Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Coming strictly from chicken, burgers and tender steaks, I have no clue which cuts are good for smoking, and what prices should be considered normal. I ran to Costco yesterday to see what they have at this time. Here's what I found...
Beef
Beef Loin Top Loin Whole
$2.99/lb
Beef Ribeye Whole Boneless
$10.59/lb
Beef Brisket Whole Vacuum Packaged
$3.49/lb
Beef Brisket Flat Vacuum Packaged
$4.79/lb
Beef Rib Whole Bone In Vacuum Packaged
$8.39/lb
Beef Ribeye Whole Vacuum Packaged
$8.49/lb
Sy Ginsberg's Corned Beef
$4.79/lb
Pork
Pork Loin Boneless Vacuum Packaged
$1.79/lb
Pork Shoulder Roast Boneless
$1.79/lb
Pork Shoulder Butt Bone In
$1.59/lb
Pork Belly Boneless Vacuum Packaged
$2.89/lb
Pork Loin Backribs
$3.69/lb
Pork St Louis Ribs Brisket Bone Removed
$3.39/lb
Rack of Pork Loin Bone In
$2.99/lb
Seasoned St Louis Ribs (dry rub w/salt)
$3.69/lb
Do any of these stand out as:
Stay away, no good for smoking?
Bad price?
Great price?
Smoke a lot of this?
Look somewhere else or for different cuts?
Any advice is much appreciated. I'm trying to get a baseline so when I'm in stores I know what cuts/packaging and prices are worth getting.
I have been very happy with Costco's ribs, pork butts, and briskets (all prime). I love going there knowing I can get a great 10lb brisket, two pork butts, or three racks of ribs (spare or babyback) for about $30 +/- a few bucks.
I think ribs have had the membrane removed.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Has anyone noticed the prices of beef falling anywhere? I've heard it's happening, or supposed to be, but haven't seen it in my supermarkets yet.
Snake River Farms has increased the price of their regular Choice briskets another $30. What was $69 a year & half ago went up to $99 last year, and now is at $129.....for a regular Choice brisket. Reverse progress! I get that they are a boutique outfit, they pay for good farming practices and employee wages, pensions, etc....but $130 for a Choice brisket? At the end of the day it's just a regular brisket.
It went up here. Wal-Mart full packers $2.56/lb. Highest I have seen it in a long time. A very high number of bovines were put on feedlots I think in April, so maybe this is a preemptive spike.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Weber Summit Kamado with SnS and Vortex.. Broil King Baron, Primo Oval Junior. Primo XL. Love grilling steaks, ribs, and chicken. Need to master smoked salmon. Absolutely love anything to do with baking bread. Favorite cool weather beer: Sam Adams Octoberfest Favorite warm weather beer: Yuengling Traditional Lager. All-time favorite drink: Single Malt Scotch
$5.99 a pound for chuck roast! Pork butts were running 99 cents to $1.29 a pound, they are up to $1.79/lb! Never seen them that high before. Picnic shoulders were 79-99 cents/lb. They are up to $1.39/lb. I can't even touch brisket; it's up to $9/lb in some places. That's almost ribeye prices!!
I had to buy a bunch of pork butts a couple weeks ago to smoke for a work event, $3.49/lb....for pork butts...no that's not a typo. A week later (of course) they're on sale for $1.99.
Beef prices have dropped quite a bit here. packers have been in the $6-$7/lb for the last 5 or so years. I bought a few 2 weeks ago for $2.49/lb. pork has been consistently in the $1.49 - $2/lb for as long as I can remember. Every few months you can find it for $.99/lb. Not sure on the bacon prices, my wife buys that
* - Weber 26.75" OTG
* - Weber 22.5" Premium cloaked in Crimson
* - Slow 'N Sear
* - Smoke E-Z - 26.75" (The Grain Silo)
* - Lodge Sportsman Grill
* - Weber Rapid Fire Chimney Starter
* - Thermoworks ThermoPop
* - Thermoworks Mk4
* - Thermoworks Dot
* - iGrill2 - 4 probes
* - Favorite Beer - the cold one in my hand (craft beers of all flavors; haven't had a blue yummy in over 6 years) my tastes change with the season so it is difficult to name just a couple. However, I will occasionally have a vanilla porter float in the summer (Empyrean Vanilla Porter w/a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream) as I usually drink stouts & porters in the colder months, pale ales & IPAs in the warmer months. I have to add Not Your Father's Root Beer to beers I use for floats.
* - Booze - I don't really have a favorite, but lean towards single malt Scotch & Irish whiskey
* - Wines - Reds: mainly the heavy stuff mixed in with the occasional pinot noir ( I have yet to meet a malbec I didn't like); Whites: German & Nebraska (hey, I have to support the home team)
* - Favorite Spice outlets - Volcanic Peppers - Bellevue, NE
* - Current butchers: Cure - Ft. Calhoun
Cookers:
Weber Kettle (used/fair condition; a gift).
Grilla OG.
Pit Boss 3-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle.
SnS Kettle.
Everything Else:
Sous Vide equipment.
Instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Royal Oak Lump Charcoal, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
BBQr's Delight Hickory & Apple flavor pellets, propane torch, 6" smoke tube.
Grilla apple & hickory pellets, Royal Oak charcoal pellets.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church, Meathead.
Rubs without salt: SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef.
Rubs home-mixed: None at this time.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
Years ago, my grandfather told me he went to a store to buy ground beef and their price was $0.99 lb. He told them that he could get it at a store down the street for $0.79 lb. They said he should go to the other store and buy it. He told them, well they are currently out of ground beef. They said that when they are out of ground beef they sell it for $0.49 lb. Lol
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