Briskets

Ron_L said:

I usually go with choice or CAB, but I've cooked select and had them come out just fine. I think it depends on the specific brisket and I've just had more consistent results with choice or CAB. I do wet age them, but I haven't tried dry aged. I don't know any place around here that sells dry aged briskets.

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Where do you get you CAB's at?

I'll let you in on a big secret "CAB" is a marketing ploy developed by the Angus breeders Assoc. it has no magic in it. Look for flexibility, marbling and uniform shape to include a thick tail on the flat and a blunt point. Everything else is Bull Feces.

I usually do try to use those guidelines when picking out a brisket. I guess my question to Ron_L should have been more generic. I have found it very hard to find full packer briskets in the Chicago area and sometimes I have to order them blindly and I get what I get.

Bludawg said:

I'll let you in on a big secret "CAB" is a marketing ploy developed by the Angus breeders Assoc. it has no magic in it. Look for flexibility, marbling and uniform shape to include a thick tail on the flat and a blunt point. Everything else is Bull Feces.

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I'm gonna have to disagree with the last part of this. We have a huge rancher in the area that supplies alot of major beef like National and IBP with his angus stock and he has certain tests done to his herds to make sure the meat is more tender than just the average cow or steer. I'm not 100% sure but I think they test for higher amount of certain enzymes in meat like calpains and cathepsins. Although there is definitely a marketing hype to it, there is in some cases an undeniable difference in quality in CAB compared to non graded beef. But alot of that depends on the ranchers quality control.

if i remember correctly, the only thing the usda checks on a side of beef is between the 13th/14th rib to determine a sides rating. that being said, actual choice briskets i've found end up much better than select.

i've dry aged one brisket and in the end it wasn't worth it.

Ron_L said:

Restaurant Depot has then all the time. They have Choice and Angus.

You can get a day pass with a KCBS membership or if you have a business license (doesn't have to be food related) you can get a membership card.

Or, you can meet me there the next time I go. I don't know when that will be

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I am taking the KCBS judging class in Westmont on the 23rd, and since I will then be a KCBS member, I will definitely be heading to RD to check out what they have.

wet age 4 to 6 weeks before a comp...and yes dry age does work however the PAAIAN in the ars it is and wet works great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeeeup...keep out of light, prime rib tri tip etc..will work also real goood....when the bag puffs up its ready

BigBellyBBQ said:

yeeeup...keep out of light, prime rib tri tip etc..will work also real goood....when the bag puffs up its ready

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If your gonna tell someone to wet age a brisket, it probably important you tell them the whole story rather than "4-6 weeks and when it puffs up"
What happens if the brisket is already aged 40 days and you just told them to age it 40 more days and ruin a $50 brisket? The price tag date is not the pack or kill date. This can only be found from the case the briskets were in when shipped. The process of wet aging can go up to 50 days but I have heard of people doing 60 but I don't Reccomend it. 50 days and the brisket smells pretty rank, and has to be rinsed well after trimming. This process allows the hardest worked muscle of the bovine to break down and produce myoglobin. This process actually happens to marathon runners also. The blood in the cryovac will go from a bright red fresh brisket blood to almost black. There will also be considerably more blood in the cryo @ day 50 from the process. It's normal for the brisket to smell raunchy or really musty once opened. If the smell does not go away after a good rinsing and pat dry, the brisket is ruined. This is why knowing the pack date is so important.

yes you are correct..sorry I assasumed most people have the sense..and just note hi-lights and let them do the research thaTS how you learned and I learned --little bits of info and start thinking and take from there and then find out the truths in their own terms not on someones full advice..remember believe only 1% of what you read...
However said, the packers I have aged (maybe around 200) 1 week after the cryovac starts to lift away from the meat, I will use or freeze..I have never lost one, however this may not be safe for someone else as no one can control what they do temps, air control etc.. nor what they think..so I will only throw out tid bits of info and let that person think about it and manipulate a new idea into thiers..and I have read some very good ideas here and other places...along with some looney ideas (at least for me)
but the question was dry vrs wet and the amount of control to properly age meat dry is very confusing for most..and for those of us that have done it, find it very rewardinig...however I am lazy, so I have a dedicated fridge at 35*/ 38* F and just let the meat start breaking down, releasing the gas which starts the "puffing" action and go from there...also of note there is a specific time that the warehouse must sell from the kill date..I hate typing..so all my posts will be very short and besides keeps people thinking! I cook by feel..when its done its done...goes for wet age too..

I definitely agree with the "only believe 1% of what ya hear" now. Before learning how and what to research and the trial and error part, I messed up some chit! Only lost 1 brisket out of about 75. And that was only because I broke the seal on the cryo some way or another rummaging through the fridge on "one of those nights" if ya know what i mean. I never really noticed any puffing up of the cryo but it's definitely not that vacuum tight seal as it started. Kinda like really loose felt on a pool table

jmoney7269 said:

I definitely agree with the "only believe 1% of what ya hear" now. Before learning how and what to research and the trial and error part, I messed up some chit! Only lost 1 brisket out of about 75. And that was only because I broke the seal on the cryo some way or another rummaging through the fridge on "one of those nights" if ya know what i mean. I never really noticed any puffing up of the cryo but it's definitely not that vacuum tight seal as it started. Kinda like really loose felt on a pool table

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If poking a hole in a brisket cryovac on "one of those nights" is the worst thing you've done you're doing pretty farkin' good! I've had several of those nights and did much much worse......:mrgreen:




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chriscw81 said:

If poking a hole in a brisket cryovac on "one of those nights" is the worst thing you've done you're doing pretty farkin' good! I've had several of those nights and did much much worse......:mrgreen:




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The definite worst "one of those nights" that has occurred to me a few days ago. It was dark and had some friends over, lol I'm just gonna start a thread about it, I wanna hear other peoples stories.

I had a couple briskets that started to fart when held down to trim the fat off...

Smoked Ham said:

I usually do try to use those guidelines when picking out a brisket. I guess my question to Ron_L should have been more generic. I have found it very hard to find full packer briskets in the Chicago area and sometimes I have to order them blindly and I get what I get.

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Tell me about it. Local butchers in my area don't have them. Costco used to have them, but now they're only untrimmed flats in cryo.