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[Clonesmoker]

Had a party the other night where I cooked up three briskets. I purchased these from my local Sam's Club, where I purchase roughly 90% of my briskets from.  I was looking for 15 lb ones. They had one in the cooler of which it was listed as Prime. I talked with the guy in the back of the meat department to see if they had any more that size. He was back there pulling them out of box and just slapping prime sticker on them. I got a couple more 14 and 13.5 pounders. I started to trim. I was disappointed to the fact that by the time I had finished trimming the 15 lb and the 13.5 lb ones and the amount of fat/tallow I had cut off literally filled the empty 15 lb brisket bag. After getting them on the smoker for about 15 hours the grease bucket on my DB as 3/4 full.

Since Sam's sends out an email on how my experience was, I gave them a low rating on there quality of meat. That commenced an email back from the store manager that he would like to visit with me.

I am a pretty good judge when it comes to getting briskets, bellies, pork loins, pork shoulders, etc. I just have never experienced that much excessive fat before on briskets.  The prime was $3.28 lb and the choice was $3.18 lb.  I am by no means a USDA meat inspector, but I would really like to see what constitutes prime vs choice. I can't see how a guy in the back can just start slapping a Prime sticker on a 

I got rave reviews on the final product, I also had to throw in 5 lbs of pork shoulder as I didn't think with what I had left after trimming all three up that I  was going to feed the 80-100 people.

[triplebq]

I would think the briskets would come into Sam's already graded as Prime or Choice. The grading is from the USDA. Now when the meat department opens the box of briskets and puts their label on it, technically they can label it anyway they want. I would think it wouldn't be legal to mark a Choice brisket as Prime if it is labeled from the USDA as Choice.

[LowSlowJoe]

I rarely ever buy prime anything,  Costco ONLY sells PRIME brisket packers where I am and they are like $3.29/lb, so not a good reason not to buy them.  However, they do have a ton of fat on them that gets trimmed off.   I bet at least 3.5 pounds of a 18 pound packer.       I swear, that 2 years ago, their packers didn't have quite as much external fat on them, but it seems about a year ago, they started having more external fat... I suspect that the places that pack them , have started trimming them a lot less before they get into the cryovac bag.

I do agree. the cryovac bag should say if it's PRIME or not,  it's not just a external label , at least not on the ones I buy.

[Bentley]

It is done by a USDA Inspector, using a digital camera (probably even more technology now days).  He places the camera on a cross section of the rib-eye primal and the camera grades the whole carcass.  You may say a flawed process, I would agree with you, but to expensive to grade sections of the meat.

The meat Sams get then would have been further broken down and cryo-vac packaged by the meat packer and the cryo should have a grade on it.  The stickers he was putting on was probably just a Sams deal to high-lite the fact.

I am by no means a USDA meat inspector, but I would really like to see what constitutes prime vs choice. I can't see how a guy in the back can just start slapping a Prime sticker on a 

[reubenray]

I looked at some briskets a few weeks ago at Sam's and all they had were choice.  The grade lable was stamped on the cryovac and not a sticker.

[okie smokie]

Nice info.  I have always picked up the cryo and tested the flexibility. The thicker the fat, the less flexible the brisket.  Not a perfect test but is helpful.  I get the one that is most flexible in my size range (i.e. 15lbs).  From my experience, there is not much difference between prime and choice as to the finished product.  Much depends on technique.  Lately, because there are just two of us, I have had to find a butcher that presents trimmed flats.  Price goes up dramatically for that, but they are pre-trimmed.
Go Brisketeers!

[Jimsbarbecue]

Knew this Guy in Pasadena that use to get prime briskets. I tried one once and was hooked. There is always a fair amount of fat on them. I get most from Costco

[triplebq]

One of the things I like about Restaurant Depot/Chef Store is they tend to have a large supply. I usually look through and pick the ones I like.

[reubenray]

My Costco had their prime brisket packers for $2.99/lb.  None of them appear to have any flex at all.  I got a choice brisket flat for $4.99/lb.

[Bentley]

No flex means harder (whiter) fat, which means more grain (usually corn) which means more intramuscular marbling, which means more flavor and more tender...At least that is one theory I was told 17 years ago!

[bregent]

The Prime briskets I've been getting at Costco are very firm...and also turn out to be the best briskets I've cooked. They cook fast and stay very moist.

[heffneil]

I went to the TX Monthly BBQ Festival in Austin and before that there was an event at Stile Switch where the very wise Texas A&M fellas from the meat science department of the Department of Animal Science (really a thing).  They talked about choice vs prime.  In talking with Daniel Vaughn they said that 9 out of 10 were prime and the one who was choice was #1 of the top bbq joints in TX.  I kill it with prime.  low $3's is a great price.