Starts Wed, Aug 27----Get the smokers smokin', and the grinders out, for sausage makin'...

I do have some sausage making on tap for the grinder/stuffer.

And at that price, versus pork belly cost, "buckboard bacon". Close enough to belly bacon, for our palate.

These sales are never in stores close to me. Where is this add from?

Brenham/Bryan -College Station.

Yep. I looked it up. Bryan HEBs have the sale. Not college station. Some in Houston. Nothing near me.
I got a bunch of elk meat I need to make sausage with. And the pork gets expensive.

Carnitas time

DG96 said:

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Yep. I looked it up. Bryan HEBs have the sale. Not college station. Some in Houston. Nothing near me.
I got a bunch of elk meat I need to make sausage with. And the pork gets expensive.

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Tower Point in CS has it starting tomorrow.

No go in Pflugerville/Round Rock. Like another poster mentioned, carnitas are on the menu this weekend.

Pulled pork, here I come!

Looks like all I get at the Plano store is reasonably priced pork ribs and $12.99/lb sub par prime strip steaks.

normaleagle05 said:

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Looks like all I get at the Plano store is reasonably priced pork ribs and $12.99/lb sub par prime strip steaks.

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Another reason to not live in Dallas

I do miss the Brazos Valley. But it looks like you're in Houston. Nobody is winning in this conversation.

Just wanted to add, baby back and st louis spare ribs are also on sale for $1.77/lb, at least at my HEB to go along with the butt and prime strip.

I just wish we had an H-E-B in Tyler. Stupid Brookeshire's monopoly drives me crazy.

not an option in Plano

normaleagle05 said:

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I do miss the Brazos Valley. But it looks like you're in Houston. Nobody is winning in this conversation.

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Well here in Houston I can go to HEB tomorrow and get cheap $10/lb prime steaks and 87cent/pound pork butts.

*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

normaleagle05 said:

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*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

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You do know that they are USDA graded Prime right, HEB doesn't grade these themselves and falsely market them as "prime".

normaleagle05 said:

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*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

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I'm going to have to disagree with you here.

smstork1007 said:

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normaleagle05 said:

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*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

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You do know that they are USDA graded Prime right, HEB doesn't grade these themselves and falsely market them as "prime".

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Their Prime 1 is the only steak worth buying from HEB. The rest of the cuts are consistently bad, at my store at least. I have a Granzin's here, so that is where I get all of my steaks, ground beef, and pork. They also cut me a perfect picanha when I want one. HEB struggles with them.

JB!98 said:

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smstork1007 said:

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normaleagle05 said:

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*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

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You do know that they are USDA graded Prime right, HEB doesn't grade these themselves and falsely market them as "prime".

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Their Prime 1 is the only steak worth buying from HEB. The rest of the cuts are consistently bad, at my store at least. I have a Granzin's here, so that is where I get all of my steaks, ground beef, and pork. They also cut me a perfect picanha when I want one. HEB struggles with them.

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That sucks on the picanha, I picked up a few Prime 1 from HEB a month or so ago at $6.99/lb, and then a few more last week at $7.99/lb i think. Vacuum bagged them all and in the big freezer, and all had great marbling. Crazy thing was the normal Choice were still priced at 10.99/lb and on the shelf right next to the prime. HEB stores for the most part do their own butchering, grinding, packaging, so it's probably a store thing with a bad butcher rather than a HEB thing.

smstork1007 said:

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JB!98 said:

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smstork1007 said:

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normaleagle05 said:

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*sub prime steaks

HEB's Prime1 ain't great. It's usually barely better than Choice for near double the price.

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You do know that they are USDA graded Prime right, HEB doesn't grade these themselves and falsely market them as "prime".

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Their Prime 1 is the only steak worth buying from HEB. The rest of the cuts are consistently bad, at my store at least. I have a Granzin's here, so that is where I get all of my steaks, ground beef, and pork. They also cut me a perfect picanha when I want one. HEB struggles with them.

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That sucks on the picanha, I picked up a few Prime 1 from HEB a month or so ago at $6.99/lb, and then a few more last week at $7.99/lb i think. Vacuum bagged them all and in the big freezer, and all had great marbling. Crazy thing was the normal Choice were still priced at 10.99/lb and on the shelf right next to the prime. HEB stores for the most part do their own butchering, grinding, packaging, so it's probably a store thing with a bad butcher rather than a HEB thing.

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My HEB in Pleasanton does not have them on the shelf. You have to ask them for one and then explain what cut of meat it is. They are always thin and small. I am friends with the store manager and asked him why they were not a "shelf" item. He said, JB98 may be the only one that ever asks for one!

Granzins asks if I want one when they see me. They do not have them as a case item either, but the know what they are. The will also coarse grind my pork for Al Pastor, just a better experience all around.

Prime is a wide range above choice. It's not all created equal.

normaleagle05 said:

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Prime is a wide range above choice. It's not all created equal.

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It's the top 2% of all USDA graded beef, but man i'm sorry your particular HEB sucks and markets inferior product to its customers as prime. I'd speak to the store manager about that.

normaleagle05 said:

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Prime is a wide range above choice. It's not all created equal.

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ANSC grad here that worked at packing plant in friona back in late 90's. I'll preface that things may have changed since then.....

you are correct in this statement. As another poster pointed out above HEB doesn't grade. It happens at the plant. When I was there after processing they cut amongst the ribs so the grader could see the marbling. That person then stamped the beef with the grade in several places. And this all happened while the hanging carcass was moving down the conveyor line. It's not like they had 1 minute to really inspect it. I'm sure it has changed with technology and so much focus on "CAB", wagyu, etc. But one person might grade something choice and another prime.

For the HEBs in my area....when its labeled prime its been prime. And I say that from having bought individual cuts to entire ribeyes and tenderloins still in cryovac.

What I will say that many times what comes across as Choice has varied greatly. The majority of the time I can find stuff that is labeled as Choice that is damn near Prime. But other times it leans more Select.

Just gotta take a look at it and judge for yourself. I don't buy Select but especially with prices the way they are if they have Choice on sale I'm definitely digging thru what's out there.

Not at my HEB

smstork1007 said:

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normaleagle05 said:

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Prime is a wide range above choice. It's not all created equal.

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It's the top 2% of all USDA graded beef, but man i'm sorry your particular HEB sucks and markets inferior product to its customers as prime. I'd speak to the store manager about that.

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It's actually quite a bit more than 2% now, that old number that people quoted for years is no more, its now over 10%. Prime and choice grades have increased substantially over the last decade.

Improving the Grade: More Than 10% of Carcasses Today are Grading Prime

And just like there can be some really good steaks that start as select, I'm sure there is an occasional flub amongst prime as well. I doubt the poster's HEB is taking sub prime beef and labeling it as such. Everything I've ever seen from HEB shows they run tight ship and wouldnt be doing something underhanded like that.

To get back on track, 87 cent per pound pork butts are a great deal and I will likely be grabbing at least a couple.