The corner grocery store doesn't normally carry brisket, but earlier in the summer someone put in a special order for one. The store could not order just one, so the extra brisket ended up sitting in the meat bin for about two months. I was talking with the meat manager about it the other day and he offered it to me for a reasonable price, so I ended up taking it home.
When I first noticed the brisket in the meat bin, (around July 4) the sell by date on the grocer’s label had been blacked out. When I arrived home I saw the sell by date was for June 30. I could not find a date stamped on the cryovac for when the meat was actually packed. Since the bag was still sealed I did not think too much about it.
After opening up the bag this morning there was a VERY strong odor, but it did not smell rancid, just strong. The fat was, for lack of a better word, puckered. The meat itself had a good color and was not at all slimy. I am leaning toward assuming that the brisket is well aged. It is currently on the grill and I’ll see how it turns out. I'm actually cooking it a few days earlier than needed because the weather is a bit iffy later in the week. That does give me time to go to plan B if necessary.
I am still fairly new in town and have not met a lot of neighbors. I figured this hunk of meat would be a good excuse for a block party and an opportunity to invite some folks over to make their acquaintance. Just want to make sure nobody gets sick (not a good way to make a first impression)! Tonight I plan on being the guinea pig just to see what happens, if I croak they don't need to serve it!!