Was at my local grocery store last night and saw a cooler endcap with a bunch of really nice briskets. Get closer and it was $4.99 a pound WITH A CARD. Briskets that we used to be able to get for less than $20 were now priced north of $75. *sigh* So, no...I am not doing a brisket this weekend.
Depending on weights untrimmed choice briskets are anywhere from $55-$70 each now around Austin. Unbelievable.
It's a combination of Biden-flation, and also briskets are popular, and no longer considered junk meat. I remember when cow tails were 99 cents a pound, with the stores trying to give them away. Then ox tail soup became popular, and they're over 10 bucks a pound - more than you can get a steak for. For years I could get pork shoulders for 99 cents a pound - now you're looking at 2 dollars a pound at least, usually $2.5.
Doesn't seem that long ago HEB would have sales for .59 lb for pork butts. Yeah, now $2.59lb and on sale for $1.99lb.
Just smoked one last Friday night....I over trimmed it and the flat was really thin so it dried out on me. Possibly the worst brisket I've ever smoked....disappointing. Everyone said it was delicious, but I was not happy.
Interesting. I am trimming to 1/8 to 1/4 inch. If I expose some meat, so be it. That fat doesn't render anyway. Where the point and flat come together, it is hard to get all of that fat, but I try to get rid of a much as I can. Plenty of intramuscular fat. Did you let it rest long enough before slicing? That can dry it out. Not trying to insult your intelligence, I'm sure you know all this.
There are advantages to being around people who don't know any better...they know the cook and they know the care that went into it, but most of their BBQ experience is going to some chain that slathers the plate with sauce to cover up the smoking errors.
Yeah, had it wrapped in my cooler from 7am to 2pm before slicing. I also got lazy and used straight pecan because it's what I had and didn't want to go buy oak. I figured, "how much different can it be"....Love pecan on pork butt, but not so much on my brisket. Lessons learned.
Well, first cook of the season for me. Not bad. Ribs were great, brisket was so-so. Slightly dry. Tasty and tender otherwise. I forgot how quickly this pit cooks with the convection.
Time to work on the smoke ring...but early Spring Training means there is still time to make the Big Club
