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Prime Brisket thoughts

4,056 Views | 27 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by SeMgCo87
ToddyHill
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7:07p, 6/23/26
AG
Is Prime that much better than Choice…and worth the additional cost?

I live outside of Knoxville…and to my surprise, found Prime Briskets at Wal Mart, for $5.49/ pound. Thoughts please!
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TxSquarebody
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8:16p, 6/23/26
In my experience, they are simply more forgiving during the cook. Good price, though!
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Bruce Almighty
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8:31p, 6/23/26
AG
Prime is worth the price over choice. Wagyu is not worth the price over prime.
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austinag1997
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In reply to Bruce Almighty • 9:19a, 6/24/26
AG
Bruce Almighty said:
Prime is worth the price over choice. Wagyu is not worth the price over prime.


Yeah, agree. I find the wagyu briskets too fatty.
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Koko Chingo
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In reply to TxSquarebody • 12:07p, 6/24/26
AG
TxSquarebody said:
In my experience, they are simply more forgiving during the cook. Good price, though!

This has been my experience too.

For $5.49 that's a good deal on prime. Also look through the case. Sometime there are prime briskets that seems a little light on the marbling and some choice ones that seem like they might squeak by as prime.

I do this sometimes with prime but always with choice - save all of your trimmings and place them in a disposable aluminum pan. Put it in the corner of the smoker until all the fat is rendered.

When you go to wrap the brisket pour some of that rendered smokey tallow back over the brisket.

If you are cooking choice brisket and it seems a little dryer than you think it should be when you pull it to wrap - wrap it in aluminum foil and make sure you pour in that smokey tallow to absorb back into that meat.

if you are using an offset and have a choice brisket - put that brisket on while its cold (dont let it get to room temp) and make sure you have a big water pan where its really humid in the cook chamber . You will get a great bark and strong smoke flavor early on. Then you can go with the Texas Crutch and wrap in foil along with adding some of that smokey tallow back in and no one will know you cooked a choice brisket.
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80sGeorge
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1:22p, 6/24/26
AG
The true masters are the folks like Snows that can make magic with choice briskets.

My family on the other hand didn't think I was even close to good until I started doing Prime.
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JoCoAg09
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1:34p, 6/24/26
AG
My primes are noticeably better than my choices.
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Matsui
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2:31p, 6/24/26
JCRiley09
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8:57p, 6/24/26
AG
If you find certified angus beef, that will be upper choice and a noticeable improvement over select and most choice.

Not sure where y'all stand on freezing meat, but I wait for HEB or another store to run a $3.99/lb deal on prime, and I buy whatever I can and freeze it till I get a chance to smoke it
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ToddyHill
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10:17p, 6/24/26
AG
Thank you everyone for your thoughts. Candidly, I only smoke about two briskets a year, and the 4th is usually one of those occassions.

I wish I could say I use offset. I've been using a Weber Smoky Mountain for several years. To me that's like getting a 10 yard jump in the 100 mile dash.

I've probably smoked about 15-20 briskets on the WSM. Almost all of them were Choce, might had a Select or two, and one Wayghu. I don't think I've ever smoked a Prime...and was just curious that your thoughts were on that topic.
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Ezra Brooks
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8:25a, 6/25/26
AG
In my experience - Prime cooks faster....and I'm always done cooking earlier than I had planned and have to hold for longer. That longer hold has resulted a few times in briskets that don't slice very well. They tasted excellent but it's more shredded than sliced.
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ftworthag02
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11:29a, 6/25/26
AG
When I've done prime on my primo I would put it on around 10pm and sometimes its ready by 6-7am. Dinner wasn't till 5 or so.
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schmellba99
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In reply to Bruce Almighty • 3:23p, 6/25/26
AG
Bruce Almighty said:
Prime is worth the price over choice. Wagyu is not worth the price over prime.

This

But I will still grab a wagyu on occasion because they are good.
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HTownAg98
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In reply to Ezra Brooks • 7:34p, 6/29/26
Ezra Brooks said:
In my experience - Prime cooks faster....and I'm always done cooking earlier than I had planned and have to hold for longer. That longer hold has resulted a few times in briskets that don't slice very well. They tasted excellent but it's more shredded than sliced.

Let them cool to about 150 before you put them in a cooler to hold. If you wrap right away and put them in a cooler, they start at a very high temp for a long time, and that will cause them to shred.
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cashag95
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10:01p, 6/30/26
AG
Looks like Kroger will have choice briskets on sale with a digital coupon for $2.99/lb starting tomorrow. HEB is pushing pork ribs, burgers and choice ribeye steaks, but not brisket...
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austinag1997
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 10:48a, 7/1/26
AG
HTownAg98 said:
Ezra Brooks said:
In my experience - Prime cooks faster....and I'm always done cooking earlier than I had planned and have to hold for longer. That longer hold has resulted a few times in briskets that don't slice very well. They tasted excellent but it's more shredded than sliced.

Let them cool to about 150 before you put them in a cooler to hold. If you wrap right away and put them in a cooler, they start at a very high temp for a long time, and that will cause them to shred.


May save a delaminated bottom in a Yeti cooler also
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NColoradoAG
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 12:59p, 7/2/26
HTownAg98 said:
Ezra Brooks said:
In my experience - Prime cooks faster....and I'm always done cooking earlier than I had planned and have to hold for longer. That longer hold has resulted a few times in briskets that don't slice very well. They tasted excellent but it's more shredded than sliced.

Let them cool to about 150 before you put them in a cooler to hold. If you wrap right away and put them in a cooler, they start at a very high temp for a long time, and that will cause them to shred.

This is exactly right. I think a lot of folks put their brisket in a cooler to hold way too soon after it comes off the pit
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Ezra Brooks
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1:45p, 7/2/26
AG
Guilty

I'll take this advice next time and see how it turns out.
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Ogre09
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3:21p, 7/9/26
AG
I always buy whatever is cheapest. Tastes good. Brisket is supposed to be cheap.

I also buy Select tenderloins usually. They're still super tender, and I want those to be lean.

I'll buy prime ribeyes and strip steaks though.
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Backyard Gator
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In reply to Ogre09 • 7:11p, 7/10/26
Ogre09 said:
I always buy whatever is cheapest. Tastes good. Brisket is supposed to be cheap.

I also buy Select tenderloins usually. They're still super tender, and I want those to be lean.

I'll buy prime ribeyes and strip steaks though.

I wish more BBQ joints had this philosophy
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Lonestar-aught-six
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In reply to Ogre09 • 7:37p, 7/10/26
Ogre09 said:
I always buy whatever is cheapest. Tastes good. Brisket is supposed to be cheap.

I also buy Select tenderloins usually. They're still super tender, and I want those to be lean.

I'll buy prime ribeyes and strip steaks though.


I feel like I can take a cheap brisket, trim it the way I want and make it what I want. Never done choice or prime but I'd like to try.
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Noblemen06
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7:54a, 7/11/26
AG
I was gifted a 44 Farms prime brisket and it was the best brisket I've ever made.
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Backyard Gator
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In reply to Lonestar-aught-six • 8:01a, 7/11/26
Lonestar-aught-six said:
Ogre09 said:
I always buy whatever is cheapest. Tastes good. Brisket is supposed to be cheap.

I also buy Select tenderloins usually. They're still super tender, and I want those to be lean.

I'll buy prime ribeyes and strip steaks though.


I feel like I can take a cheap brisket, trim it the way I want and make it what I want. Never done choice or prime but I'd like to try.

Do you normally use select briskets?
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Lonestar-aught-six
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In reply to Backyard Gator • 3:27p, 7/11/26
Yeah wife buys whatever is cheapest.
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TX AG 88
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10:43a, 7/13/26
AG
I've done all grades of brisket.

I can't tell a huge difference between Choice and Prime, which are both clearly superior to Select. (These are HEB sourced, for what it's worth.)

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austinag1997
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9:51p, 7/29/26
AG
I like using prime brisket. Wagyu is too expensive and is too fatty. Prime is the most I can deal with and is a bit more foregiving when bbqing in the summer.
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BSD
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In reply to TX AG 88 • 8:13a, 7/30/26
AG
TX AG 88 said:
I've done all grades of brisket.

I can't tell a huge difference between Choice and Prime, which are both clearly superior to Select. (These are HEB sourced, for what it's worth.)



Upper choice is my go to…if the price is right. CAB (certified angus beef…a branding moniker) is upper choice and I've done two blind tests where I prefer it to Prime. But with variable prices at the stores, I go with whichever makes sense. Both are delicious if cooked correctly so I go back and forth. Never cook select!
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SeMgCo87
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 2:15p, 8/19/26
AG
HTownAg98 said:
Ezra Brooks said:
In my experience - Prime cooks faster....and I'm always done cooking earlier than I had planned and have to hold for longer. That longer hold has resulted a few times in briskets that don't slice very well. They tasted excellent but it's more shredded than sliced.

Let them cool to about 150 before you put them in a cooler to hold. If you wrap right away and put them in a cooler, they start at a very high temp for a long time, and that will cause them to shred.

Thanks for this!

At what temp do you pull it? And hold it how long?

I used to pull it at 175, but now wait until 195...so the fat begins to render. Then wrap in butcher paper and foil, and just keep it at 180 for about 3-4 hrs (15 min/lb)...I have quit "holding" it in a cooler...

Comes out very tender & moist, but will not slice well when hot (as in not worth a crap). Learned the butcher paper wrap from a video...holds the fat and moisture in, but...?
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