http://www.wsj.com/articles/brisket-was-cheap-and-delicious-now-its-expensive-and-you-have-to-wait-in-line-1423180291
Was 0.99 / lb.
(said the Upset Barbecue Traditionalist)
Yep, I noticed the price hike too. I used to get a whole packer brisket at Sam's Club for around $25, now they are running around $60. I can get a whole beef loin for around $50. That doesn't make sense at all...
Pork loin is back to $0.99/lb - and its almost 100% edible, unlike brisket which I haven't cooked for some time - Gotta go to the bank for a beef loan 8)
Quote from: Red Kettle Rich on February 06, 2015, 03:59:06 PM
Pork loin is back to $0.99/lb - and its almost 100% edible, unlike brisket which I haven't cooked for some time - Gotta go to the bank for a beef loan 8)
I agree!
I always buy a whole loin and cut it into chops or variety of cuts based on the recipe. It's a very economical cut. It cost around $12 to $15 and you can get lots of use out of it.
I place it fat side down to determine the three sections. The rib section is easy to identify, since it has two color muscles. And it's sort of narrows a little at the center cut end. I then separate the center from the sirloin end where the muscle starts to widen a little. There is no right or wrong way to do this, since it's one continuous muscle, the meat is tender towards the center though and it doesn't matter if you cut it a little closer into the sirloin end. The center cut alone is sold in the store for around $20 as a roast.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/4qsklx.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/vfdq92.jpg)
Here I cut into bunch of chops and had some meat for grinding
(http://i59.tinypic.com/s336oi.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/28uo7ef.jpg)
I stopped at the Costco, in Carlsbad, on my way home again, just to verify the brisket prices.
Beef Brisket - Whole (Untrimmed) USDA Prime - Vacuum Packaged = $4.49lb
Beef Brisket - Flat (Untrimmed) USDA Choice - Vacuum Packaged = $6.69lb
Beef Brisket - Flat (Trimmed) USDA Choice - wrapped, on styro meat tray = $7.99lb
I didn't see the trimmed, Prime flat today. I was so tempted to take home a whole prime piece, but don't have the amount of free time, this weekend, to do it correctly. I don't want to freeze it either. One day real soon, though!
I really hope it is a fad, I love to do briskets but they are expensive now here in SoCal
but it is just not brisket, Flank steak, Hanger steak, it is all growing in popularity because of people discovering what BBQers have known for years, it is not the cut, it is the way you cook it. Just look at hamburger prices, and that is parts of the cow they can not sell.
I think I will have to work on my stuffed pork lion recipe while I wait on the price of Brisket to go back down