Prime/Choice Brisket

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Shawn White

Sous Chef
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
791
Location
Calgary, Alberta
Looking for some input ... is prime brisket really worth the extra price in your opinion? I can really tell the difference between aged AAA and regular beef as far as grilling steaks go but how about for low 'n slow?

I'm pretty pumped ... the local grocery store is bringing in Sterling Silver beef .... prime min 21 day aged ... they have a new meat manager and he is willing to bring me in either Sterling Silver packers or AA (a grade below choice) and trim them the way I want ... I will get my first two next week, one for pastrami and one for Q brisket.

Y'all might be horrified but I brined my last brisket for Montreal smoked meat and it came out pretty good I thought. For those that don't visit TVWBB, copied from TVWB post Montreal Smoked Meat:



Pics Here, click the 2005-08-22 Montreal Smoked Meat link., click the 2005-08-22 Montreal Smoked Meat link.

I brined a 7lb brisket flat for 10 days in solution then drained and rinsed and put a heavy spinkle of McCormick's Montreal Steak Spice all over. I then cooked it on the WSM in the 235F zone for 6 hours to 170F internal using the Minion Method, then around 265F for another 2.5 hours to 190F internal. I sprinkled maple and hickory wood chips throughout the briquettes and added several handfulls throughout the cook. The brisket rested for an hour in foil before slicing. Served on rye bread, with dill pickles and cheap yellow mustard.

It had a nice flavor all the way through the meat, overall I'm fairly pleased but there are a couple of changes I will make for next time. The stuff is supposed to be pink through and through but as you can see from the pics the only pink was smoke ring. Next time I will try replacing 1 Tbsp of brine kosher salt with Tender Quick.

The brisket could have used a little longer in the WSM, it was still a little bit tough. To reheat the second day I placed a chunk in tightly wrapped foil with a bit of water and took it to 200F internal in a 260F oven. It worked well, the reheated meat was super tender (sandwich pics).

The brisket was a tad salty as well so I will make a saltless Montreal Steak rub to be applied before smoking instead of using the McCormick's which has salt listed as the number one ingrediant. I might even put a bit of sugar in the dry rub.


Brine
*******
20oz water
12oz de-alcoholized red wine
1/2C Tbsp Kosher salt, take away 1 Tbsp
1/2C Turbinado sugar

Bring brine to a boil then cool below 40F.

Add 2 Tbsp McCormick's Montreal Steak Spice to cryovac bag and add cooled brine.


Brining Method
****************
Nipped a corner of the cryovac open, just big enough to get seasoning and brine into bag.

Drained blood from brisket cryovac.

Put Montreal Steak Spice into cryovac with brisket.

Added brine to brisket in cryovac.

Carefully used my vacuum sealer to reseal the cryovac and get as much air out as possible. My sealer is the FoodSaver 1060 and it has an instant seal feature which stops the vacuum and seals the bag.
After the first pass, I gathered remaining air into one corner of the bag then pricked the air pocket with a pin near the seam. Then it was easy to gently squeeze out remaining air and reseal the corner AHEAD of the pin hole using seal only function (no vacuum). I had not quite 1 tbsp of air left in cryovac after doing this.

Put the cryovac in the fridge at 37F for 10 days and flipped it over once or twice per day.[/url]
 
I have never purchased a Prime brisket. I have read that many a "Seasoned Pro's" declare that a brisket is all ready well endowed with fat. Prime is what it is because it has more fat. Why get a brisket with even more fat unless it is more evenly distributed throughout the muscle? That’s what I have read anyway. Don't have a personal opinion and have been wondering the same thing my own sef. Anyone else???

Zilla
 
I agree zilla, I buy Choice, Salt and pepper and that's it. If on a cater they want prime I buy it. I can honestly say I see NO diffrence. I don't foil so that may make a diffrence. I'm not trying to make a joke of this, BUT prime briscuts take longer than choice. Not by much, But they do take longer in my pit.Your milage may vary.
 
Zilla
That's the point, a prime or Kobe brisket fat is evenly distributed throughout the muscle. You need to cook it differently than a choice or select brisket. If you can get a deal on one I would suggest trying one.
Jim
 
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