ever got or bought from any walmart has been very good quality and fresh. This includes Sam's.

I was responding to your post about only getting brisket in Texas.

The Misses tipped me that she sees untrimmed brisket on sale at Albertson's and Ralphs for a reasonable price- I'll have her keep her eyes open.

I was stating that the brisket could be had easily in Texas to KCAL56 who is from Southern California.
I have nothing against Wallyworld. I just dont think they carry high quality meats. Everything here is prepackaged and shipped in. They have no real Butchers at the Super Walmarts in Texas. Only shelf stockers.
I like to talk to butchers who know something about what they are selling. My advice is to talk to the guy stocking your Wal-Mart and find out if the meat is Select, Choice or Prime. He will tell you, if he even knows, that it is select. Plus it will be written on the packaging if it is choice or prime. If it is select you may or may not see anything.
That said, I have read posts here that state it doesn't matter what kind of brisket you get it all works just the same and I believe it. I get my brisket at either Tom Thumb or Albertsons or Kroger. I also shopped at Winn-Dixie when they were still in Texas.
I just choose not to shop at Wal-Mart for my meats. I know you are from Arkansas, home of wallyworld and I apologize for offending you.

For what it is worth. FSA (Foodservice of America) out of Spokane, WA is owned by a fellow who also has an Angus ranch somewhere over near Seattle. His packs and ships under the trade name "Misty Isle". We get choice or better brisket packers for $1.59 a pound, six to a case through FSA. You can really tell it when you get a prime one. The fat is so creamy and white with wonderful marbling. He gets us special order primes for competition. When we get 1st place with them is definitely the meat that gets the prize. We used to use Wally World. The butcher there told me they only sell select and they are from Canada to boot. The fat on them is hard and at times yellowish in color. We use Costco butts from Swift because they have been pretrimed of excess fat. We get a 70% net versus 60% with Farmland others. Our cost is usually only 10 cents a pound more. Hope this helps if you are from the Northwest. Keep stokin the fire.

Sorry Tony, I am not offended just because walmart is Arkansas based, I just can't find anything wrong with their meats, that's all. It matters not to me what grade the meat is as long as it satisfies me and mine. I also have not ran into any hard or yellow fat on the meat. There are knowledgeable butchers employed at the walmart here. I know Texas and other points west are considered beef states, but alot of beef is raised here also and we love and know it well. I am not offended or upset in any way and see nothing in your posts or mine that would indicate otherwise, just straight talk and maybe a tad bit of prejudice toward a very well known and wisely managed discount store chain.

Not a problem....I was referring to the look of the meets in the packages, they have a distinct sheen in that package. That�s just the way it looks to me. As far as the hard fat goes, I have read here that some people prefer the hard fat. I have found that the fat near the deckle end of a brisket is usually hard and thick. I take a sharp knife and usually trim it down some to about a � inch thick. When the brisket is done, all of the fat trims away easily and has the same consistency. So I am not sure whether the thick hard fat makes a difference to me. But then Montana and Idaho championships are rather impressive and I can�t argue with that.

I'm no expert on brisket,but have cooked a few.

In an endorsement of Superwally,often they are the only market in an area that stocks packers.

I'd rather cook a decent select packer,than choice flats-depending on my usage .

Their packers are in cryovac and you can check the kill/pack date on the cartons.

They are typically IBP,or occasionally excel brand.

If there is a Sam's in the area,often the wally will get the same cases of packers.[choice]

Yes,typically they get select,but when they get choice-they mix them all in ,at select price.

Typically $0.20/lb cheaper than Sam's.

No ,the meat guys don't know too much-so we must ask the questions.

Hope this helps a little.

So how did we get on Brisket when it started out as Ribs????

quote:

I'm no expert on brisket,but have cooked a few.

yeah, right, Tom you're officially appointed at the Brisket Expert for this board. 5 years of talking brisket qualifies.

Now, I've cooked with you in class, so I can say "I've cooked with Tom and he knows his stuff about brisket"



There are some good points by all above.

The key is to learn about Brisket, not just accept what the local market has.

WM in town only sells select. They sell briskets at Sam's but they're rarely choice. Regardless of where you buy, learn about briskets and what to look for and buy where you can find them.

Look for Briskets that don't have that hard yellow fat.

Look for briskets that have some "bend" and some "flex" to them. Old briskets don't flex.

LOOK at the marbeling and see if it looks good.

And if you don't have the luxury, choose packers over flats.

It's all good eatin' in the end.

Russ

I think by slimey meats he's referring to those packaged in a salt solution--the butts and ribs definitely come out of the cryovac with a slimey coat (compared to buying fresh from a real butcher). I rinse before using.

Thanks for the kind words.

The team says to watch for the cookbook"1001 Ways To Eat Leftover Practice Brisket".

I used to buy my briskets, choosing the ones that I could bend in half to make the end touch or as close to that as possible. My butcher laughed at me on that one. I also found that the Cryopacs were usually too tight to make bend.....He always put aside nice briskets for me if I let him know a few days ahead of time. Well that was a local Tom Thumb store. Unfortunately we have had many Tom Thumbs close here in the DFW metroplex and mine was one of them.

And yes we rolled from ribs right into briskets.

Tony

quote:

Originally posted by tony76248:
[qb] I used to buy my briskets, choosing the ones that I could bend in half to make the end touch or as close to that as possible. My butcher laughed at me on that one. [/qb]

Don't get me started about butchers and their lack of knowledge about how to cook the food their selling. That's a LONG and SAD thread.

For me, it's one way to look at the meat as basically you're checking both the fat (hard fat won't bend) and the meat. Cryovac's bend fine for me.

Then they didnt bend because of the hard fat.....haha!!!

Haven't found packer cuts at Costco but they frequently have untrimmed flats - about 6.5 lbs. a piece. They usually have them in a box in the back and they trim them to produce the "nice" flats they put in the case. Ask. Even if they don't have them that day, they are always coming in.

Yes I have learned that about COSTCO. They are constantly going through their supply of meat. If they don't have what you want today, go back tomorrow. I picked up a nice rib roast on saturday. They cut it in three and tonight it's Prime Rib 101. Unfortunately they trimmed the bone from the roast.

tom's words of wisdom were great for those of us who get our briskets at wally world.
if you go thru the whole stack alot of times what is marked select is actually choice (thank you angelo for teaching me about meat when i was 10 and given the job of meat buying for the family )
oops digressed a little bit there.
the bend test however i have successfully learned to do while it is in cyrovac.
what i do is find the bigg end, come down an inch or so and grab it there with both hands. small end is pointing to the floor. now give it one good shake. the goods ones will take longer to stop oscillating. peggy hates to watch me do this. but the proof of the pudding is this using this technique we have gone from 4 ounces of sales in 4 hours to 15 pounds cooked weight in 3 hours so i aint changing a thing. the sm150 gets set at 215f for 15 hours with a hold temp of 150f and away we go!!!
give the method a try all you have to lose is your dignity but that is a small price to pay to the brisket gods!!!!
jack

Ya reckon ya might be a little superstitous Jack? LOL

If you were here in OK at the W.W. and If we saw a man holding this thang with his two hands and the shaking the little end, you would be tackled and brought to the floor!! haha
Like Largo Bill said to me one time "Good reason to move to Florida". But I pity Peggy and would have to walk away if I was there with you.

Prepared COSTCO baby back ribs on Daytona Sunday. They came out great. Rubbed them down with Cayenne, garlic powder and Obiecue's Gatorbreath. Smoked them for 5-1/5 hours at 225 degrees and tender as can be and not dry at all. Didn't make mistake waiting for them to draw up on bone like last time. Did the bone twist method and they were just like I like them. not falling off the bone too easily and not stuck to the bone either.

A little advice on using cayenne. I mixed it equally with paprika that way I can shake it much more liberally without overdoing it. Also paprika doesnt add much to the rub flavor wise.

damar and kathye,
o ye of little faith!!
upfront told ya all you had to lose was your dignity

but i had to figure a way to duplicate the bend test while it was in the cryo. kept records of how pliable they were out of the bag and how they cooked and sliced and that method is what i came up with
jack
ps. like a.j. foyt said the only difference between cheating and creative rules interpretation is fineese lol. now if i could just meet a friendly farmer who raised veal i know just what i would enter in our next contest. fba has no weight or age limit in their rules for brisket

Jack, you are one in a million. I am so glad you kept records of brisket pliability and the rest. You are a true Son of the Cookshack Forum. I am going to form the Daughters of Cookshack Forum-acronym DCF but there will be no records kept of who the members are.LOL Kathy

kathye,
yep the daughters is a good idea. how peggy puts up with it is beyound me. but we do make a good team. but for the life of me i can't understand why she has stayed with me almost 35 years now!!!
and there ain't no notebook on that one lol
jack

Be kinda tough to get brisket slices thick enough to present from a vealer,I'm thinkin'.

you'd have to put about 20 in the box,and scare the poor judge to death.

Jack, you just must be one of a kind and that is what Peggy sees. I guess. Thank God when we find someone who sees whatever it is ...in us.

I saw them fixin stuffed breast of veal (15 pounder) on the food network yesterday. I wonder if we could do that with a big brisket? Isn't it about the same cut? It looked like it.

Well the brisket would have to be cooked so much longer. Perhaps you could stuff it after you smoke it and then cook it a little more.

If you want to foil,or covered pan braise it,you could do it to anything.

You could seperate it out,stuff it with vegetables,tie it tightly and boil it for a New England boiled dinner.

If you really wish to stuff a brisket,here is an approach from our friends and neighbors in Ponca City.

Head Country Smoked Brisket

Thanks Tom.

Yessir.