The quality of brisket at Texas barbecue restaurants

[Dustin Dorsey]

Franklin is using an all-natural prime, Creekstone Farms most likely. Cattlelack's is using Akuashi. I think Killen's is using Snake River Farms. There is definitely a difference. Pecan Lodge in Dallas uses CAB (or did in the last interview I read) which is an upper 2/3rds choice and it's pretty darn close to prime. I used to be able to get Creekstone farms briskets from my butcher but he can't get them anymore. The demand is too high. I guess you can mail-order them all, but they are expensive for the average backyard joe like myself.

[TXNewbie]

Originally Posted by Dustin Dorsey

Franklin is using an all-natural prime, Creekstone Farms most likely. Cattlelack's is using Akuashi. I think Killen's is using Snake River Farms. There is definitely a difference. Pecan Lodge in Dallas uses CAB (or did in the last interview I read) which is an upper 2/3rds choice and it's pretty darn close to prime. I used to be able to get Creekstone farms briskets from my butcher but he can't get them anymore. The demand is too high. I guess you can mail-order them all, but they are expensive for the average backyard joe like myself.

I liked CattleAck's brisket slices overall, but preferred the burnt ends from Hutchins.

CattleAck opened at 10:30, we arrived at 10:45, and it was still a 50 minute wait. The food at CattleAck was outstanding. You can see why it is a top 10 in Texas.

[BigThicket]

Most Texas places use Prime. Some use Choice. I'm sure there are outliers, but I've never seen one of the good places use anything less than Choice.

[sleebus.jones]

Originally Posted by Dr. Trout Bum

All I know is that at an HEB in San Antonio I was looking through the packers and the package said “Product of Canada” on it.

Canada produces some mighty fine beef, that's for sure. When I was working in the oil sands up there I think I tried to eat most of it.

[DECENT BBQ]

Originally Posted by Maynerd

What place is this?

Jack's BBQ off Airport Way in SoDo.

[HDCTX]

Alberta Canada is a very close cousin to Texas. Similar politics, economies, and beef, and believe me, they take great pride in their beef. The only problem I've run into is that they call anything cooked outside BBQ. That's kinda sad.

[DECENT BBQ]

Originally Posted by HDCTX

Alberta Canada is a very close cousin to Texas. Similar politics, economies, and beef, and believe me, they take great pride in their beef. The only problem I've run into is that they call anything cooked outside BBQ. That's kinda sad.

Your average American does this as well. Most backyard "BBQs" I go to are hamburgers and hotdogs. Hell we even call propane grills "BBQs"

[sickhick]

The vast majority of the top places are using prime and upper choice.

[noobieQ]

With CostCo nearby offering $3.49 Prime briskets, I haven't yet bothered to try cooking a lower grade cut. The Cash and Carry nearby has briskets, but they are all select's and almost the exact same price as CostCo prime, so there's never been a good enough reason to bother trying them.

I would like to tho, mostly out of curiosity to see the difference.

[luke duke]

Originally Posted by DECENT BBQ

From my experience, most restaurants use Ole Hickory or Southern Pride style smokers, and do not trim their briskets prior to cooking. They smoke for ever how long, then wrap and hold hold them until ready to serve. They could easily sit for a day or longer in the hot hold before being served. This will help retain the moisture and make them tender. These tend to be your more reasonably priced BBQ places.

The authentic places that cook on wood only pits will buy choice or higher, not hold them as long, and typically charge a higher price to reflect this.

This does not apply to the type of places that make the Texas Monthly list.

[luke duke]

Originally Posted by Tannhauser42

From what I've read, most places used Select or Choice until Franklin upped the ante by using Prime.

This is still the case. I’ll bet that less than 2% of Texas BBQ restaurants use Prime. The ones that do are the ones that you hear about all the time. I believe that the quality of their BBQ has a lot more to do with how that cook the meat than what grade of meat they use.

[Tannhauser42]

Originally Posted by luke duke

This is still the case. I’ll bet that less than 2% of Texas BBQ restaurants use Prime. The ones that do are the ones that you hear about all the time. I believe that the quality of their BBQ has a lot more to do with how that cook the meat than what grade of meat they use.

The sad part is, every time I go out for BBQ, they all seem to be charging Prime prices these days.

[Kaptain Kadian]

Stiles Switch uses prime. I saw the boxes as they were trimming them

[Rockinar]

Originally Posted by Tannhauser42

The sad part is, every time I go out for BBQ, they all seem to be charging Prime prices these days.

Who's "they"? What are "prime prices" and how many years of experice do you have running BBQ restaurants to know what they should be charging?

[16Adams]

Follow Texas Monthly BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn’s BBQ Newsletter, his books and reviews via social media. Often times he will do a thorough review including Beef grades used. It’s a start. My experience, except for Pecan Lodge- seems pretty consistent on brisket. Simple seasoning (s) generous pepper 18-25$#, longer hold times. Pecan Lodge was outstanding but theirs was a tad sweeter tasting to me. Really good though.
I always get the beef sausage. To me that’s the fun part. Seems always the sliced brisket sausage sandwich are always stacked high then I kick off the bun.

Most Q places in Texas are very generous with their cooking methodology.