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@@MadScientistBBQ Really looking forward to that sausage video. I've never made sausage before, but I just started my research last week on it as it's the next thing on my list I really want to start learning to make. Really enjoy the channel.
I cooked Walmart briskets for years when that was all I had access to. I even did dozens upon dozens of just the little flats they sell. With some practice and patience, you can make decent briskets out of them. Having said that, once we got a Costco and I started buying the prime briskets, I don't know that I could ever be happy with the Walmart briskets again. I 100% believe that those cheap briskets really helped me learn how to cook a great brisket though.
@@Marthisdil it actually was… he said after cooking choice for a long time, he tried prime once and knew he could never go back… but learned how to do good brisket with lower quality meat, which means his brisket with prime quality should be outstanding. Bet you’re real fun at parties 🤷♂️🤣
100% yes on that last statement 👏 dial in your smoke meat game with those wal mart choice brisket. Then when you can make them say mmmmmm with a choice brisket, venture out and get yourself some prime brisket.
The problem is that he didn't do it right. Select requires a short rest. No offense to him since he probably doesn't cook cheap meats all the time but plenty of videos on TH-cam and personal experience. I've cooked a select and had it jiggling before the rest but after it was hard
@@markopolo1 My experience has been the same as yours. However, Harry Soo did seven attempts cooking select grade briskets. He used to say he did not know how to cook select grade briskets. However when finally he came out with a methodology that yielded a great outcome, it included eight hours hold time at 140 F th-cam.com/video/LfEEUtyF0is/w-d-xo.html I don't understand it, but probably dry brining the meat at room temperature for four hours, then moving it for eight hours to the fridge, altered the meat....
I've actually done several of these. Most of my "test" briskets came from Walmart because they were much cheaper & I'd waste less money. The first time I tried a "prime" brisket, I was shocked at the difference in quality. Most times now though, if I want to get a Walmart/choice brisket closer to the taste/quality of a "prime" I just inject it with tallow and wrap it in butcher paper with more tallow and it comes out pretty well. It's funny. Ever since I've started cooking briskets, I can't help but stop by the meat section and see what's there.
@@isaac62rebel do you wrap in butcher paper with more butter apart from injecting or just injection and thats it? And approximately how much butter per brisket? Salted or non salted?
So have you ever thought of challenging yourself to make the cheap Walmart brisket be as good as an prime? Is it at all possible? No holds barred! Use all the tricks! Thanks for this great vid!
Another stellar video! Thanks! I just hope folks understand this comparison was less about CostCo vs WalMart and more about USDA Prime vs USDA Choice Grades or more marbled vs less marbled. A USDA Choice Brisket from CostCo (or anywhere else) would likely struggle to compare favorably with USDA Prime. I've found A LOT of BBQ Enthusiasts don't know enough about Beef Grading and its implications.
Love that ZZ-Top riff intro! I've been wanting to do a Walmart / Costco side-by-side for a long time. I have done both in the past, but not at the same time and had varied results. The main thing I look for with the cheap choice briskets it the thickness of the flat. Some are too thin and dry out. The point on the Costco prime briskets often have have too much fat for my taste, like 40-50%.
Great video.I do the exact same thing every time I'm at Costco. I can't help myself. When I first started smoking briskets I would do one every month to get as much practice in as possible. I went from prime to choice to select. I felt like I was getting good at it when I could make a select taste pretty good. It was definitely doable with the cheap Walmart select briskets but I found I needed to inject those because without much intramuscular fat they just didn't have the same flavor as the higher grades of meat.
I typically go with the Walmart one because, well, I'm not spending 110-130 for a brisket. Hell, even when they were going for $80-90 it's simply too much for BBQ meat. The purpose of BBQ is to turn a cheap piece of meat into a masterpiece, and grocery stores finally picked up on the fact that our hobby is something they can capitalize on. I'll keep buying the walmart, because like you said -- it may not be as good as the prime, it can till produce a damn good bite.
Great thing about it even if you mess up you’re not spending 150 for a slab of meat and you can always make chop brisket which is good no matter, iv always had Walmart brisket and still to this day the best brisket iv ever had was from walmart
Loving this cheap cuts series. As a newbie to grilling helps me not feel like im wasting so much money if it doesnt come out nust perfect... My roommates love it either way tbh
Yeah. This thing was just exceptionally lean. The best brisket I have ever cooked was an angus choice brisket. You have a favorite brisket to cook? Creekstone? CAB?
@@MadScientistBBQ CAB is pretty good but I do buy more Prime than any other grade because it's consistent. My all time favorite brisket is from Midland Meat Co in Midland TX. Midland Meat sells a Wagyu/Angus cross that's simply spectacular. I smoked one of their briskets using only salt (fleur de sel) and it was one of my all time favorites.
When choosing beef always remember two rules: the brand specs will determine quality and the packer trim specs will determine yield. USDA grades (prime/choice/select) only deal with two carcass specifications - maturity and marbling score. Any branded program will require further quality specs (yield grade, carcass size, younger maturity, etc). The tighter these additional specifications, the better and more consistent the product. For product yield, look for a preferred packer. They set the trim specs for theit brisket subprimals. In my experience Tyson, National, and Creekstone are industry standards. To know which packer processed your brisket, cross-reference the EST. Number on the overwrap or box. This information is available via the USDA website. And, as Jeremy so eloquently put it: you get what you pay for. Always. Always. Always. Retailers will always be able to market a lesser quality product to the consumer, because there is already a glossary of marketing gibberish to pull from. Learn how to read a label. Ask your meat department the pack dates. Be educated. And cook excellent beef!
I’ve noticed in my area Walmart will have choice brisket sometimes and select grade at other times. Both are sold for the same price. Costco and Sam’s has prime and angus choice here. In my opinion, if you can cook a select or choice brisket well, you’re a true Pit-master. It’s much easier to cook a decent prime brisket.
You’ve probably answered this a hundred times, but you cook a lot of brisket, what do you do with the leftovers? Do you make chili? Or do you have other recipes that you use leftover brisket for?
Just did the same comparison at home with select because it was on sale for 1.97lb and as a “prime” guy myself I was shocked how good my select brisket came out. Instead of butcher paper I wrapped in foil and wow it was good. #snowsbbq for the win
In Canada, the choice brisket is only as good as the select from USA and it gets worse if your comparing to beef from Oklahoma or Texas. Zero marbling on the flat. The last one I did, I injected it with beef tallow that I made from the trimmings and I can say it turned out way better than I ever would have thought. I have to leave a generous fat cap on the flat and render it, but normally I try to serve the flat before I serve the point because everybody would just want point only after, but not this time. It was also the first time I rested the brisket for a pretty long time.
I would love to see a cook comparison on choice briskets, between hot & fast and low & slow! (Of course, on an offset) I have heard that if you have a choice brisket, the hot & fast method is the way to go. I tried it myself and it did seem to come out pretty good but I didn't have a comparison!
Max from Texicana BBQ did the experiment. Choice briskets benefit from H&F and very little rest because they have less fat and connective tissue to hold the structure.
Yes. Great comment. What do you get for the money? If the Walmart brisket is good (enough), then you save money, or get twice the amount of meat. BBQ should be about making something cheap taste great. We are not professionals, we are in our backyards with friends and family. I do not have a $5,000 smoker. I’ll bet the Walmart brisket was delicious. Peace ☮️.
I would say so, the prime brisket at these prices is a once in a while get to spoil ourselves. But I’ve been opting for cheaper choice briskets lately, and they still taste great enough to wanna keep buying them.
Also great point. If I am cooking for me or immediate family, or perhaps experimenting, I would go cheaper provided I find acceptable marbling to prevent jerky brisket. It' still very good. If I am entertaining, cooking for holidays, special occasions or extended family, its prime every time.
Near me Costco prime is basically the same price as Walmart No Roll brisket so I'll just stick with the Costco. That and I don't have to give the Walton's my money which is always a plus.
Great point on the equal cooking on the grates. My question is, the Wally World brisket looked like a Select. Wouldn't it be better to wrap the leaner brisket earlier and allow it to be completed sooner given you are protecting flavor and mouth feel? The Prime can take the test of time and still be good.
@@cfox109 I've tested it two times from Walmart briskets using paper wrap. The first one I did a long rest like everybody recommends and after it was finished the meat was all soft and jiggly but after resting for 8 hours it toughened up. The second select brisket I followed some of the TH-camrs advice and only rested for 1 hour and it was about 80% as juicy as a perfectly cooked prime brisket from Costco. Both the select briskets had similar marbling and I am comparing the feel of the brisket before the rest and after. There's a couple of TH-camrs including the Italian guy who works for a famous Austin restaurant who did this exact test. The reasoning behind it in a scientific point is that since there is no marbling the juices cannot reabsorb which means that the longer you rest it and the more juice comes out of it the dryer it gets.
@@cfox109 texicana bbq is the channel the video is called low and slow versus hot and fast. There's also another TH-camr called backyard trails BBQ who also did a test on select with similar results. And with my limited testing that is the only way to do select. You have to do hot and fast and with very limited rest time. I repeat do not rest select for very long at all I usually buy wagyu because the price difference in prime locally is insignificant. I have a video of the last wagyu I did if you want to verify my credentials on being able to make a decent brisket
i remember walmart briskets costing like $1.96 a pound before covid. right after i left working there it jumped up to $4. most wasn't really bad, but we get people coming in asking for the finest cuts and i was like lady, we don't cut anything here it comes pre packaged, plus its walmart, we don't do fancy, just cheap. anyways, for a while we sold it at $2 a pound and was considered to be sold at a loss, as the primary goal was to get the customers to buy things related to briskets. coals, spices, maybe aluminum foil, drinks, etc. we lose money on the brisket, but money on everything else that would go with a brisket and because of that for a while we would have entire pallets of the stuff sitting in the back room. now though, with shipping issues, and costs having gone up, they stopped selling the brisket at loss as its too much to do so now.
I’ve bought “prime” briskets Costco with very little marbling. And a few with a ton of marbling as this one you tested. They seem to be pretty inconsistent. And you have to consider that they’re rating it off the rib-eye anyway. As you mentioned at the beginning of the video, I’ve also gotten really good choice Angus that kicks Costco prime in the face. It’s literally luck of the draw unless you use a supplier that can deliver a consistent product.
I liked that video, but for the normal Joe that only shops at Walmart and can't afford Costco you did a good comparison. I have been buying my beef online lately from Wild Fork and have been happy so far. Good and informative video. Thanks for taking the time to show these videos.
Great video, thank you for doing a comparison of these two particular briskets. I was wondering if you've ever smoked or more specifically filmed a video on smoking half a brisket? I know walmart carries split flats and points and I think I've seen the same offering at my local costco. I'm curious if smoking just a flat or just a point alone is a vastly different process from smoking a whole brisket or if most of the cook stays the same?
I really, really appreciate your head's up on science. Science does not start with an answer. Science does not pretend to know. Science observes, then attempts to explain what it observes. If it does not know, it says so, and continues to look. Continue to be scientific.
I've seen Walmart sell prime brisket for like fiddy cents more a lb over the choice. It would have been great seeing both primes going head to head but this is nonetheless great info! Thanks for taking the time!🤘
Jeremy definitely seems like the kind of guy i would want to be friends with, both for the smoking, and for his personality, keep in the bloopers/outtakes! I love them!
This is a valuable comparison. It shows that it is worth paying more for a prime grade brisket. However, the mystery of Snow's BBQ remains as they are known to obtain great resilts with select grade briskets. My theory is that the quality of their beef is better than the Walmart commodity choice briskets. They also don't give long rest time. From my experience, when there is not enough inner fat, long rest time makes the brisket feel dry. A choice brisket with visibly high marbling (In the meat industry, it is called upper 2/3 choice) I would give a long rest. Otherwise I would serve it without resting time. However, I had not done A B comparison.
What Ive learned is when smoking what I call Butcher cuts and a low grade Brrisket . Equals to Butcher cuts .is set a pan equal to the size of brisket under the grate and catch the drippens . The last 3 hours of cooken take alummniun foil the heavy stuff and Make a boat remove the pan with drippins put in the boat save alittle and pour it on the top .move it away frme heat more closer to the stack .or use the over And do it at 150 to finish then out .You can put a top on the boat so the top dont dry out . I save my beef fat When I run into situtations And add more juice .
Actually, a long rest on cheaper briskets improve it in my experience. I own a bbq joint in Missouri and smoke 20-30 briskets a week, many of which have to be sourced from my local Walmart. Wrap in pork caul fat, throw brisket trimmings on your coals every few hours, wrap in butcher paper with smoked tallow, and give it a 12-hour rest at 150⁰-160⁰ ---- people presume it's a wagyu haha
@@brandtmiles2373 Harry Soo did a recent video wrapping brisket in pork caul fat. I appreciate your input on it. I will give your methodology and the caul fat a try. Check out hot and fast of low marbled brisket with no rest at texacana bbq clip called, Texas Style Brisket Hot & Fast VS Low Slow. Though in a restaurant environment long hold time is often more practical, I have tried texacana's method and turned out outstanding. He gives a good explanation in the clip.
@@CoolJay77 I've just found that longer rests give juicier results -- but softer bark. It's a tradeoff but I'd choose moisture over bark. But that's just my preference. I sell a lot of brisket burgers, so bark texture isn't crucial. The caul fat gives the bark a mild bacon-like flavor, but hurts overall presentation (imo)
@@brandtmiles2373 Wow, I used to dread that I can't throw fat in my kbq pit, just like one can do in the firebox of an offset. You have gotten me to think. Now and then, I can throw in a cast iron tray with lit charcoals in my kbq with brisket trimmings . Thank you Brandt.
I just bought one of them for under $20, put it in my crockpot for two hours on high, flipped it over for another two hours on high, and then turn the crockpot off. I cut up some vegetables and onions and put about a cup of water in the crockpot with it, and put some seasonings on it. It came out perfect. Very good tasting, And just like I remembered corned brief as a kid. I’m not sure about barbecuing one of these. My brisket was around 3 or 4 pounds.
I’ve wondered this. I went to Costco about 3 weeks ago and got two briskets because they were 70 a piece. I wasn’t even after brisket 🤣😂😂🤣. My wife was like of course you got two 😂
Smoking/Bbq has kinda been known for using the cheaper meats... Technique is the most important thing.. no matter if it's an offset or open fire pit.. or any other process even electric haha Nice job on the cook as always. I bet the cheap one was still better than most bbq places..
Have you ever cooked just the flat before? I have a friend wanting me to try their beef company's brisket, but he ended up giving me two briskets that are flats only. I'd love to see your cook of flat only (unless taboo, of course.)
Kosher does cut one and cut two. One is the flat and two is the butt. With that said they cook a lot of flats. Also note that I unly buy flat for my corned beef.
Bought a packer brisket the other day at HEB (Texas grocery store) for 35$, I must say, probably the best brisket I’ve ever made Jeremy would be proud! I rubbed it with mustard also took Jeremy’s advice didn’t have beef tallow so I put the trimmed fat in a small pan and WOW!!
Great video! One thing I have to ask Jeremy, when are you doing a follow up to the Oklahoma Joe you bought for $200? I’d like to see a video of you using the “affordable” smokers to see some great content we can assimilate ourselves.
Yeah I’ll be a doing an offset smoker tournament. Basically and ncaa style bracket where I have smokers and cook with them side by side and evaluate a winner. That ok joe will show up in that and a couple other videos
@@MadScientistBBQ Oh that sounds freaking awesome! I just snagged a 1/4” steel offset someone built 30 years ago for $60! I feel like it needs some “work”. I loved the video you made previously modifying your offset but would love to see more modification videos to the Oklahoma Joe.
@@MadScientistBBQ I don’t know, the small plate it had wasn’t there anymore. It’s outline is there, but it’s 56” cook chamber, huge firebox, seems like whoever made it, made it right. Only complaint is small smoke stack. I do have to ask you, there’s a hole for the grease and it’s just open. Do I close it or do I leave it as is?
"Full disclosure, I'm probably 90 seconds away from ....." CLASSIC! Appreciate all ya do! Keep it up and CONGRATS regarding your daughter. I'm teaching my two girls (9 & 10 YO) how to cook on our kettles!
I've had SELECT briskets from Walmart turn out great, actually. They are usually around $40. That being said, I don't usually notice a huge bump in the resulting product, unless I jump up to PRIME.
As a Walmart associate and a huge fan of yours, a Walmart choice wouldn’t be any different from any other choice. You can get really good prime at Sam’s Club. 😀
Who in their right mind would want to smoke Brisket inside. One of the best part about BBQ is enjoying nature, friends, family. Edit: and of course eating the delicious BBQ🤤
It's so tempting when you see a huge brisket for cheap at Walmart/Albertson/Smiths/etc... So glad you did this because I would hate to spend that much time prep, cooking, and resting and be disappointed in the end. Thank you.
Awesome video. I would love an analysis on which meats you should “Pony Up” for. Buying prime brisket vs choice or select yields better results for sure. What about pork ribs, pork shoulder, chicken, turkey, pork belly, etc. For instance, I have tried expensive pork ribs vs Hormel (the one soaked in salt solution)and I can’t tell a huge difference. I for sure would rather cook meat that hasn’t been soaked in a solution, but wonder how big of a difference it really makes.
@2:14: It seems many people are unaware that you can actually sharpen a knife. It really doesn't matter how sharp it is when you buy it. That has almost nothing to do with what makes a good knife.
Nice video as always. As a guy here who does hobby woodworking I would highly recommend against using that epoxy board as anything but a serving board. You may not notice it but every time you cut on it it will contaminate the food. Keep up the good work.
Maybe I'm just lucky, but it always seems like Costco's prime briskets are the same price per pound as choice briskets elsewhere in my area. Winco sells a choice brisket for $.25 less per pound than Coscto Prime. So I just go for the Costco prime every time. I've even seen choice chuck roast at the same price per pound or even more than costco's brisket.
Dry brining can help equalize the cheaper Walmart briskets. That’s all I buy. But I season at least 12 hours before I cook. 24 hours is even better. It gives the salt time to penetrate the meat and helps retain moisture in a brisket with less marbling. And this is coming from a guy that hasn’t ever used tallow in his wrap.
In my neck of the woods Costco and Walmart has the same meat cutter for their beef. If you are selecting the same grade it’s the same quality. But since you are comparing prime versus choice it’s doesn’t matter where you purchased them.
I cook a brisket two ways. I cook it 325 fast for pull apart for great stuffed potatoes and low and slow for sliced. I use Kroger 40-60 buck briskets. Some come out good and others not so good. I think that the "labeled" means good all the time but I think the same "labeled" cuts make it in to the cheap bin as well.
What’s your opinion on Snows BBQ only using select briskets and what do they do to make them compete against some of the bbq places that use prime briskets?
I think not only is it important to buy the best for taste but even for people who suck at it and are learning like me, having a better brisket is a lot more forgiving. Considering your level of experience and the high quality grill and ingredients that you use like wagyu tallow someone like me starting out on a little Webber is probably screwed using a walmart brisket.
Fat usually renders at around 130-140 deg F, while collagen/connective tissue starts dissolving at around 160 degrees F if the meat stays at this temp for a while.Gelatin, not fat, is typically responsible for “moist” meat, thus low and slow cooked meats like brisket or braised meats are considered juicy/moist because of the breakdown of tough connective tissue. You’re probably seeing the fat render while cooking, and because you’re keeping the temp above 160 it’s also dissolving that tissue (so not causative, just correlated)
New subscribers as of a month or so ago. My boss swears on Wal Mart Briskets. Been afraid to pull that trigger. Smoked a Costco prime Super Bowl brisket adapting your techniques. The best I’ve made thus far ! Thanks for all the tips !
Depends on which Walmart brisket he is buying. In my area there are some Walmarts that also sell their Premium Angus Choice Briskets which are excellent
@@cldaustintx over the years from time to time at Walmart, I've found prime and Certified angus beef in the bin mixed with the other briskets at the same price...
I probably smoke 12 briskets a year. Where I am at in Eastern NC, there are not too many choices for full packers. Walmart and a local IGA are the typical places to get them. Both are choice, but Walmart is $4.50/lb vs the IGA at $12+/lb. I go with Walmart and typically have great results. Lots of times I split the brisket….flat for slicing and point for burnt ends. I also trim pretty heavily, but do keep the trimmings to shield and render at different parts of the cook. I have never done a prime or wagyu brisket, but being born in raised in KC, my family always says it better than the stuff you get in the restaurants there. Cooking a whole packer always makes the slices looks juicy since there is a layer of fat between the point and flat, so I usually discount that comparison. Final comment….wasn’t brisket initially used because it was a cheap cut of meat that could make for an amazing meal!? I will keep with the cheaper meat most of the time as I’m all good with my technique.
I'm completely new to the smoking world. I would like to say thanks and I appreciate everything you have taught me so far. Even though I started with a pellet smoker you are pushing me towards the world of buying a stick burner! Thanks for the great videos.
While love smoking briskets, they are usually way to much meat for my family of 3 to consume. When I do smoke one, I take most of the meat into work to share and everyone loves it. If I’m just cooking for my family I’ll do short ribs or cook a tri-tip brisket style.
Are you able to do a video "Fat side down vs Fat side up". There are a lot of countering arguments and wondering if there is a difference. You're the man!
A recommendation: Maybe next video you could explain a little bit about what bark is. What makes it dark and how spices could affect that. Ive always wondered about that and never heard anyone talk about it
Just did a Walmart brisket this weekend. It was a Swift brisket. 16.9 pounds $75, about $4.50/lb. Turned out great. Much more point marbling than the one in the video. Couldn’t tell ya if it was a choice or select as it seems that labeling is optional. So not all Walmart briskets are the same.
Awesome test, our Costco only has choice so that’s what I normally get unless I go to the butcher but then the jump is to their wagyu brisket for 3x the price
I have access to Snake River Wagyu from commercial supplier for around $8 to $9/lb. It comes three in a box. Since you do this for business, you may want to check with restaurant meat providers. You can freeze what you don't use. You can even wet age them for some 90 days in the cryovac bag, if you can maintain temperatures under 34 F. It will get better with aging provided they tell you the slaughter date. Or you can hook up with a friendly restaurant to help you acquire them. Take a smoked rack of ribs to your friendly restaurant owner and start a relationship. Or, if there is a Sysco near you, you can will call, cause they have a minimum on delivery.
Thank you for all the hard work you do! I was living in Simi when you used to live in Socal. We left the state around the same time. I would love to see a video where you cut a brisket into quarters, cook one and freeze the rest then cooking the frozen ones once a week. I just wonder how many people's families can't eat a cooked 15lb brisket before it goes bad.
Hey David. If you have a vacuum sealer it's probably easier to smoke/cook the whole brisket and vacuum seal portions and freeze them. When you and the family want brisket, defrost a portion in cold water and then heat inside the bag in hot water on the stove. Turns out great, and even sometimes seems to taste better than when first cooked. I do this all the time and it works great.
I have never been to a Walmart & will never step inside one All my Brisket’s have been Purchased at Costco. So! With the price’s getting so high I have found that I can buy a Australian Wagyu Brisket at my Butchers for only about $20 more than a Costco Brisket Beef Tallow on all my BBQ Secret Weapon. ThankYou So Much for this lesson. I really appreciate all your knowledge. Cheers 🍻
Drive by the feedlots west of Amarillo Texas a couple of times and you’ll only buy grass fed and grass finished beef. If you can even stand to eat meat at all.
Never seen a brisket at my Walmart,but my local GFS has prime for $5.99lb was $5.49lb they are just not very big,usually 12lb but are very well trimmed and don’t require much more trimming.Honestly though I prefer a great pork loin over a great brisket any day.You should’ve asked if they thought it was worth twice the price,and now knowing that it’s a little dryer you could inject your tallow to help that issue.
Hi Jeremy, Love watching your videos, especially when you use cheaper cuts of meats and cheaper smokers in a head to head with their more expensive counterparts. I've noticed in a couple of your videos you've allowed meats to rest overnight. How do you reheat them for the taste and texture test the next day?
I just smoked a cheap chuck roast from my local grocery store the other day. I followed a recipe from TikTok and got really good results. It was fairly lean and came out delicious. Maybe you can speak to making lower grade meat taste great.
I bought a rather large one several days ago. They had small ones for around $15.00 each and two large ones for around $17.00 each. These ere already seasoned and fully cooked. My Jewish friends are always talking about a brisket. I have never had one or bought one. For me this is a lot to pay but this is a lot of meat. I bought the larger one. I don' t think it is kosher it is hickory smoked beef. I will try to upload the photos. I wasn't able to on my phone. It is about as long as my lower arm.. it is a Saddler and it is delicious. Factory sealed, great seal, appears un broken. Wow I hope I get to buy another one. I enjoyed this video. Thanks.
I would love to see a video that focuses on your timeline for a brisket cook assuming an evening eat time as well as your resting practices. I always struggle with that. Also, when do you get sleep lol?
So cooking the same isn't exactly the best test imo, because there's extra steps, to take with walmart brisket, 1st wrap at 165 and definitely use extra beef fat, but crank the temp up 275ish 300 won't hurt it, and pull when absolutely tender, and walmart brisket usually finish between 205-208 degrees I've done at least 50 of them this last year.
Should wrap it with aluminum foil and render your fat trimmings for talo in a disposable pan, pour some talo in the foil with your brisket! The foil will hold in the rendered fat providing an incredible flavor!
Oh man I love videos like this one!! So much valuable information...I probably would have done this same experiment at home when my new smoker arrives, but now I'll just forego the choice and save my $$ for more prime!
I've only done Prime once. My wife definitely could tell the difference. Everyone else...nope. I found out that free food is pretty damn good to those who don't pay for it.
I understand wrapping them and letting them rest, but letting them rest overnight, doesn’t everything get cold? Maybe they’re lukewarm when people go to test them… Do you warm them up in the microwave or oven?
I think a way to isolate your fat cap questions from earlier would be to compare cooking one with a thick vs thin fat cap and only serving interior portions of the meat in a blind test. That'll control for the presence (or absence) of rendered fat cap in the taste test.
Long time viewer sir looking at getting a new pellet smoker? In your opinion what’s the best pellet smoker? Your videos have helped many of church functions pop.
Love me a Walmart brisket. If I’m making one for a big holiday like Christmas or Super Bowl I’ll take the hour drive and spend the cash to get a better one but if we’re craving brisket in our house or someone wants one for their birthday, Walmart briskets get zero complaints.
I smoked 8 slabs of St Louis ribs for a party of friends. I got 4 from a butcher for $95. I got 4 from Costco for $36 (2 cryopacks). The butcher only had 4 slabs. I pulled the silver skin and preped them all the same. No one could tell a difference, not even me (and I Cooked them). I'm just going to get them from Costco from now on
I've only smoked 2 briskets, both (choice) from Walmart and consistently $4.49, which is much cheaper than other stores. Since I'm not an expert and haven't had "the good stuff," I don't know what I'm missing and I'm content with that.
How about trying 2 Walmart briskets side by side. One like you fixed here and the other injected with beef gelatin? Price aside, which of your smokers do you enjoy cooking on the most? Old faithful Brazos? Franklin? Fatstack? Large trailer?
Walmart briskets are awesome, cheap and delicious I've been cooking them for about 6years now. You can't beat the price,were I'm from I can get a 13lbs brisket for about 33-38 dollars💖
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We gonna see a sausage video with all those trimmings?
@@JesseDKangas sausage video coming up. Gonna be making some Texas-style sausage with Brad from Chud’s bbq.
@@MadScientistBBQ oh my, dis gon be good.
@@MadScientistBBQ Really looking forward to that sausage video. I've never made sausage before, but I just started my research last week on it as it's the next thing on my list I really want to start learning to make. Really enjoy the channel.
Hey Jeremy I Twitter you my smoker built hope you check it out
I cooked Walmart briskets for years when that was all I had access to. I even did dozens upon dozens of just the little flats they sell. With some practice and patience, you can make decent briskets out of them. Having said that, once we got a Costco and I started buying the prime briskets, I don't know that I could ever be happy with the Walmart briskets again. I 100% believe that those cheap briskets really helped me learn how to cook a great brisket though.
not a valid comparison between prime and select/choice.
@@Marthisdil it actually was… he said after cooking choice for a long time, he tried prime once and knew he could never go back… but learned how to do good brisket with lower quality meat, which means his brisket with prime quality should be outstanding. Bet you’re real fun at parties 🤷♂️🤣
I learned the same way smoked Walmart brisket all the time and than I got a prime and man o man it turned out amazing
100% yes on that last statement 👏 dial in your smoke meat game with those wal mart choice brisket. Then when you can make them say mmmmmm with a choice brisket, venture out and get yourself some prime brisket.
@@Marthisdil try reading that again.
Owning up to not knowing something goes a long way, you're doing this right. Nice work. Love the videos.
The problem is that he didn't do it right. Select requires a short rest. No offense to him since he probably doesn't cook cheap meats all the time but plenty of videos on TH-cam and personal experience. I've cooked a select and had it jiggling before the rest but after it was hard
@@markopolo1 My experience has been the same as yours. However, Harry Soo did seven attempts cooking select grade briskets.
He used to say he did not know how to cook select grade briskets. However when finally he came out with a methodology that yielded a great outcome, it included eight
hours hold time at 140 F th-cam.com/video/LfEEUtyF0is/w-d-xo.html I don't understand it, but probably dry brining the meat at room temperature for
four hours, then moving it for eight hours to the fridge, altered the meat....
I agree! Don't spread false info.
Texarkana BBQ did a long vs short rest video and explained how select works. Nobody should be mad at him for ignorance....his last name isn't Franklin
Agreed, its okay not to know everything. Pretending to know something that you don't on the other hand is unnecessary. Good job man :)
I've actually done several of these. Most of my "test" briskets came from Walmart because they were much cheaper & I'd waste less money. The first time I tried a "prime" brisket, I was shocked at the difference in quality. Most times now though, if I want to get a Walmart/choice brisket closer to the taste/quality of a "prime" I just inject it with tallow and wrap it in butcher paper with more tallow and it comes out pretty well.
It's funny. Ever since I've started cooking briskets, I can't help but stop by the meat section and see what's there.
I inject mine with butter and they come out better than any Brisket I've done in the past
Excelltent point Lewis. I was wondering the same . . . can a choice cut be made better thru injection
Same 💯
@@drinkoldcoke yup - if cooked decently, no one has ever said to me “this is choice, isn’t it? Shoulda went prime.”
@@isaac62rebel do you wrap in butcher paper with more butter apart from injecting or just injection and thats it? And approximately how much butter per brisket? Salted or non salted?
20:19 ... welcome to bbq life haha
Ha ha ha Nice catch on the comment
So have you ever thought of challenging yourself to make the cheap Walmart brisket be as good as an prime? Is it at all possible? No holds barred! Use all the tricks! Thanks for this great vid!
Another stellar video! Thanks! I just hope folks understand this comparison was less about CostCo vs WalMart and more about USDA Prime vs USDA Choice Grades or more marbled vs less marbled. A USDA Choice Brisket from CostCo (or anywhere else) would likely struggle to compare favorably with USDA Prime. I've found A LOT of BBQ Enthusiasts don't know enough about Beef Grading and its implications.
Love that ZZ-Top riff intro! I've been wanting to do a Walmart / Costco side-by-side for a long time. I have done both in the past, but not at the same time and had varied results. The main thing I look for with the cheap choice briskets it the thickness of the flat. Some are too thin and dry out. The point on the Costco prime briskets often have have too much fat for my taste, like 40-50%.
yes sometimes i find a nice walmart brisket that feels like a choice but its about once a month i find them when they stock up
Great video.I do the exact same thing every time I'm at Costco. I can't help myself.
When I first started smoking briskets I would do one every month to get as much practice in as possible. I went from prime to choice to select. I felt like I was getting good at it when I could make a select taste pretty good. It was definitely doable with the cheap Walmart select briskets but I found I needed to inject those because without much intramuscular fat they just didn't have the same flavor as the higher grades of meat.
What did you inject with and how much?
I typically go with the Walmart one because, well, I'm not spending 110-130 for a brisket. Hell, even when they were going for $80-90 it's simply too much for BBQ meat. The purpose of BBQ is to turn a cheap piece of meat into a masterpiece, and grocery stores finally picked up on the fact that our hobby is something they can capitalize on. I'll keep buying the walmart, because like you said -- it may not be as good as the prime, it can till produce a damn good bite.
Great thing about it even if you mess up you’re not spending 150 for a slab of meat and you can always make chop brisket which is good no matter, iv always had Walmart brisket and still to this day the best brisket iv ever had was from walmart
Loving this cheap cuts series. As a newbie to grilling helps me not feel like im wasting so much money if it doesnt come out nust perfect... My roommates love it either way tbh
Cool comparision video. I've had really good luck with choice briskets in the past but yes, prime is better. 👍🏼
Yeah. This thing was just exceptionally lean. The best brisket I have ever cooked was an angus choice brisket. You have a favorite brisket to cook? Creekstone? CAB?
@@MadScientistBBQ CAB is pretty good but I do buy more Prime than any other grade because it's consistent. My all time favorite brisket is from Midland Meat Co in Midland TX. Midland Meat sells a Wagyu/Angus cross that's simply spectacular. I smoked one of their briskets using only salt (fleur de sel) and it was one of my all time favorites.
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ thanks for the info man. I’ll check that out
When choosing beef always remember two rules: the brand specs will determine quality and the packer trim specs will determine yield.
USDA grades (prime/choice/select) only deal with two carcass specifications - maturity and marbling score. Any branded program will require further quality specs (yield grade, carcass size, younger maturity, etc). The tighter these additional specifications, the better and more consistent the product.
For product yield, look for a preferred packer. They set the trim specs for theit brisket subprimals. In my experience Tyson, National, and Creekstone are industry standards. To know which packer processed your brisket, cross-reference the EST. Number on the overwrap or box. This information is available via the USDA website.
And, as Jeremy so eloquently put it: you get what you pay for. Always. Always. Always. Retailers will always be able to market a lesser quality product to the consumer, because there is already a glossary of marketing gibberish to pull from. Learn how to read a label. Ask your meat department the pack dates. Be educated. And cook excellent beef!
@@SmokinJoesPitBBQ is that Akaushi or is this different?
I’ve noticed in my area Walmart will have choice brisket sometimes and select grade at other times. Both are sold for the same price. Costco and Sam’s has prime and angus choice here. In my opinion, if you can cook a select or choice brisket well, you’re a true Pit-master. It’s much easier to cook a decent prime brisket.
You’ve probably answered this a hundred times, but you cook a lot of brisket, what do you do with the leftovers? Do you make chili? Or do you have other recipes that you use leftover brisket for?
Brisket and egg tacos, chopped bakers, chopped brisket sandwiches, brisket and mac & cheese, nachos
You eat it, lol
Combine it in everyday meals. Brisket cereal, brisket salad.
I've done quite a few Walmart brisket low and slow at 200 over 14 hours wrapped them with talo at 160 and when they came out very tender.
I do the same thing. When I go to the store I check out the meat prices. No matter how many times I ask, Home Depot doesn’t have a meat market.
i always get walmart briskets,using your methods they always come out delicious 😋
Just did the same comparison at home with select because it was on sale for 1.97lb and as a “prime” guy myself I was shocked how good my select brisket came out. Instead of butcher paper I wrapped in foil and wow it was good. #snowsbbq for the win
What does good mean when comparing select to prime?
$1.97a pound???? Wow. Our Walmart has it for $4.99 a pound
In Canada, the choice brisket is only as good as the select from USA and it gets worse if your comparing to beef from Oklahoma or Texas. Zero marbling on the flat. The last one I did, I injected it with beef tallow that I made from the trimmings and I can say it turned out way better than I ever would have thought. I have to leave a generous fat cap on the flat and render it, but normally I try to serve the flat before I serve the point because everybody would just want point only after, but not this time. It was also the first time I rested the brisket for a pretty long time.
I would love to see a cook comparison on choice briskets, between hot & fast and low & slow! (Of course, on an offset) I have heard that if you have a choice brisket, the hot & fast method is the way to go. I tried it myself and it did seem to come out pretty good but I didn't have a comparison!
Max from Texicana BBQ did the experiment. Choice briskets benefit from H&F and very little rest because they have less fat and connective tissue to hold the structure.
I like how you do the trimming in most of your brisket videos. Also appreciate the beef ribs bonus.
A good question would've been: Since the Costco brisket is twice as expensive, is it also twice as good or only 20% better maybe?
Yes. Great comment. What do you get for the money? If the Walmart brisket is good (enough), then you save money, or get twice the amount of meat. BBQ should be about making something cheap taste great. We are not professionals, we are in our backyards with friends and family. I do not have a $5,000 smoker. I’ll bet the Walmart brisket was delicious. Peace ☮️.
I would say so, the prime brisket at these prices is a once in a while get to spoil ourselves. But I’ve been opting for cheaper choice briskets lately, and they still taste great enough to wanna keep buying them.
Also great point. If I am cooking for me or immediate family, or perhaps experimenting, I would go cheaper provided I find acceptable marbling to prevent jerky brisket. It' still very good. If I am entertaining, cooking for holidays, special occasions or extended family, its prime every time.
Near me Costco prime is basically the same price as Walmart No Roll brisket so I'll just stick with the Costco. That and I don't have to give the Walton's my money which is always a plus.
@@RYTF5 i like your style friend
Great point on the equal cooking on the grates. My question is, the Wally World brisket looked like a Select. Wouldn't it be better to wrap the leaner brisket earlier and allow it to be completed sooner given you are protecting flavor and mouth feel? The Prime can take the test of time and still be good.
The problem is he rested it for way too long. With select you cannot rest it for a very long time or you dry it out
@@markopolo1 why is that? I've never heard of that but have read a range of success and failures when it comes to long rests, maybe that's why.
@@cfox109 I've tested it two times from Walmart briskets using paper wrap. The first one I did a long rest like everybody recommends and after it was finished the meat was all soft and jiggly but after resting for 8 hours it toughened up. The second select brisket I followed some of the TH-camrs advice and only rested for 1 hour and it was about 80% as juicy as a perfectly cooked prime brisket from Costco. Both the select briskets had similar marbling and I am comparing the feel of the brisket before the rest and after. There's a couple of TH-camrs including the Italian guy who works for a famous Austin restaurant who did this exact test. The reasoning behind it in a scientific point is that since there is no marbling the juices cannot reabsorb which means that the longer you rest it and the more juice comes out of it the dryer it gets.
@@cfox109 texicana bbq is the channel the video is called low and slow versus hot and fast. There's also another TH-camr called backyard trails BBQ who also did a test on select with similar results. And with my limited testing that is the only way to do select. You have to do hot and fast and with very limited rest time. I repeat do not rest select for very long at all I usually buy wagyu because the price difference in prime locally is insignificant. I have a video of the last wagyu I did if you want to verify my credentials on being able to make a decent brisket
@@markopolo1 interesting, that definitely makes sense. Good information to keep in mind
i remember walmart briskets costing like $1.96 a pound before covid. right after i left working there it jumped up to $4. most wasn't really bad, but we get people coming in asking for the finest cuts and i was like lady, we don't cut anything here it comes pre packaged, plus its walmart, we don't do fancy, just cheap.
anyways, for a while we sold it at $2 a pound and was considered to be sold at a loss, as the primary goal was to get the customers to buy things related to briskets. coals, spices, maybe aluminum foil, drinks, etc. we lose money on the brisket, but money on everything else that would go with a brisket and because of that for a while we would have entire pallets of the stuff sitting in the back room. now though, with shipping issues, and costs having gone up, they stopped selling the brisket at loss as its too much to do so now.
I’ve bought “prime” briskets Costco with very little marbling. And a few with a ton of marbling as this one you tested. They seem to be pretty inconsistent. And you have to consider that they’re rating it off the rib-eye anyway. As you mentioned at the beginning of the video, I’ve also gotten really good choice Angus that kicks Costco prime in the face.
It’s literally luck of the draw unless you use a supplier that can deliver a consistent product.
I liked that video, but for the normal Joe that only shops at Walmart and can't afford Costco you did a good comparison. I have been buying my beef online lately from Wild Fork and have been happy so far. Good and informative video. Thanks for taking the time to show these videos.
Great video, thank you for doing a comparison of these two particular briskets.
I was wondering if you've ever smoked or more specifically filmed a video on smoking half a brisket? I know walmart carries split flats and points and I think I've seen the same offering at my local costco. I'm curious if smoking just a flat or just a point alone is a vastly different process from smoking a whole brisket or if most of the cook stays the same?
I really, really appreciate your head's up on science. Science does not start with an answer. Science does not pretend to know. Science observes, then attempts to explain what it observes. If it does not know, it says so, and continues to look. Continue to be scientific.
I've seen Walmart sell prime brisket for like fiddy cents more a lb over the choice. It would have been great seeing both primes going head to head but this is nonetheless great info! Thanks for taking the time!🤘
Jeremy definitely seems like the kind of guy i would want to be friends with, both for the smoking, and for his personality, keep in the bloopers/outtakes! I love them!
Excellent video, thank you for all the good info!
This is a valuable comparison. It shows that it is worth paying more for a prime grade brisket. However, the mystery of Snow's BBQ remains as they are known to obtain great resilts
with select grade briskets. My theory is that the quality of their beef is better than the Walmart commodity choice briskets. They also don't give long rest time. From my
experience, when there is not enough inner fat, long rest time makes the brisket feel dry. A choice brisket with visibly high marbling (In the meat industry, it is called
upper 2/3 choice) I would give a long rest. Otherwise I would serve it without resting time. However, I had not done A B comparison.
What Ive learned is when smoking what I call Butcher cuts and a low grade Brrisket . Equals to Butcher cuts .is set a pan equal to the size of brisket under the grate and catch the drippens . The last 3 hours of cooken take alummniun foil the heavy stuff and
Make a boat remove the pan with drippins put in the boat save alittle and pour it on the top .move it away frme heat more closer to the stack .or use the over
And do it at 150 to finish then out .You can put a top on the boat so the top dont dry out . I save my beef fat
When I run into situtations
And add more juice .
Actually, a long rest on cheaper briskets improve it in my experience. I own a bbq joint in Missouri and smoke 20-30 briskets a week, many of which have to be sourced from my local Walmart. Wrap in pork caul fat, throw brisket trimmings on your coals every few hours, wrap in butcher paper with smoked tallow, and give it a 12-hour rest at 150⁰-160⁰ ---- people presume it's a wagyu haha
@@brandtmiles2373 Harry Soo did a recent video wrapping brisket in pork caul fat. I appreciate your input on it. I will give your methodology and the caul fat a try.
Check out hot and fast of low marbled brisket with no rest at texacana bbq clip called, Texas Style Brisket Hot & Fast VS Low Slow. Though in a restaurant environment long hold
time is often more practical, I have tried texacana's method and turned out outstanding. He gives a good explanation in the clip.
@@CoolJay77 I've just found that longer rests give juicier results -- but softer bark. It's a tradeoff but I'd choose moisture over bark. But that's just my preference. I sell a lot of brisket burgers, so bark texture isn't crucial. The caul fat gives the bark a mild bacon-like flavor, but hurts overall presentation (imo)
@@brandtmiles2373 Wow, I used to dread that I can't throw fat in my kbq pit, just like one can do in the firebox of an offset. You have gotten me to think.
Now and then, I can throw in a cast iron tray with lit charcoals in my kbq with brisket trimmings . Thank you Brandt.
I just bought one of them for under $20, put it in my crockpot for two hours on high, flipped it over for another two hours on high, and then turn the crockpot off. I cut up some vegetables and onions and put about a cup of water in the crockpot with it, and put some seasonings on it. It came out perfect. Very good tasting, And just like I remembered corned brief as a kid. I’m not sure about barbecuing one of these. My brisket was around 3 or 4 pounds.
I’ve wondered this. I went to Costco about 3 weeks ago and got two briskets because they were 70 a piece. I wasn’t even after brisket 🤣😂😂🤣. My wife was like of course you got two 😂
Smoking/Bbq has kinda been known for using the cheaper meats... Technique is the most important thing.. no matter if it's an offset or open fire pit.. or any other process even electric haha
Nice job on the cook as always. I bet the cheap one was still better than most bbq places..
Have you ever cooked just the flat before? I have a friend wanting me to try their beef company's brisket, but he ended up giving me two briskets that are flats only. I'd love to see your cook of flat only (unless taboo, of course.)
Kosher does cut one and cut two. One is the flat and two is the butt. With that said they cook a lot of flats. Also note that I unly buy flat for my corned beef.
Bought a packer brisket the other day at HEB (Texas grocery store) for 35$, I must say, probably the best brisket I’ve ever made Jeremy would be proud! I rubbed it with mustard also took Jeremy’s advice didn’t have beef tallow so I put the trimmed fat in a small pan and WOW!!
Great video! One thing I have to ask Jeremy, when are you doing a follow up to the Oklahoma Joe you bought for $200? I’d like to see a video of you using the “affordable” smokers to see some great content we can assimilate ourselves.
Yeah I’ll be a doing an offset smoker tournament. Basically and ncaa style bracket where I have smokers and cook with them side by side and evaluate a winner. That ok joe will show up in that and a couple other videos
@@MadScientistBBQ Oh that sounds freaking awesome! I just snagged a 1/4” steel offset someone built 30 years ago for $60! I feel like it needs some “work”. I loved the video you made previously modifying your offset but would love to see more modification videos to the Oklahoma Joe.
@@robertorobato1748 that is amazing!!!!!! Congratulations! What a steal. What kind of smoker was it
@@MadScientistBBQ I don’t know, the small plate it had wasn’t there anymore. It’s outline is there, but it’s 56” cook chamber, huge firebox, seems like whoever made it, made it right. Only complaint is small smoke stack. I do have to ask you, there’s a hole for the grease and it’s just open. Do I close it or do I leave it as is?
@@robertorobato1748 leave grease hole opening and put something underneath to catch it. I use a steel bucket like for gardening ( took the wife’s) 🤔😉😄
"Full disclosure, I'm probably 90 seconds away from ....." CLASSIC! Appreciate all ya do! Keep it up and CONGRATS regarding your daughter. I'm teaching my two girls (9 & 10 YO) how to cook on our kettles!
I've had SELECT briskets from Walmart turn out great, actually. They are usually around $40.
That being said, I don't usually notice a huge bump in the resulting product, unless I jump up to PRIME.
Thanks for this video Jeremy. I actually had a Walmart brisket in my hand but put it back. Glad I listened to the small little voice in my head!!!
As a Walmart associate and a huge fan of yours, a Walmart choice wouldn’t be any different from any other choice. You can get really good prime at Sam’s Club. 😀
Who in their right mind would want to smoke Brisket inside. One of the best part about BBQ is enjoying nature, friends, family.
Edit: and of course eating the delicious BBQ🤤
It's so tempting when you see a huge brisket for cheap at Walmart/Albertson/Smiths/etc... So glad you did this because I would hate to spend that much time prep, cooking, and resting and be disappointed in the end. Thank you.
Awesome video. I would love an analysis on which meats you should “Pony Up” for. Buying prime brisket vs choice or select yields better results for sure. What about pork ribs, pork shoulder, chicken, turkey, pork belly, etc. For instance, I have tried expensive pork ribs vs Hormel (the one soaked in salt solution)and I can’t tell a huge difference. I for sure would rather cook meat that hasn’t been soaked in a solution, but wonder how big of a difference it really makes.
@2:14: It seems many people are unaware that you can actually sharpen a knife. It really doesn't matter how sharp it is when you buy it. That has almost nothing to do with what makes a good knife.
Shopping at Target instead of Wal-mart makes me feel successful and superior.
😂😂😂
Nice video as always. As a guy here who does hobby woodworking I would highly recommend against using that epoxy board as anything but a serving board. You may not notice it but every time you cut on it it will contaminate the food. Keep up the good work.
Maybe I'm just lucky, but it always seems like Costco's prime briskets are the same price per pound as choice briskets elsewhere in my area. Winco sells a choice brisket for $.25 less per pound than Coscto Prime. So I just go for the Costco prime every time. I've even seen choice chuck roast at the same price per pound or even more than costco's brisket.
Dry brining can help equalize the cheaper Walmart briskets. That’s all I buy. But I season at least 12 hours before I cook. 24 hours is even better. It gives the salt time to penetrate the meat and helps retain moisture in a brisket with less marbling. And this is coming from a guy that hasn’t ever used tallow in his wrap.
In my neck of the woods Costco and Walmart has the same meat cutter for their beef. If you are selecting the same grade it’s the same quality. But since you are comparing prime versus choice it’s doesn’t matter where you purchased them.
Haha that’s so funny! I know I have cooked briskets from Sam’s before that turned out great! This one from Walmart just happened to be crazy lean
How do you recommend storing and reheating leftover brisket. Also do you have any recipes for using smoked brisket?
How is culinary school going?
I cook a brisket two ways. I cook it 325 fast for pull apart for great stuffed potatoes and low and slow for sliced. I use Kroger 40-60 buck briskets. Some come out good and others not so good. I think that the "labeled" means good all the time but I think the same "labeled" cuts make it in to the cheap bin as well.
What’s your opinion on Snows BBQ only using select briskets and what do they do to make them compete against some of the bbq places that use prime briskets?
I think not only is it important to buy the best for taste but even for people who suck at it and are learning like me, having a better brisket is a lot more forgiving. Considering your level of experience and the high quality grill and ingredients that you use like wagyu tallow someone like me starting out on a little Webber is probably screwed using a walmart brisket.
Great information. This is something I've always wondered about. The best part was the bloopers at the end. You had me cackling out load.
Fat usually renders at around 130-140 deg F, while collagen/connective tissue starts dissolving at around 160 degrees F if the meat stays at this temp for a while.Gelatin, not fat, is typically responsible for “moist” meat, thus low and slow cooked meats like brisket or braised meats are considered juicy/moist because of the breakdown of tough connective tissue.
You’re probably seeing the fat render while cooking, and because you’re keeping the temp above 160 it’s also dissolving that tissue (so not causative, just correlated)
New subscribers as of a month or so ago. My boss swears on Wal Mart Briskets.
Been afraid to pull that trigger.
Smoked a Costco prime Super Bowl brisket adapting your techniques. The best I’ve made thus far ! Thanks for all the tips !
Depends on which Walmart brisket he is buying. In my area there are some Walmarts that also sell their Premium Angus Choice Briskets which are excellent
@@davo912 awesome ! Noted . Thanks
@@cldaustintx over the years from time to time at Walmart, I've found prime and Certified angus beef in the bin mixed with the other briskets at the same price...
I probably smoke 12 briskets a year. Where I am at in Eastern NC, there are not too many choices for full packers. Walmart and a local IGA are the typical places to get them. Both are choice, but Walmart is $4.50/lb vs the IGA at $12+/lb. I go with Walmart and typically have great results. Lots of times I split the brisket….flat for slicing and point for burnt ends. I also trim pretty heavily, but do keep the trimmings to shield and render at different parts of the cook.
I have never done a prime or wagyu brisket, but being born in raised in KC, my family always says it better than the stuff you get in the restaurants there.
Cooking a whole packer always makes the slices looks juicy since there is a layer of fat between the point and flat, so I usually discount that comparison.
Final comment….wasn’t brisket initially used because it was a cheap cut of meat that could make for an amazing meal!? I will keep with the cheaper meat most of the time as I’m all good with my technique.
I'm completely new to the smoking world. I would like to say thanks and I appreciate everything you have taught me so far. Even though I started with a pellet smoker you are pushing me towards the world of buying a stick burner! Thanks for the great videos.
👍🏻
@@MadScientistBBQ 👍
While love smoking briskets, they are usually way to much meat for my family of 3 to consume. When I do smoke one, I take most of the meat into work to share and everyone loves it. If I’m just cooking for my family I’ll do short ribs or cook a tri-tip brisket style.
Are you able to do a video "Fat side down vs Fat side up". There are a lot of countering arguments and wondering if there is a difference. You're the man!
A recommendation: Maybe next video you could explain a little bit about what bark is. What makes it dark and how spices could affect that. Ive always wondered about that and never heard anyone talk about it
Comparing choice to prime when we smoked had made a huge difference. 3.99 to 5.99 cost here in Minnesnowta.
Just did a Walmart brisket this weekend. It was a Swift brisket. 16.9 pounds $75, about $4.50/lb. Turned out great. Much more point marbling than the one in the video. Couldn’t tell ya if it was a choice or select as it seems that labeling is optional. So not all Walmart briskets are the same.
Yeah I don’t think this one was labeled. May have been select. Who knows. But if your results are good, I wouldn’t change anything
Love the bloopers😂
Awesome test, our Costco only has choice so that’s what I normally get unless I go to the butcher but then the jump is to their wagyu brisket for 3x the price
So interesting. My Costco only has prime. Go figure. Best brisket I have ever cooked was an angus choice from Costco business center in LA
I have access to Snake River Wagyu from commercial supplier for around $8 to $9/lb. It comes three in a box. Since you do this for business, you may want
to check with restaurant meat providers. You can freeze what you don't use. You can even wet age them for some 90 days in the cryovac bag, if you can maintain temperatures
under 34 F. It will get better with aging provided they tell you the slaughter date. Or you can hook up with a friendly restaurant to help you acquire them. Take a smoked rack of ribs to your friendly restaurant owner and start a relationship. Or, if there is a Sysco near you, you can will call, cause they have a minimum on delivery.
Thank you for all the hard work you do! I was living in Simi when you used to live in Socal. We left the state around the same time. I would love to see a video where you cut a brisket into quarters, cook one and freeze the rest then cooking the frozen ones once a week. I just wonder how many people's families can't eat a cooked 15lb brisket before it goes bad.
Hey David. If you have a vacuum sealer it's probably easier to smoke/cook the whole brisket and vacuum seal portions and freeze them. When you and the family want brisket, defrost a portion in cold water and then heat inside the bag in hot water on the stove. Turns out great, and even sometimes seems to taste better than when first cooked. I do this all the time and it works great.
" I just wonder how many people's families can't eat a cooked 15lb brisket before it goes bad." HAHAHA not mine. (none of us are svelte either)
I have never been to a Walmart & will never step inside one All my Brisket’s have been Purchased at Costco. So! With the price’s getting so high I have found that I can buy a Australian Wagyu Brisket at my Butchers for only about $20 more than a Costco Brisket Beef Tallow on all my BBQ Secret Weapon. ThankYou So Much for this lesson. I really appreciate all your knowledge. Cheers 🍻
Drive by the feedlots west of Amarillo Texas a couple of times and you’ll only buy grass fed and grass finished beef. If you can even stand to eat meat at all.
Never seen a brisket at my Walmart,but my local GFS has prime for $5.99lb was $5.49lb they are just not very big,usually 12lb but are very well trimmed and don’t require much more trimming.Honestly though I prefer a great pork loin over a great brisket any day.You should’ve asked if they thought it was worth twice the price,and now knowing that it’s a little dryer you could inject your tallow to help that issue.
Hi Jeremy, Love watching your videos, especially when you use cheaper cuts of meats and cheaper smokers in a head to head with their more expensive counterparts. I've noticed in a couple of your videos you've allowed meats to rest overnight. How do you reheat them for the taste and texture test the next day?
Please keep adding the outtakes at the end.
Will do
I just smoked a cheap chuck roast from my local grocery store the other day. I followed a recipe from TikTok and got really good results. It was fairly lean and came out delicious. Maybe you can speak to making lower grade meat taste great.
I bought a rather large one several days ago. They had small ones for around $15.00 each and two large ones for around $17.00 each. These ere already seasoned and fully cooked. My Jewish friends are always talking about a brisket. I have never had one or bought one. For me this is a lot to pay but this is a lot of meat. I bought the larger one. I don' t think it is kosher it is hickory smoked beef. I will try to upload the photos. I wasn't able to on my phone. It is about as long as my lower arm.. it is a Saddler and it is delicious. Factory sealed, great seal, appears un broken. Wow I hope I get to buy another one. I enjoyed this video. Thanks.
You wanna know what usually helps a lot. Keeping the smoker closed. Now you have to sit there and wait for it to come back up to temp
Thank you for not trying to push a fat cap theory as fact. I think your answer is the best
I would love to see a video that focuses on your timeline for a brisket cook assuming an evening eat time as well as your resting practices. I always struggle with that. Also, when do you get sleep lol?
So cooking the same isn't exactly the best test imo, because there's extra steps, to take with walmart brisket, 1st wrap at 165 and definitely use extra beef fat, but crank the temp up 275ish 300 won't hurt it, and pull when absolutely tender, and walmart brisket usually finish between 205-208 degrees I've done at least 50 of them this last year.
Should wrap it with aluminum foil and render your fat trimmings for talo in a disposable pan, pour some talo in the foil with your brisket! The foil will hold in the rendered fat providing an incredible flavor!
Oh man I love videos like this one!! So much valuable information...I probably would have done this same experiment at home when my new smoker arrives, but now I'll just forego the choice and save my $$ for more prime!
I've only done Prime once. My wife definitely could tell the difference. Everyone else...nope. I found out that free food is pretty damn good to those who don't pay for it.
Does wrapping a brisket in Butcher paper and saran wrap make a difference? Juicer, tenderer,?
I understand wrapping them and letting them rest, but letting them rest overnight, doesn’t everything get cold? Maybe they’re lukewarm when people go to test them… Do you warm them up in the microwave or oven?
I think a way to isolate your fat cap questions from earlier would be to compare cooking one with a thick vs thin fat cap and only serving interior portions of the meat in a blind test. That'll control for the presence (or absence) of rendered fat cap in the taste test.
Long time viewer sir looking at getting a new pellet smoker? In your opinion what’s the best pellet smoker? Your videos have helped many of church functions pop.
Can you use lard instead of tallow or have you tested the differences in taste or outcome if there is any difference
I've had some success with the Walmart select grade brisket, but had to wrap in tin foil and add beef broth. Or inject the flat.
"Are you ready? Are you READY?! LETS GET IT UP!!"
(Intense putting brisket in smoker moment)
Love me a Walmart brisket. If I’m making one for a big holiday like Christmas or Super Bowl I’ll take the hour drive and spend the cash to get a better one but if we’re craving brisket in our house or someone wants one for their birthday, Walmart briskets get zero complaints.
I ve cooked Walmart briskets,they come out fine,low and slow is the key,good video sir
What do you usually do with your clipping/trimmings
Could you do a short video on how to pick out a brisket when you go to the store?
I smoked 8 slabs of St Louis ribs for a party of friends. I got 4 from a butcher for $95. I got 4 from Costco for $36 (2 cryopacks). The butcher only had 4 slabs. I pulled the silver skin and preped them all the same. No one could tell a difference, not even me (and I Cooked them). I'm just going to get them from Costco from now on
I've only smoked 2 briskets, both (choice) from Walmart and consistently $4.49, which is much cheaper than other stores. Since I'm not an expert and haven't had "the good stuff," I don't know what I'm missing and I'm content with that.
Wonder if you injected the walmart one if it could achieve better results?
1) I thought you could cook down the fat cuttings to use for tallow and 2) how do you clean the grill (bottom)?
If I'm using a pit boss austin xl pellet smoker. Am I right to cook a brisket fat side down low and slow at 225 degrees.??
How about trying 2 Walmart briskets side by side. One like you fixed here and the other injected with beef gelatin?
Price aside, which of your smokers do you enjoy cooking on the most? Old faithful Brazos? Franklin? Fatstack? Large trailer?
Walmart briskets are awesome, cheap and delicious I've been cooking them for about 6years now. You can't beat the price,were I'm from I can get a 13lbs brisket for about 33-38 dollars💖