Cooking a brisket for my entry at the Houston Rodeo BBQ. Where would you buy a top quality brisket. Should I go for a Waygu?
Hey there Ribeye Republic...looks like your thread has gotten a bit hijacked! I'll try to bring it back to your questions.
I'm Shane with Snake River Farms (mentioned here a couple of times). Here's my perspective on your questions:
Wagyu or not? I can tell you that at the big time contests (Royal, Jack, etc.) virtually every call in the brisket category will come using a wagyu brisket. At these contests, they've become the standard. Can you win without using wagyu...absolutely. Not sure if you're a golfer...but think about it in terms of drivers. All the pros use the latest and greatest driver, they want every advantage possible. At my local golf tourneys you'll see a mix of high-end drivers and mid range drivers - both with the ability to win. Ultimately, it's a personal decision on your part.
Regardless of wagyu or not - where should you get your brisket? My personal opinion is that it needs to be about trust. Find a provider that delivers consistent quality on a regular basis. Just as important, make sure it's someone that will back that quality up - remember, we're dealing with a "natural product" here, so there will be issues that come up. If it's a consistently good quality and they take care of any issues for you, then you've found a winner and a good relationship on which to build a successful team.
Best of luck - feel free to hit me up if you need any more "philosophizing"!