Current sales, deals, and bargains (Part 2)

[Smithy]

Just now, rotuts said:

@Smithy

 

I think this deal is only at Stop&Shop.    a long long time ago , they had similar prices , then that stopped.

 

this is the same price as circa 2010 or so , when I sued to get 6 - 8 of these , or more and SV in a very large cooler.

 

there are pics of that cooler somewhere way way back.

 

Market Basket ,  which wold be the next cheapest place , has CB point for $ 2.99.  other stores are in the $ 4 + range.

 

 

 

In that case, maybe I'm safe! 😉 

 

Although I admit, now that I'm thinking about it, that a good supply of corned beef for reuben sandwiches would be wonderful. You enabler, you.

[rotuts]

way back when , after the 48 H SV , cold smoke , rebag and freeze

 

for smoked  corned beef reuben sandwiches .

[Smithy]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

way back when , after the 48 H SV , cold smoke , rebag and freeze

 

for smoked  corned beef reuben sandwiches .

 

No ready access to a smoker here, and I may not even have packed for sous vide. (If I did, where did I put it?)

 

Nonetheless, you have earned some Enabler Points. 😉 

 

 

My Kroger's card knocked the price down to $4.99/pound.

[JeanneCake]

sorry to make you repeat this if it was covered in the earlier 75 pages but, newbie here needs some definitions

 

Point cut?  Flat cut?  is one better than the other?

Red cure? Grey cure?  (is this like the debate over red clam chowder or white clam chowder?)

 

I might want to try to make a corned beef dinner this year....

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

sorry to make you repeat this if it was covered in the earlier 75 pages but, newbie here needs some definitions

 

Point cut?  Flat cut?  is one better than the other?

Red cure? Grey cure?  (is this like the debate over red clam chowder or white clam chowder?)

 

I might want to try to make a corned beef dinner this year....

 

The brisket itself consists of two major muscles (the interior pectoral and the exterior pectoral) and typically, one cut will have more of one than the other. A fairly deep discussion of the technical difference is here, at Texas A&M's Meat Science department. Here's a good picture of a brisket, from that web page:

 

 

You can see that the "flat" will be more regularly shaped than the "point", and that has implications for even cooking and for slicing afterwards. I noted, after buying, that my point cut package says "perfect for shredding" and that isn't the way I like my corned beef. Note also that the flat cut is typically a bit more expensive than the point cut. In my case, and in rotuts' case, the difference is $1/pound. I think, in retrospect, I wish I'd gone for the flat -- but hey, I was in a hurry and feeling extravagant already.

 

I can't remember from one year to the next which kind my husband and I have bought, and what we thought of it. I should probably keep better notes.

 

I'm leaving the question of cure type to someone who knows more about it than I do. You may also get good information from the in-depth discussions on corned beef:

 

 

 

 

In fact, if you have followup questions it would be better to post them in one of those topics -- probably the first one.

[Kerry Beal]

I prefer the point for the extra fat. When I get a sandwich at a Jewish deli - I specify fatty. 

[TdeV]

46 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I prefer the point for the extra fat. When I get a sandwich at a Jewish deli - I specify fatty. 

 

I always buy point if I can, for the same reason.

[rotuts]

Point is tougher than flat .   it usually has more fat surrounding it , and more fat within the meat.

 

w SV , the toughness issue is eliminated w a 48 hour cook @ 140 F

 

you can cook at a higher temp , for let time and get the same tenderness , but the meat fibers contract more , 

 

and the final meat is dryer.  these days I get point , in the past flat.   I trim some of the external fat off , but not much.

 

in the first week of the S&S sales , they have some mighty fine meat .    in the distant past they sold out the initial vendor's supply

 

and for the final days before St.P's actual day , sub'ed in another vendor .  that stuff was mostly eternal fat on those points.

 

Shop early , and learn to examine the packages.

 

Ill post more in the actual St. P.'s Day thread , as I get the packets I have ready for their 48 H bath.

 

 

[Sid Post]

On 3/2/2025 at 5:38 PM, rotuts said:

I make my own ' drip ' coffee

 

w coffee I roast myself.  in my own manner .

 

what I know about that , is the water temperature , for that drip 

 

has to be very close toe 210 f or so .  maybe 199 F.

 

its my understanding is the the Technivorm systems get you there

 

and others do not .

 

Specialty Coffee Association “Golden Cup” brewers are what you want to look for when selecting a premium top grade coffee maker.

Edited Sunday at 05:17 PM by Sid Post (log)

[Sid Post]

17 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

sorry to make you repeat this if it was covered in the earlier 75 pages but, newbie here needs some definitions

 

Point cut?  Flat cut?  is one better than the other?

Red cure? Grey cure?  (is this like the debate over red clam chowder or white clam chowder?)

 

I might want to try to make a corned beef dinner this year....

 

Texan here where Briskets rule most "real" BBQs!

 

Generally, the "POINT" will be fattier than the "FLAT".  When you get to the smoker to get your order, the Pitmaster will ask if you want Moist or Lean, which is Point versus Flat.

 

By "moist", it will have more rendered fat for that unctuous flavor so many people love!  Fat really carries the smoke flavor well from a place with a great PITMASTER!

 

Corned beef generally only comes from the grocery store's deli counter around here so I can't help much with the brining process.  HOWEVER, if you want to talk about rubs with coffee, various peppers, various mustards, etc. I'm ready!

[Sid Post]

56 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Point is tougher than flat .   it usually has more fat surrounding it , and more fat within the meat.

 

Only if you cook it WRONG!  😜

 

Long, low, and slow on the smoker will break down the tissues with awesome Umami!  Avoid the tendency to up the temperature on your smoker at the "stall" and wait it out as that is where the "MAGIC" happens!

 

I suspect this is what happens in your Sous Vide treatment of your Corned Beef.

 

Hmm ... maybe it's time for me to start looking for a Corned Beef brine for this coming weekend.  😋

[rotuts]

sorry , @Sid Post

 

roasting your own coffee from premium green coffee supplier 

 

once you learn how to do it properly 

 

is vastly superior to anything you can buy , because you have crafted it to your own taste 

 

on CB , you missed the point , that w SV  , time is tenderness , and temp is ' done-ness '

 

there is no ' stall ' what so ever with SV.

 

as Point is tougher , from the get go , then flat . 

 

my apologies  for not making that clear.

Edited Sunday at 08:42 PM by rotuts (log)

[Sid Post]

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

sorry , @Sid Post

 

roasting your own coffee from premium green coffee supplier 

 

once you learn how to do it properly 

 

is vastly superior to anything you can by , because you have crafted it to your own taste 

 

on CB , you missed the point , that w SV  , time is tenderness , and temp is ' done-ness '

 

there is no ' stall ' what so ever with SV.

 

as Point is tougher , from the get go , then flat . 

 

my apologies  for not making that clear.

 

No apologies needed!  Maybe just a bit of "lost in translation" of the written word.

 

I'm coming from a "stick burner" smoker background in Texas where I enjoy the smell of nice clean smoke wafting across my beverage of choice on a nice day!  If I am there watching the brisket cook, it will "stall" and new folks will up the temps to "push through" the stall and miss an important aspect of getting a good "chew" and flavor profile on their brisket.  I don't like tough brisket and absolutely hate overly soft or mushy brisket, which is a 'crime' in most of "real Texas" 😉 and is what is normally served at most mainline restaurants.  If a Pitmaster does that with his stick burner at a BBQ joint, he is apt to be "run out of town!".

 

In terms of Flat versus Point, new folks tend to overcook the flats and undercook the points.  Myself, I am "point guy" as a nice piece of meat with properly rendered fat and good smoke penetration is true joy on a plate for me!

 

Coffee, like Scotch and Bourbon, or any number of other options are largely a personal preference thing IMHO.  After my time in Italy, I got a Pasquini Espresso machine and used Illy coffee and never saw the need for the most part to grind my own beans as Illy hit my "sweet spot" for Espresso.  My time in Belgium and the Netherlands mainly, had me well satisfied with Douwe Egbert coffee as well.  Though, those 100% Columbian "imports" from my father or my friend coming back from South America were really nice too!

 

In terms of rubs for a brisket, super premium beans are a waste IMHO.  Yes, you need good coffee to start with, but the subtleties of the beans and the grind itself will be lost in the 12hr~16hr cook time and the other common things used in a good brisket rub.

 

Like "roasting" your own premium beans to get the exact flavor profile you want is basically what I am talking about with briskets, rubs, and general cooking of briskets in an oven or preferably over lump charcoal or actual "sticks"!  I have never used an oven to cook a brisket as it just seems WRONG to me with a smoker and really good seasoned wood outside the front door of my house!  Heck, it has been >20 years since I did that with a chicken or turkey as well since I have a Weber Smoky Mountain for them and that awesome smoke flavor that comes from wood, not out of a store bought bottle of "smoke"!  Smoked cheese is awesome too but that is a different topic for a different day!

[rotuts]

@Sid Post

 

Ive visited TX  several times , as my sister lived there for a time.

 

I completely agree w you about stick burners , a tradition .

 

you can get the same brisket result w a pellet grill , a good one , like the one down @ the Woods Hole Pellet Society .

 

as for coffee , It was the drink , esp real espresso .    ground coffee for a rub is a much simpler matter.

 

and for corned beef  , SV will take you where ever you want to go , seamlessly  , and perfectly , every time.