What did I get here??

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GK02

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So I was digging around a couple weeks ago looking for wagyu brisket and came across a ranch not too far from me that was selling 75% wagyu/ 25% angus cross briskets. I bit and went ahead and ordered two. They were not cheap at $7 lb but cheaper than snake river and if they were good then it would be a deal. Well the rancher was nice enough to drop them off for me at work one day and I just got around to thawing one last night.



Well to my surprise this is what it looked like when i pulled it out of the cryovac. It was actually a big piece of meat folded over. Anyone have any idea what this actually is because it doesn't look like any brisket I have ever seen?

IMG_6673.jpg

IMG_6674.jpg
 
I think it's a half brisket that was separated lengthwise.

It certainly has the look for a brisket point and flat, so that seems most likely
 
Hotch said:
Looks like it has a bit of the plate.
Click to expand...

So maybe it’s the flat plus some of the plate? It doesn’t really seem like it has any of the point. It is about 1.5 times the length of a 15lb brisket would be but this thing was only 10lbs
 
Your butcher was shootin' for one of these:

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That looks like it!
The OP pic looks to be 20+ to me!
Now I want to cook a brisket... :mrgreen:
 
I buy a lot of local meat, and the only thing I don't like about it is that sometimes the processors are not as skilled as the large commercial guys. The meat comes out looking poorly cut. That may be what you have there.
 
Mikhail said:
I buy a lot of local meat, and the only thing I don't like about it is that sometimes the processors are not as skilled as the large commercial guys. The meat comes out looking poorly cut. That may be what you have there.
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Yeah I think so. Based on the replys I think I got a brisket flat with some plate meat. Point seems to be gone. It kind of looks like it has one in the picture but it’s definitely not there.
 
GK02 said:
Yeah I think so. Based on the replys I think I got a brisket flat with some plate meat. Point seems to be gone. It kind of looks like it has one in the picture but it’s definitely not there.
Click to expand...


So the answer to this thread is....You got ripped off. I hope you never go back to this Butcher. That said, Make the best of it. I would probably texas crutch it with foil ans some beef broth.
 
Yeah I would agree but I figured it was worth a shot. I’ll throw it on tonight and see how it comes out. If the beef is good then maybe I can convince the rancher to find a better butcher! Thanks
 
Yep. Processors are interesting. My sister in law works in supplying most of the processors in the midwest. She did a family cow split last year. Worst money I've ever spent. All the cuts are wonky and abnormal. The things I requested were all off.

I'm now working with a local farm that goes to processing. Showing them exact pictures of what I want and being able to have a say in their cut sheet so I can give my money to local people that are working to get me what I want.
 
GK02 said:
Yeah I would agree but I figured it was worth a shot. I’ll throw it on tonight and see how it comes out. If the beef is good then maybe I can convince the rancher to find a better butcher! Thanks
Click to expand...


So you went directly to a Rancher? I don't have any experience with that. If i had that option in my area, I would probably buy a half cow and take it to a local butcher to process, just like i do when i or a family member shoots a buck.
 
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Processing is only one link in the production chain. Beef should be raised correctly, then have some sort of finishing, then processed. Grain finishing is the most common and can take up to 150 days either on a dedicated feed lot, or fed a special diet. So when buying a steer from a rancher, most people concentrate more on the cut sheet and don't ask about finishing, or ask about who is doing the processing.

If you do have a flat with some plate..., I see another option for the other 'brisket' you have in the freezer. The plate area is where beef navel comes from, it's the cut that many delis use for pastrami because it's fattier than a point muscle. You could also cure it for beef bacon, but the slices from the flat end will not be as good as the slices from the plate end.

JEael7Z.jpg


wVGIovb.jpg
 
So i went ahead and cooked it. Well turns out the point was on there, just looks like a bunch of it had been scalped so it was pretty thin. The fat between the point and flat rendered down very well. I ended up trimming back the plate meat and ended up probably cutting back more than i should have as I didn't leave a ton of flat slices.



Regardless, it came out pretty well in the end. My wife thought it was good, but not exceptionally better than a costco prime so I'll have to keep looking for a higher end local source for brisket. I'm looking for the top of the line brisket without having to get them shipped from Snake River. I have one more of these in the freezer so we'll see how round 2 goes.
 

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GK02 said:
So i went ahead and cooked it. Well turns out the point was on there, just looks like a bunch of it had been scalped so it was pretty thin. The fat between the point and flat rendered down very well. I ended up trimming back the plate meat and ended up probably cutting back more than i should have as I didn't leave a ton of flat slices.



Regardless, it came out pretty well in the end. My wife thought it was good, but not exceptionally better than a costco prime so I'll have to keep looking for a higher end local source for brisket. I'm looking for the top of the line brisket without having to get them shipped from Snake River. I have one more of these in the freezer so we'll see how round 2 goes.
Click to expand...

Looks good to me. How'd it taste?
 
GK02 said:
So i went ahead and cooked it. Well turns out the point was on there, just looks like a bunch of it had been scalped so it was pretty thin. The fat between the point and flat rendered down very well. I ended up trimming back the plate meat and ended up probably cutting back more than i should have as I didn't leave a ton of flat slices.

Regardless, it came out pretty well in the end. My wife thought it was good, but not exceptionally better than a costco prime so I'll have to keep looking for a higher end local source for brisket. I'm looking for the top of the line brisket without having to get them shipped from Snake River. I have one more of these in the freezer so we'll see how round 2 goes.
Click to expand...

Before you start shopping around from rancher to rancher, get in touch with the guy that raised the beef you have now and ask how they finish them and the age time. Let's say they were grass fed and grass finished.... The Costco Prime is almost certainly grain finished. So right there you are going to get a flavor difference.
 
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