Brisket Packers/Cutters Must be Sharing Their Unfair Butchering Tricks with Each Other

[BBQ_Bill]

I have noticed a few Costco packers where the butcher/cutter was aware that we pitmasters like thick flats.
To make thin flats look thicker while hidden there in the cryovac bag, they have devised some ways to fool us.
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In looking at the common packer brisket, I am aware that one side of the flat will be quite a bit thicker than the other.
This is actually normal, and when sorting though packers at the store, I am looking for that thin side to be over 1" thick.
On another note...
I also want the flat to stop at the right place, and not get into the plate. (See Attached Photo)
If the butcher/cutter cheats and gets into the thinner plate area, that packer will be unusually long.



The next "cheat" is that these cutters are TOTALLY aware that us beef brisket smokers like thick flats.
Fact is, they don't dry out near as bad.
So... they either fold over or "scrunch" an extra area of meat together to make the flat appear thicker than it actually is.
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Here below are three packers that have had "Trick" cuts added to scrunch in meat or fold it over to make the flat look thicker... yes, they are fooling us.




To me, this practice is JUST WRONG, and down right deceitful.
NOW I find the same practice at my new supplier from a totally different processing plant.
This makes me think that these tricks are being passed around and shared.

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So...
You might want to look very carefully at that next packer in the cryovac.
Try to look for a fold or extra meat scrunched up through the plastic bag.
If the flat in a ways from the edge is thinner than the corners, take a closer look for scrunched up meat or a folded over flap.
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I really don't know how to combat this other than to examine the meat more closely BEFORE I buy it.
AND, of course share this new found knowledge with you all... my fellow pitmasters.

[Ahumadora]

They must have learnt that trick from Argentine carnicero's . Happens here all the time they try and sell the plate as a flat.

[BBQ_Bill]

Ah... so these tricks are even down South. Sad, but true.

[Bighorn Dave]

IMHO it isn't just brisket that methods to make the product appear better than it really is. I've noticed on many of our grocery store purchases of steak and even poultry that they look awesome on the shiny side but once removed from packaging you wonder why the heck did I buy this crap. Costs more to do so but we have started to buy more and more of our meat out of the display cases and ask to look at the product closer before agreeing to purchase it rather than the grab and go cases. Who would have ever thought you needed to treat a meat purchase like buying a used vehicle.

[BBQ_Bill]

It takes more time, but the meat manager is opening the cases for me, and allowing me to go through the packers, choosing the ones I want to buy. I just need to look even closer now.

[RonB]

I don't like the practice either, but I do consider it normal - and not just with food. Used cars are polished up to look as good as possible even though they may be junk. And other items are also presented from their best angle.

It's just normal "buyers beware"...

[Fire Art]

That’s how I caught my wife

[BBQ_Bill]

Now that I am "Aware", I am going to "Beware"

[Texas Larry]

This stuff is truly getting worse in my experience as well. Caveat emptor, I guess🤨!

[BBQ_Bill]

Agreed. Forewarned, aware, and ready to inspect the merchandise with more knowledge.

[CaptainMike]

Nefariousness indeed!

[Troutman]

I rarely see that in the HEB and Costco briskets, not saying they don't source ones that have that, I've just never run across it. Like everyone else I go for less decale fat, flexibility and as thick of a flat end as I can find. Since I'm generally disappointed with the overall thinness after looking through a dozen packers, I've just adopted the practice of loping off the front of the flat to achieve a nice thick end, and corn the rest or grind into burger meat. Otherwise it turns into frustration and dog meat.

[BBQ_Bill]

I am on the same page as I lop off quite a bit of thin flat meat, and when done trimming all of the packers, all usable trimmed meat gets vacuum bagged, dated, flash cooled, and then deep frozen for other uses, like crock pot meat.

[Polarbear777]

I trim that end too for burgers etc. it ends up dry and it doesn’t fit in the pk unless I trim.

Win win I guess.

[bardsleyque]

I'm much more interested in the point,as that's the part I prefer. The flats okay,but fat equals flavor!

[BBQ_Bill]

Depending on the breed, and what they eat during the time in the feed lot before "harvest" that fat flavor can be okay or even pretty good all the way to exquisite and unearthly.
THIS is why I switched to CAB. The fatty/prime "milk cow" briskets were "getting to me".

[Murdy]

Butcher's have been doing such things forever -- trimming fat on the side of a steak on an angle and putting the thicker side down; leaving a big hunk of fat in the middle of a tied pot roast; etc.

[BBQ_Bill]

More tricks! I'm sure I have seen the fat on the steak edge thing before. The tied roast with the hidden surprise is another one that you might fix with friendship? I figure take some great smoked meat to your butcher and they will be more likely to take care of you right. When in doubt on the steaks, maybe just ask for a fresh "thick" cut, and then ask to look at it.

[Rod]

It's just like how they package bacon.

[BBQ_Bill]

True that!
I tear the package just enough to see the "real deal".

[bten]

Or pour colored water into the meat grinder to help it grind better...but the water never comes out.

[BBQ_Bill]

Yeah, until you cook it and the pan is suddenly full of bubbling water!
DEFINITELY seen that!

[Bighorn Dave]

Or pour colored water into the meat grinder to help it grind better...but the water never comes out.

I guess someone will need to educate me as I don't have a clue what colored water is. As far as using something to help grind the meat better, place any parts of your grinder that the meat travels through in the freezer prior to grinding and then do what you can to keep it cold during the grind. Here is an example of what can be used to do this. https://www.cabelas.com/product/cabe...ref=prd2122105
It stops the binding much more than you may think.

[BBQ_Bill]

Wow! THIS is some GREAT news that I can use in the future! NEVER knew this Good Trick. Thanks for sharing!

[bten]

It is something that the butchers at the grocery stores do. Then they sell you the water in the meat. Often it is dyed to make the meat look better.

[Backroadmeats]

The meat or grinder being cold helps.. but more often than not you need to draw the knife tighter against the grinder plate. Especially on a fine grind,. Just make sure you keep meat on the knife and grinder plate or your knife will be junk..you can't get it to tight for a fine grind..

[Murdy]

Keeping the grinder and meat cold will also help prevent bacteria from getting worked up (and woke up) during processing. There are a lot of moving parts and friction in meat processing machines (patty machines are probably the worst). The heat created can cause bacteria to activate that can cause anything from discoloration to an off taste--though I never heard of anything dangerous transpiring.

I worked in a couple sausage kitchens a long time ago, and this is how it was explained to me. One place had a big, walk in freezer, and we'd put meat lugs in it for about 45 minutes prior to grinding. The other was a smaller operation, and we'd grind some ice (no coloration added) along with the meat as it passed through the grinder.

[Spinaker]

Huh. I have never seen this in the packers I have bought. One thing that bothers me, however, is when a packer has really thin flat. I just wish they could give us one with a 1 inch uniform flat. Man that would be nice! Let's get those genetics up to my liking. LOL.

[BBQ_Bill]

On a larger animal, if they cut the flat off where they are supposed to, you will generally get that 1" or thicker flat. It's when they cheat out past the 6th rib and get into the plate, it is too thin.

[Potkettleblack]

Spinaker Considering this issue from a business perspective, using something I can price evenly..., even though it's the high end of the spectrum:

SRF Wagyu Gold:
Strip Loin: 14 lbs/$539 = $38.50/lbs
4 bone prime rib:~10lbs/$449 = $44.90/lbs
3 bone prime rib: ~8 lbs/$399 = $49.88/lbs
Whole Tenderloin: 5 lbs/$299 = $60/lbs
Brisket: 9-12 lbs/$189 = $18/lbs
Brisket: 18-20 lbs/$239 = $12.5/lbs
A cow has two strip loins, two briskets, two 4 bone prime ribs and two 3 bone prime ribs (7 ribs to a ribeye primal, one assumes an economy), and two tenderloins.

If you're going to the expense of raising a beef cow, you have to be vaguely insane to work on optimizing the brisket, shoulders and belly over the nonworking muscles of the back. The whole of the cow minus the the "steakhouse cuts" just isn't economical to optimize. Maybe the sirloin if you're in Brazil or in 90's America when folks were more fat phobic than today.

TLR: No cattle rancher is ever going to optimize brisket genetics at the expense of any other part of the beev until brisket pulls steakhouse money, at which point every one will cook chuckies, plate ribs and other cuts that provide value for knowhow. On the upside, since briskets are beyond your average pitmaster, they will never be as expensive as steakhouse cuts.

[Spinaker]

Hahaha, I hear yea. I was being pretty tongue and cheek there. I sell in to the slaughter industry. I am well aware that brisket is an after thought. LOL.