Questions regarding brisket??
 

So after some lame ass attempts with grocery store trimmed flats I'd like to try a packer brisket but am having trouble finding one. Today I found a butcher shop who kills their own animals only 20 min away. I called them and after talking to two different women who didnt have a clue (sorry ladies) I got to talk to the butcher. He said a brisket is 5-7 pounds trimmed, maybe 10+ untrimmed. I asked multiple times to verify if its a whole packer or just a flat, cause most trimmed flats ive seen are 5-7 pounds. He said its the flat and the point. Either way I can get anything I want so I need some knowledge. Figure id ask the brethren!

So,
1. How much do packer cuts normally weigh?
2. How does $3.09/pound sound?
3. Anyone have pictures to help know what im looking for? He said hes usually doing serious slaughter thursdays so i may stop in tomorrow and see what they got/what i can get my hand on

$3.09 a lb isn't too bad. That's less than I normally pay, but more than I've seen others around here get it for.

As for the weight, he's probably right. A fully trimmed flat and point would probably max out at about 10 lbs.

Sorry... no pictures from me. But I'll betcha some other Brothers have some AWESOME ones... (ahem...Paul?? a little help here?)

The only whole packers I have seen that were that small were Wagyu briskets. They might just be small.

I think $3.09 is a just a bit pricey compared to what I'm used to paying, but there in PA that could be a more fair price. Quality is another factor, if these are very good briskets the price should be higher.

Here's some pics of a whole, untrimmed packer from several angles, including in cryo. The main thing to note is the strip of fat that separates the flat from the point, which I outline in the last pic. If you can see the two separate muscles together, separated by this section of fat, then you have a packer.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c.../01_InCryo.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Raw_Washed.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...w_Fatup_01.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...w_Fatup_02.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...w_Fatup_03.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Fatdown_01.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Fatdown_02.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...FatDown_03.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Fatdown_04.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Fatdown_05.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Fatdown_06.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...Between_02.jpg

You don't have a Sam's Club or Restaurant Depot or even a Smart and Final anywhere near you?

I have been having a lot of trouble finding them too and that is really good price from a butcher. Mind telling me where it is? I go through bucks county fairly often.

Pretty sure Walmart usually has them and everybody has a Walmart within 10 miles. If you don't, call them. They will probably come out and build you one.

How about Costoco. You will probably pay more from a butcher as the meat should be fresher. What kind of meat- CAB, choice etc

Usually Sam's or Restaurant Depot is $1.69-1.89 lb and you can get 13-15 lb untrimmed packers. Of course, you're tossing 3-4 lbs of fat it seems like.

If the Cattle are grass fed and finished then 10 lbs is right on the money. Every one I've done has been from 9.5-10.5 lbs with excess fat trimmed

And if they are grass fed and finished $3.09 is a great price

If you order a trimmed brisket and want to smoke the packer intact be sure to tell the butcher not to separate the point from the flat. I've found some places consider trimming includes separating the two.

Like the others have mentioned, I haven't been in a Wally World that didn't carry full packers.

http://baringerbrosmeats.com/ Its in Richlandtown

Costco is where ive been getting my trimmed flats, the nearest sams club is pretty far, same with restaurant depot. Dont even have any super walmarts around here.

I'd give the butcher's offer a look-see and go with your gut. If you don't like what you see, I'd bite the bullet and take the hour plus drive into philly and get cryo wrapped packers at restaurant depot. If you don't have a business license (or know a friend who does), you can always buy a membership at KCBS and get day passes to restaurant depot. You could always load up and freeze them if you don't want to take the trip too often. Hell, in Atlanta it takes an hour to go downtown in traffic, so that amount of time is nothing around here.

I knew I had a label somewhere - From a SuperWally

http://www.mos95b.com/New/-BBQ%20PRON/P1000013.JPG

Surprisingly, I couldn't easily find whole packers in the south 'burbs of Chicago. The local grocery stores don't carry them. Either does the local Sam's - only flats. Asked the "butchers" on a couple of occasions about packers and they looked at me like I had two heads :wacko:.

Been disappointed in Sam's lately. A week ago they didn't have any Boston Butts or Chucks on a Friday afternoon.

Found a local butcher that carries them but they close at 3pm. Very inconvenient.