Costco Prime briskets vs. others feedback

[Q_Done_Right]

Been buying the Costco Prime packers for a couple years now and the price is hard to beat. Have had some come out really good and others just okay. Cooked on both WSM’s and a Pecos offset with me being able to turn out a truly great one at least once on each. What I want to know is how do these compare against say a Creekstone Farms Prime (or even Choice grade)? Same with the Snake River Farms Double R Ranch briskets. I wonder how many of these Costco Primers are truly “Prime” because not every one I’ve bought has been as marbled/flexible as another I previously purchased there. I’ve read that grocers basically get whatever hasn’t already been picked over by restaurants, butchers, etc. Could be wrong but feel like the quality of a Creekstone Choice would even turn out better than your average Costco Prime grade.

Anyone have any direct experience with this? I will say the Costco Primes have always come out better than any of the Sam’s Club Choices I’ve done...but those were only flats.

 

[wahoowad]

Good question. I am interested in this too. Sometimes the Costco Prime I get doesn't look so marbled and the slices can be very lean with no marbling. That's assuming I didn't ruin it.

For me I'm not willing to pay much more than the Costco Prime, so that's going to be like $40 to $55 for a 12 to 16 pounder. How does that compare to prices where people order briskets online?

 

[Q_Done_Right]

Good question. I am interested in this too. Sometimes the Costco Prime I get doesn't look so marbled and the slices can be very lean with no marbling. That's assuming I didn't ruin it.

For me I'm not willing to pay much more than the Costco Prime, so that's going to be like $40 to $55 for a 12 to 16 pounder. How does that compare to prices where people order briskets online?

The Creekstone Farms I mentioned for example are like $10/lb for Prime if ordered online at regular price. Choice is quite expensive too. I’m just very curious the overall difference in quality between these and the Costco Primes...which I think many are more like true Choice grade. Wonder where Costco gets their briskets from...

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

The Creekstone Farms I mentioned for example are like $10/lb for Prime if ordered online at regular price. Choice is quite expensive too. I’m just very curious the overall difference in quality between these and the Costco Primes...which I think many are more like true Choice grade. Wonder where Costco gets their briskets from...

The last Creeks I got was on sell, after KCBS discount, I gave $72 a piece. I ordered three so the shipping was free. Was it worth it, don't know, but I've always been happy with them and willing to feed them to my extended family at a gathering.

Just because a store sells "prime" briskets don't really matter, I'd make sure I could pick and choose, because I've found some choice before that were far and away better than some primes I've seen in a brisket cooler.

As far as brands, if the Cryo says Excel, they are prolly just 50% black hides....

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Something to understand about the grade of meat is that the entire animal is graded and not the individual cuts.

https://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading/

I usually get CAB Choice from Restaurant Depot and I have found them to be consistently good with a reasonable amount of marbling and some good beef. Last year Creekstone Farms did a big sale and I bought 3 Choice briskets and they were better marbled than anything I have seen from Restaurant Depot. On the same note I bought a Prime brisket from Lobels and it was a pretty mediocre piece of meat with much less marbling than what I got from my Creekstone briskets.

So lots of variance in something like a brisket because they are generally looking at the rib-eye when they grade a carcass, and that grading won't necessarily translate to the entire carcass.

 

[Rockinar]

The marbling of the individual brisket is not how it graded. Also I think some of it done by computer. Thats why you might fine "choice" steaks that are more prime and find "prime" thats more choice.