Brisket

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Swallow
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Brisket

Post by Swallow » Mon Jan 23, 2012 23:41

This morning I sent the little woman to town to check up on and pick up some brisket. She got back and I asked her "Where's the Brisket". She told me that she had talked to the butcher and he had told her that they didn't sell much brisket but that he could order some in for her. She asked him what the price was for brisket, he checked it up on the computer and told her it was $12.68 a kilo. What do you think of that price? Seems a little high to me.

Swallow
Last edited by Swallow on Tue Jan 24, 2012 04:22, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by ssorllih » Tue Jan 24, 2012 00:32

I presume that is for USDA Prime. regular super market prices east coast USA are less then 5 USD per pound usually about 4.50.
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Brisket prices

Post by Swallow » Tue Jan 24, 2012 01:17

ssorllih wrote:I persume that is for USDA Prime. regular super market prices east coast USA are less then 5 USD per pound usually about 4.50.
Ross, that would be for Manitoba grade A feed lot finished Angus. As we don't get USDA beef here I'm not sure how that would correlate price ways, but I still think that it is high. I want to corn about ten briskets and I just don't want to pay close to seven bucks a pound for it so tomorrow I'm going to go to the slaughter house and see what they have to offer.

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Post by Chuckwagon » Tue Jan 24, 2012 01:18

Hi Swallow,
Years ago, the two muscles between the front legs of a cow (brisket) was an inexpensive cut and not exactly what one would call a "hot selling item" in any butcher shop. Why? Because of its location, it is naturally tough. And who wanted tough beef? Not the ordinary housewife. Butchers couldn`t even give the stuff away! However, over time, people learned a little secret of barbecuers and cattlemen. It seems that these folks would "bake" it in light smoke for 12 hours at only 200°F. and then cut it against the grain in thin slices. The flavor was (and is) phenomenal. An enterprising butcher in nineteenth century New York, called the stuff "London Broil" desiring to bump up the label for quick sale.

Being naturally sturdy, the brisket contains two distinct muscles separated by a layer of fat that will not render. Worse, the meat absorbs smoke like a sponge, and may easily become bitter to the palate of many folks. It is also so large, it requires a longer period of cooking time, and most chefs and cooks consider its preparation without drying the meat, a legitimate challenge. The brisket may very well be the most difficult piece of beef of all to barbecue, and the process of selecting, preparing, and barbecue-cooking brisket in many parts of the United States is truly an art form, remaining in a culinary class by itself - often chosen only to display the skills of a good chef. Inside a working ranch barbecue pit, properly cooked brisket habitually becomes a matter of economy, using all the parts of a steer.

In the marketplace, the secret is out! Brisket is not only sought by barbecuers, it is much in demand during the springtime for those who make an annual "corned beef" dish for St. Patrick`s Day on March 17th. Yes, the secret has been out for some time and the law of supply and demand has made the price skyrocket. Allow me to share a few secrets I've learned along the trail to turn this "tough stuff" into a delicious meal.

Selecting the best brisket from a butcher`s cold case is almost a combination of skill and luck and cookin' the ominous article may seem as if a miracle were needed. On the range, you may choose and cut an eight to ten pound brisket from a medium size beef, having checked the cut for flexibility - and the brand on the steer!:roll: Place your hand vertically beneath the center of the butchered brisket and let the brisket "flop" over the edges of your hand. As with the selection of tenderloin, find a pliable cut with a natural bend. If it is tough coming from the meat locker or butcher shop, it will be difficult to make it more tender on the barbecue grill.

The large end of the brisket is called the "point". Place the brisket on a cutting board and remove the outside fat from the brisket's backside with a boning knife. This layer will not render drippings and is hard, tough, and often slightly yellow in color. With a boning knife, cut the thing almost to the muscle so there is only a slight amount of fat remaining. It will look mostly red with just a bit of fat remaining. Yes, there is much waste in preparing a good brisket.

The fat at the front of the brisket is handled a little differently. Notice two things. First, how deeply you must cut into the fat layer of the brisket in order to remove the maximum amount of fat separating the two muscles. This fat layer invariably remains in the center traveling the length of the brisket, separating the two muscles. Second, note the inch thick layer of fat along the bottom of the brisket. This layer will vary anywhere from 1/4 inch to about 1 inch in thickness. If you select a brisket with the 1/4-inch of fat trimmed along this side, you must thank your butcher, as it certainly did not come that way. Be sure to send him a Christmas card and don`t ride yer` hoss inside his store any longer while screaming "yee-haw"! The goal is to trim this fat edge to about 1/4 inch in thickness, offering a protective layer during the long period of cooking. Although this hardened fat will not render, it will help keep the meat moist while preventing it from absorbing too much strong smoke smudge, becoming overly bitter or having too strong a smoke flavor.

Seasoning The Derned Thing

Now that you've selected the best brisket and have trimmed it to perfection, it's time to season the meat. Some folks choose to marinate the brisket, being aware the process only penetrates the meat to a depth of about 1/4 inch and won't penetrate fat at all. Whenever cooking a hefty piece of meat this robust, marinating is not all that effective, although I use marinade to introduce as much garlic flavor as possible, prior to sprinkling the meat with a spicy "dry rub".

Folks in the southern and eastern United States, apply a thick coating of ordinary yellow mustard to the meat by "painting" it with a pastry brush before the dry rub seasoning is applied. Some of these brisket-bakin` barbecuers are the finest in the country and their plain ol` yellow prepared mustard helps keep the meat moist, keeps the dry rub on the brisket, and seals the meat by developing a tender crust. The vinegar within the mustard will also help tenderize the meat to a slight degree. The mustard flavor dissipates entirely during the cooking process. Believe me, if you are really seeking "competition brisket", you'll spread on mustard.

In the Rocky Mountains, by tradition, most ranch cooks simply skip the mustard for some reason, usually preferring to "smoke-cook" briskets for hours inside low-temperature smoke houses using light smoke for only a short period during the actual cooking time. Rocky Mountain briskets are mopped frequently using a garlic, oregano, vinegar, and mildly sweet citrus combination sauce. I can`t explain the reason for not spreading on the mustard. It`s just not done often here in the mountains, and to be absolutely truthful, most brisket (having been marinated overnight) is cooked within a matter of minutes as high heat is applied from both sides of the cut simultaneously - London broil style... although folks in London have never heard of the stuff! Only more experienced barbecue cooks tend to slowly cook brisket overnight.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Last edited by Chuckwagon on Tue Jan 24, 2012 06:40, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Brisket

Post by el Ducko » Tue Jan 24, 2012 05:00

Swallow wrote:...told her it was $12.68 a kilo. What do you think of that price? Seems a little high to me.
...looks like the exchange rate is about par these days, so that's both USD & $Canadian 5.75 per pound.

In North Carolina and Texas, both places get their meat from a mega-feedlot-slaughterer-packer in Monfort, Colorado, where they whack 'em and cryovac 'em. If you keep your eyes open, you can often pick up brisket from mass marketers like WallyWorld (a.k.a WalMart) for USD 1.79 a pound, but not always. The going rate seems like USD 4.95 a pound, most days. We expect it to get lots worse due to the ongoing drought in the western and central US.
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Re: Brisket

Post by Swallow » Tue Jan 24, 2012 12:07

el Ducko wrote:
Swallow wrote:...told her it was $12.68 a kilo. What do you think of that price? Seems a little high to me.
...looks like the exchange rate is about par these days, so that's both USD & $Canadian 5.75 per pound.

In North Carolina and Texas, both places get their meat from a mega-feedlot-slaughterer-packer in Monfort, Colorado, where they whack 'em and cryovac 'em. If you keep your eyes open, you can often pick up brisket from mass marketers like WallyWorld (a.k.a WalMart) for USD 1.79 a pound, but not always. The going rate seems like USD 4.95 a pound, most days. We expect it to get lots worse due to the ongoing drought in the western and central US.
Ducko, Gee meat at Wally World whoda thunk it? and here I thought that "Made, Grown and picked in North America" was against Ole Sam Walton's religion or sunthin but then again I guess I don't get out much, but I'd still be a little leery about buying meat at Wally world for fear of getting "Peking Moo Guy" AKA "Chinese Bully Beef" respleat with a Wally World full of toxic additives. I think that I will just trundle down to the local abattoir and see what they have to offer, perhaps pay a little more but at least I know where it came from.

On a side note has anyone ever tried Buffalo brisket? I have a fella down the road about four miles from me that raises and slaughters Buffalo as well as Beeffalo. Now that should be some slab of meat huh? Just wondering.

Swallow
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Re: Brisket

Post by el Ducko » Tue Jan 24, 2012 15:45

Swallow wrote:
I'd still be a little leery about buying meat at Wally world for fear of getting "Peking Moo Guy" AKA "Chinese Bully Beef" respleat with a Wally World full of toxic additives. ...

On a side note has anyone ever tried Buffalo brisket?
Yeah, I bet ol' Mister Sam is spinning in his grave, seeing what the children and grandchildren did to his operation. It used to be exclusively "buy American."

I get only the ones called "packer brisket" which are in the original cryovac package. That wouldn't stop anyone doing whatever awful they do to the stuff in a custom order, especially for a big customer, so you're right. That, plus the standards for US beef are different from those of Canadian beef. In particular, "they" say you guys can track individual animals back to source, and have more thorough inspection for BSE than we do. (Please tell me that I'm wrong and we can do that, too!)

That buffalo and beefalo idea sounds great. Sure would like to try one of both in the smoker. [Where's the dang :salivating: smiley when you need it?]
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Re: Brisket

Post by Swallow » Tue Jan 24, 2012 17:51

el Ducko wrote:
Swallow wrote:





I get only the ones called "packer brisket" which are in the original cryovac package. That wouldn't stop anyone doing whatever awful they do to the stuff in a custom order, especially for a big customer, so you're right. That, plus the standards for US beef are different from those of Canadian beef. In particular, "they" say you guys can track individual animals back to source, and have more thorough inspection for BSE than we do. (Please tell me that I'm wrong and we can do that, too!)

That buffalo and beefalo idea sounds great. Sure would like to try one of both in the smoker. [Where's the dang :salivating: smiley when you need it?]
Duko, Well my bil is a veterinarian as well as a federal meat inspector , I just gave him a call and yes we can trace beef back to source, he's not sure weather Americans can or do that, what he did say is that In the case of meat imports from the USA, one in every ten shipments of similar products from the same US processing establishment must be delivered to one of the Canadian establishments registered under the Meat Inspection Regulations act of 1990 for inspection of meat products imported from the USA, for inspection by a CFIA inspector. He also said that Canadian meat quality inspections were MUCH tighter than in the US, he didn't say just what that entailed. So I wish that I could reassure you but alas I cannot.
What I can tell you is that the sale of and buying of live beef in Canada can be a nightmare if the rules of ear tagging, place of origin, record of inoculations bla bla bla are not followed to the letter.
Case in point, I have two Dwarf Jerseys and by law they should both be wearing ear tags, they don't, simply because they look stupid and I really don't think that the ear tags improve the quality of the milk, butter and cream, but when I sell calves I had better remember where the girls ear tags are and the calves get tagged for traceability.

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Post by ssorllih » Tue Jan 24, 2012 18:44

When we had cows they all had a tag but it was a small aluminum clip about an inch and a half long and fit close to the ear.
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Post by Swallow » Tue Jan 24, 2012 18:54

ssorllih wrote:When we had cows they all had a tag but it was a small aluminum clip about an inch and a half long and fit close to the ear.
Well I can remember those as well but that is no longer the case, now the ear and chest flap tags are huge great red, yellow, blue, etc plastic paddles that yuh could swat flys with.

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Post by ssorllih » Tue Jan 24, 2012 19:15

It makes it easier for the farmer to know if he has a new calf in his herd.
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Post by Swallow » Tue Jan 24, 2012 19:30

ssorllih wrote:It makes it easier for the farmer to know if he has a new calf in his herd.
Ross, that well might apply in some places but here farmers know if they have a new calf in the herd tags or no tags as almost all of the caving is done in February or March when the cattle are still in the corral or barn for the winter.

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Post by ssorllih » Tue Jan 24, 2012 19:34

I do building repair on a farm that ran 200 breeding cows on a little over 800 acres. They needed those big visible tags. These angus lived outside year round. I have seen calves that were born in the snow dried off by mama and all fluffed out and following her around in below zero weather. It is rainy cold weather that kills the calves when they can't get dry.
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