I was in RI last summer for one of my War Brethrens' 25th anniversary renew wedding vows thing. He's been in Japan for a few years, but went home for the ceremony. He was wanting a good brisket bad, being from Texas, I gave hi the Kermit frog look. Brisket in RI? REALLY? He was determined. We took off with his brother (local, been there his whole life) for the grocery stores Scotty knew had in house butchers. At one point they brought out what they called a brisket, I was eyeballin the fish counter. Scotty calls out "Hey Jay whatabout this?"
"That's a steak, I thought you wanted brisket!" It was about 4 lbs trimmed!
We drove all over RI, well 3/4ths of it, felt like to the other side of Austin to me! Scotty finally remembered a slaughter/butcher place in an industrial area. I've no idea. We went in, they asked while I was eyeballin what Scotty had told me was "Soupy." Some local Italian spicy sausage!!!
Butcher lady comes out with an 18+ lber!! HOLY Yankee BRISKET!! Never expected that after all the steaks we'd seen. Untrimmed, nice big fat cap, flexible and was a right hander to boot! The butcher had no idea what I meant by a right hander, went in the back, got the old butcher guy, he laughed! Then told her she'd been got with the oldest Texas brisket joke there is!
We took it home. No smoker! Put it in one of those disposable turkey foil pans with a rack in the bottom. 4 cups water, some shales of worchestshire (don't ask me to spell it right, I call it whatsisheresauce)! rubbed it down in salt and pepper. I only trimmed the hard fat off, left the rest. Covered tightly, in the oven at 225* for well till it hit 190*! They went nuts!! We also had fresh lobstahs off the boat, homemade quahaugs, and their dad made homemade clam chowdah! I chowed down like a Texas longhorn on coastal!!!
Yeah long story. Don't ask me where that slaughter/butcher shop was. I only know Scotty said it was the only place in the state that made "SOUPY!" Good luck only hint I have!!
Oh, ALL their slabs of animal carcass looked GREAT!!