CAB vs Choice Briskets
- Thread starter tonto1117
- Start date
jbrink01
is One Chatty Farker
I think CAB is better, but I buy choice grade and seem to do well with it, as I'm a tightwad at heart.
We buy and cook choice grade.
We use choice grade, unless CAB's are on sale.
We buy and cook choice grade.
We use choice grade, unless CAB's are on sale.
Last edited by a moderator:
Jeff_in_KC
somebody shut me the fark up.
Don't think a CAB is worth the extra money myself.
I get CAB for the same as Choice.
Never had a bad one yet.
TIM
Never had a bad one yet.
TIM
Smokin Gator
Babbling Farker
Listen to the man... I saw the difference this past weekend.
I had Choice he had CAB... there was no comparison. The CAB had unreal marbling. He had two... I would have sworn one of them was prime. The other one looked better than my choice as well.
Greendriver
is Blowin Smoke!
I'm really confused about cab and I think from all I've read that cab can be choice or select - and I read somewhere that if it's not marked choice it is select. But, even if it's select the criteria for it to be cab makes it as high as select can be. The point or problem for me is - if cab can be marked choice (and according to the criteria that would be high choice or almost Prime) , I want it and have found meat with the cab label marked "choice" so I want it marked that way if I buy some but I can't find it. If I'm off on this staigten me out.
Smokin Gator
Babbling Farker
Actually, as I understand it, CAB can be any of the USDA grades... it could be cutter/canner or it could be prime. The only thing that makes it CAB is if the hide is black when it hits the floor. However, most, if not all meat that is marketed as CAB will be choice or above. They really don't want to ruin that cash cow... pun intended!!
homebbq
Full Fledged Farker
Actually CAB is a brand (Certified Angus Beef)... Below is a link to their website that explains the grades used: http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/product/grades.php
At Resturant Depot, at least here in New York, there isn't any price difference between CAB and Choice
MilitantSquatter
Moderator
Guy - If you're interested, here's some reading for the RD website about their "Superior Angus". It is not "CAB" brand but their own brand. I do see an improvement in the quality, usually I go by the "feel" of the meat. the Superior Angus is much more pliable than the regular Choice they sell which is usally less flexible.
http://www.restaurantdepot.com/Docs/Superior%20Angus%20Beef%20Questions%20and%20Answers.pdf
RD's Superior Angus is supposedly the top 66% of Choice, where I believe CAB is supposedly the top 20% or 35% of Choice.
I think the RD Angus brand quality is pretty good stuff.
Jeff_in_KC
somebody shut me the fark up.
Here's the thing about CAB... if the cow is black, it qualifies. I had a butcher tell me that one time last year when I was looking into one. They've done such a great job marketing that no one knows the truth about them.
HeSmellsLikeSmoke
somebody shut me the fark up.
LOL Reminds me of the poland china pigs that won best of breed at a stock show in Clarendon, Texas and then came back with black shoe polish spots and won best of spotted poland china breed. Someone suspected something and wiped the polish off of a spot. Disqualified them in both categories.
True story.
Vinny,
We use the same brisket you do. We get ours about 12 days ahead of a contest. We look for a brisket with a packing date no longer than 2 weeks from the contest so we can wet age them for 2 weeks.
JohnMcD348
is Blowin Smoke!
I can't say that I have ever knowingly seen a CAB brisket. I usually can only find choice and sometime Select grade briskets in the markets around my area. Usually choice is about the best I can do around here.
CTSmokehouse
is Blowin Smoke!
In our first comp., we cooked CAB Prime Gold. We liked it alot as did our guests. The judges did not notice. CAB choice is probably a good bet. It's how it is cooked and presented that really matters.
Yours in BBQ,
Cliff
Yours in BBQ,
Cliff
homebbq
Full Fledged Farker
Well, lets just say this... All meat packers are NOT created equal... The same ones that you see packing select and choice briskets in your stores, are also packing for CAB.. If you have found a reliable packer(s) in choice brisket, then stick with that packer in the CAB brand... You will likely be very satisfied with what you get...
We just cooked some CAB briskets. THey turned out excellent. When I get to work, I will try to remember to take a picture of our poster that we will be hanging in the store that was given to us by the distributor. We will be selling ONLY CAB beef throughout the store as far as beef goes. When we get our CAB it is aged for 21 days already and never frozen when we get it.
We paid $1.69 per pound for packers. Hope we can keep that price for awhile. What are you guys paying in the store for CAB?
We paid $1.69 per pound for packers. Hope we can keep that price for awhile. What are you guys paying in the store for CAB?
S
SP
Guest
I cooked a Wagyu brisket last year. It was some of the best meat that I have had. Notice that I did not say best brisket. Its texture and taste were very different even though it was cooked very similar to the brisket next to it a good old Sams choice brisket.
River City Smokehouse
is Blowin Smoke!
Some of the best brisket I have found is CHB aka "Certified Hereford Beef". I have cooked quite a few of these and they have alway been excellent. I know of only one place here at home that gets them. I've not seen them anywhere else yet.
I prefer CAB because of consistancy.
I do not care what the breed or color of the catlle is, they can be pink and purple for all I care.
When I select briskets from a "Choice" pile, I look at about 6-8 factors and usually only select a quarter of the ones I inspect. Many times, I walk away empty handed.
When my distributer can get CAB, I mearly assure they are the right size range and shape and get the packing date for wet aging.
Then, "Load 'em up, DANO" :lol:
They are going to be great, no doubt in my mind.
That is because of the additional screening process done before I even look at them.
I drive 70 miles one way to get the CAB brisket I want. Worth every penny of fuel cost to me.
I have heard great things about "Certified Hereford" and have actually cooked a Kobe one time.
No matter how good the meat, the cook can still screw it up.
I can attest to that many times over
TIM
I do not care what the breed or color of the catlle is, they can be pink and purple for all I care.
When I select briskets from a "Choice" pile, I look at about 6-8 factors and usually only select a quarter of the ones I inspect. Many times, I walk away empty handed.
When my distributer can get CAB, I mearly assure they are the right size range and shape and get the packing date for wet aging.
Then, "Load 'em up, DANO" :lol:
They are going to be great, no doubt in my mind.
That is because of the additional screening process done before I even look at them.
I drive 70 miles one way to get the CAB brisket I want. Worth every penny of fuel cost to me.
I have heard great things about "Certified Hereford" and have actually cooked a Kobe one time.
No matter how good the meat, the cook can still screw it up.
I can attest to that many times over
TIM
