Shopping for brisket

I need a brisket to smoke this weekend. I usually find 4 to 5lb. ones at Costco but I need an 8 to 11 lb one this time. Could I use two of the smaller ones or is the big one a different cut of brisket. I understand these smaller ones to be halves but I'm not sure if the whole briskets are bigger in thickness or in length/width or both. Any help would be appreciated.

What you are wanting is called a packer cut brisket. The packer cut brisket comes cryovaced with with the point or deckle attached to the flat.

What you are currently using is probably the flat. You could easily use 2 of them.

Call your local supermarket and ask them if they have the whole packer cut briskets. Sometimes they do. Occasionally they will be cut to make brisket flats and the points ground into hamburger.

Here's a picture of a packer cut brisket rubbed and ready to begin it's 16
hour cook.
I think I bought this at Peoria Meats.

Peoria Packing Butcher Shop
(312) 738-1800
1300 West Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607

I'm sure this has been discussesd, but I'm too lazy to do the research. I wanna smoke a beef briskit. When I asked the guy at Dominicks if they ever had briskit of beef, he responded with a glaze in his eyes that they had it "on the holidays"

I don't want to hear about Paulina Mkt or F&O, isn't there a decent butcher in the city that sells a reasonable briskit? Or am I wrong and this is a "gourmet" cut?

I am shocked that a grocery store wouldn't have brisket year round. If you have a membership at Costco, they have excellent prices. Nearly all large grocery stores will have it - Jewel, Whole Foods, Cermack Produce, etc. If you live near downtown, check out Peoria Packing or Excel on Lake Street.

More generally, check out ideas in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=18868

It shouldn't be difficult to find. But, most places trim the brisket and remove the top, fattier piece (called the "point", "deckle", etc.). Then you are left with a flatter, leaner piece called the "first cut". If you are smoking the brisket, it is better to find a whole, untrimmed brisket. Not every place will have the whole brisket, even if they sell the first cut.

By the way, saying "I'm sure this has been discussed, but I'm too lazy to do the research." is like walking into someone's house and asking them to massage your feet.

The Jewel store on Howard in Evanston has a large Kosher meat section and they have brisket almost every time I go in. Sometimes it's prepackaged but you can ask the butcher what they have or when they'll get it and they can do a cut to your specifications. Be forewarned, "Kosher" adds $$.

kosher also adds salt, which may be problematic if you aren't expecting it.

It can be tough to find an untrimmed, whole brisket. I had promises from my local Garden Fresh that fell through.
I ended up buying two flats (from Meijer) and tieing them lean-sides-together. Came out great, but probably added some cooking time.

TYV wrote: isn't there a decent butcher in the city that sells a reasonable briskit?

Where do you live and work and want to go to buy this cut of meat? I didn't see your location in your profile. The city is 30 miles long.

Personally I wouldn't make a 10 mile drive to buy one piece of brisket here in the city. If I was feeding 25 people I would but not for just a family meal.

gleam wrote:kosher also adds salt, which may be problematic if you aren't expecting it.

On a brisket, it's trivial. To get any salt to penetrate a cut like that more than superficially you'd have to soak for many days. A kosher salting is relatively brief (no more than an hour before the salt is rinsed off thoroughly). Now skirt steaks are another story.

kenji wrote:

TYV wrote:Personally I wouldn't make a 10 mile drive to buy one piece of brisket here in the city.

I'd imagine there are many people on this site (myself included) that would make a longer drive for less.

kenji wrote:

TYV wrote: isn't there a decent butcher in the city that sells a reasonable briskit?

Where do you live and work and want to go to buy this cut of meat? I didn't see your location in your profile. The city is 30 miles long.

Personally I wouldn't make a 10 mile drive to buy one piece of brisket here in the city. If I was feeding 25 people I would but not for just a family meal.

Although one might need to drive 10 miles for a bris kit, a brisket shouldn't be that far away. Frankly, you could also call that same Dominicks you already tried, as for the meat manager, and ask him or her to order you a full brisket.

spinynorman99 wrote:

kenji wrote:

TYV wrote:Personally I wouldn't make a 10 mile drive to buy one piece of brisket here in the city.

I'd imagine there are many people on this site (myself included) that would make a longer drive for less.

My point is there's most likely a untrimmed brisket near the OP and using "the city" as a destination might not be efficient, especially here with all the firsthand butcher knowledge abounding.

Darren72
Although one might need to drive 10 miles for a bris kit, .

Does a Moyel come with that Bris Kit?
I sure hope it isn't DIY...

I suggest Treasure Island. They always have trimmed briskets and I'm sure they could accommodate you for an untrimmed one.

Treasure Island
3460 N. Broadway
Chicago, Illinois 60657
Ph: 773.327.4265

Other locations @ http://www.tifoods.com/contact/

TYV wrote:I'm sure this has been discussesd, but I'm too lazy to do the research. I wanna smoke a beef briskit. When I asked the guy at Dominicks if they ever had briskit of beef, he responded with a glaze in his eyes that they had it "on the holidays"

I don't want to hear about Paulina Mkt or F&O, isn't there a decent butcher in the city that sells a reasonable briskit? Or am I wrong and this is a "gourmet" cut?

As mentioned, Peoria Packing definitely has it (I bought some two weeks ago) and, if you're worried about price, it's under $3 a pound there. I want to say it was somewhere in the $2.49-$2.79 range. I've always had good experiences with their brisket.

I should add this is a cryovac-ed packer cut, usually in the 12-14 pound range. I'm not sure whether you can get just the flat or point there (I've never had reason to find out), but if you're smoking it, you're best off buying the whole thing.

HI,

At Peoria Packer House, I will occasionally buy their corned beef. They have it available in full packer, tips and flats. If they offer the whole range for corned beef, I am pretty certain it is the same for brisket.

Regards,

Thanks all. I just cook for myself, so my idea of smoking is indirect heat on a Smokey Joe. Time to finally check out Peoria Packing, and if the is cut too big I'll check out the local T.I.

Maybe I can redeem myself. I've seen the mentions here of frozen Vito and Nicks pizza, and I'd love to have it nearby. I'd probably explode, but I'd be willing to take the risk.

I live almost next door to the W Grocer in Wicker Pk (on North Ave), and it appears there are many Wicker locals here who follow this board. I think they'd be a perfect (overpriced but good) specialty marketer of this pizza. Enough Amy's already. I've told the manager (tall guy with short black hair) about V&N as well as LTH.

If you agree and you're in there and you see this guy, mention you are an LTH'er and how how you would feel (and spend) if he offered it. That would be so great, if it's as good as reported. Thanks.

TYV wrote:Thanks all. I just cook for myself, so my idea of smoking is indirect heat on a Smokey Joe. Time to finally check out Peoria Packing, and if the is cut too big I'll check out the local T.I.

Maybe I can redeem myself. I've seen the mentions here of frozen Vito and Nicks pizza, and I'd love to have it nearby. I'd probably explode, but I'd be willing to take the risk.

I live almost next door to the W Grocer in Wicker Pk (on North Ave), and it appears there are many Wicker locals here who follow this board. I think they'd be a perfect (overpriced but good) specialty marketer of this pizza. Enough Amy's already. I've told the manager (tall guy with short black hair) about V&N as well as LTH.

If you agree and you're in there and you see this guy, mention you are an LTH'er and how how you would feel (and spend) if he offered it. That would be so great, if it's as good as reported. Thanks.

A whole brisket is way too big for a Smokey Joe or one person.

Chicago Meat on Cicero also has whole briskets.

Hi,

I saw full packer briskets from Excel at Walmart for $2.68 per pound.

Regards,

http://www.reddit.com/r/BBQ/comments/2f ... isketnope/

Discussion of prices.