# Brisket Prices



## markedman1132 (Aug 8, 2017)

Is the price of brisket skyrocketing everywhere or just in my area?

3 weeks ago I could get a prime packer at Sams club for $3.96 per #. Now they have choice at $5.98 per #. BJ's is also well above $5 per # for brisket (they only sell flats).

Anybody else seeing prices go up drastically?


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## tallbm (Aug 8, 2017)

No idea.

This week in Tom Thumb/Randall's grocery stores in the Dallas area has choice cut briskets for $2.99 a pound.  This is TX and I wonder if the fact that we have plenty of cattle country makes a difference.

Anyhow that's all the input I have.  Best of luck :)


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## boardgames4bbq (Aug 8, 2017)

Where I am, Northern Virginia (DC Metro), it is just stupid high.  Cheapest I can find for a packer is $4.99/lb but some butchers charge $6.99/lb or even $8.99/lb.  This is all for USDA Choice, the $8.99 butcher told me I could get prime but that would be $12.99/lb.  He also told me another time that the reason it was so expensive was that most of their customers wanted the flat only so they needed to make up for tossing the point.

Why would they toss the point? On purpose?

Up here from my experience with Costco and Sams Club is that they almost never have packers in stock and the flats almost always have been trimmed of nearly all fat.


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## pit 4 brains (Aug 8, 2017)

Packers are $2.99 / lb. At the grocery store..


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## boardgames4bbq (Aug 8, 2017)

Pit 4 Brains said:


> Packers are $2.99 / lb. At the grocery store..


You are so lucky, is that for choice?


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## pit 4 brains (Aug 8, 2017)

Packers are $2.99 / lb. At the grocery store..


BoardGames4BBQ said:


> You are so lucky, is that for choice?


Yeah. CYO packed. I had my eye on one the other day. Beef has been really reasonable around here lately.


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## markedman1132 (Aug 8, 2017)

So much for brisket being a tough, inexpensive cut of meat.

I guess I will wait til the prices come down. Should have grabbed those prime packers when I had a chance.


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## atomicsmoke (Aug 8, 2017)

markedman1132 said:


> So much for brisket being a tough, inexpensive cut of meat..


Welcome to 21st century, when what used to be tough discounted cuts now cost as much if not more than premium steaks and roasts.

You can thank foodnetwork for that.


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## SmokinAl (Aug 9, 2017)

Still $1.97 for a choice packer here at Walmart.

Al


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 9, 2017)

They don't sell brisket in stores here. Nobody buys it. Nobody smokes brisket here. Only restaurants and catering people buy briskets to smoke. That's why prices are kinda high. No competition or demand in stores. 
Millions of people buy some corned beef brisket couple times a year here. That's about it. Just not a brisket smoking community here to support the stores stocking them.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 9, 2017)

I have places to get brisket at here in Michigan but your looking at $5-$6 a pound for a packer ($3.99 on sale a few times a year) and $6-$7 a pound for the flats only ($5 a pound on sale once every few months). Michigan definitely isn't a brisket hot bed. Then again pork butt has been averaging $1.70 a pound for almost a year now where as before it was $1.30ish so nothing's cheap anymore.


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 9, 2017)

They don't have it on sale by me because they sell out of them when they have them. Pretty much $3.69 everywhere


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## noboundaries (Aug 9, 2017)

I've seen the prices increase $1-$2 / lb since the late spring.  In fact all large cuts of beef roasts, like briskets, chuckies, bottom rounds, etc, have gone up the same $1-$2 / lb locally.  They'll come back down once the summer grilling/smoking season is over.  For those of us who grill/smoke year-round, just wait until after Labor Day.   

Also, the China market has been reopened for beef sales.  That could keep prices higher for a while.


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## tallbm (Aug 9, 2017)

SmokinAl said:


> Still $1.97 for a choice packer here at Walmart.
> 
> Al


It is my understanding that Walmart here in the North Central Texas area had them at $1.69/lb around forth of july and then they have been $1.97/lb or so since then.  I didn't know/think they were Choice because Walmart almost exclusively does only Select cuts of meat (I once worked the meat department there in college) and the briskets I saw looked sad when I walked by them at my local Walmart so I passed.  

To put it nicely I have no love for Walmart having worked there for 3 years in college and I avoid that hell hole like the plague when I can.  Even if I pay a dollar more a pound hahahaha  :D


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 9, 2017)

$3.69 is a great price


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## mojavejoe (Aug 9, 2017)

$3.99/lbs for prime whole packer at Costco in Southern California. Plan on picking up one for this weekend.


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## meatsweats86 (Aug 9, 2017)

I live in the Twin Cities, MN. Sam's only carries choice by me. Choice Packer is $2.67/ lbs. Choice flat is $5.79/lb. 

Had a friend check Costco and they carry Prime. Prime Packer at Costco was $6.00 / lbs


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 9, 2017)

We get pieces of flat weighing like 2 to 3 pounds all trimmed of fat. [emoji]128547[/emoji] I would never buy a small chunk of trimmed flat.


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## floridasteve (Aug 9, 2017)

I just got back from Gordon's in bradenton, fl.  Brisket was $2.79/pound!  Used to be about $2.30.  Of the other end, Eye of Round was only $2.59 -- used to be $3.15.  Go figure


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 9, 2017)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> $3.69 is a great price


There is a GFS store in Brighton hillbilly. On Grand River


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## timstalltaletav (Aug 9, 2017)

$4.99 per pound for a packer here in PA. $5.99 if you want it trimmed.


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## ken2587 (Aug 9, 2017)

My local butcher has listed right now at $3.00 a pound gonna go down and check them out I know he is always cheaper then Walmart bjs food lion etc. because he was telling me that there's basically no middle man it's from animal to his case way it seemed which works for me I am even able to get good bone in rib roasts at 4.99 a ln or so


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 9, 2017)

Daaaaaammmmmm..... TTTT aka 4xT that's pricey bro. [emoji]129299[/emoji]


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## timstalltaletav (Aug 9, 2017)

Rings R Us said:


> Daaaaaammmmmm..... TTTT aka 4xT that's pricey bro. [emoji]129299[/emoji]



Yep..   along with the worst roads and highest gas tax in the nation, PA also has expensive beef prices...lol


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## nomadd917 (Aug 10, 2017)

$3.99/pound for USDA prime packers at Costco in Peoria, IL area. Not sure on the price at Sams.

A couple local butchers sell whole packers that are USDA choice for $6.99 - $7.99 a pound.


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## markedman1132 (Aug 10, 2017)

TimsTallTaleTav said:


> Yep..   along with the worst roads and highest gas tax in the nation, PA also has expensive beef prices...lol



You forgot to mention a monopoly on liquor and ridiculous school taxes.


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## markedman1132 (Aug 10, 2017)

I guess the issue for me is the amount of increase in such a short amount of time. A $2.00 increase per # in 3 weeks and a drop from prime to choice seems to be very unusual.


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## nomadd917 (Aug 10, 2017)

And here I thought Illinois was horrible. Extremely high property taxes, high sales taxes, high state income tax, and run by crooked Chicago politicians.


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## timstalltaletav (Aug 12, 2017)

markedman1132 said:


> You forgot to mention a monopoly on liquor and ridiculous school taxes.



Oh yeah...  that too!


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## pit 4 brains (Aug 12, 2017)

I picked these up today at Fry's / Kroger.

Not market price but the price at the market.. Woo hoo..













20170812_144327.jpg



__ pit 4 brains
__ Aug 12, 2017


















brisket 1.jpg



__ pit 4 brains
__ Aug 12, 2017


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 12, 2017)

They only sell flats at Kroger here. 6~7 lbs. $4.99 I would never pay over $3.99 anywhere.


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## boardgames4bbq (Aug 13, 2017)

Costco had whole packers for the first time in it seems forever.  They had 3 choice (14lb, 16lb, 17.5lb) for $5.69/lb and the local grocery store had flats only for $6.99/lb. As I said above the best I can find anywhere here is $4.99/lb for choice.  I am very envious of all of the rest of you. Making brisket here is a serious investment.

(Edit for spelling)


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## ososmokeshack (Aug 13, 2017)

$4.98 a pound at my local butcher for prime.


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