Beef brisket

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Beef brisket

Postby Odin » Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:03 pm

I’m looking to grind my own hamburger. I was thinking about using beef brisket. This is the cheapest meat per pound that I have found so far. My next choice would be chuck roast but they are around $5.00 per pound. I was hoping to keep it in the $3.50 per pound range. I looking for a 80/20 blend or somewhere in that range. What do ya think?
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby wheels » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:47 pm

I use chuck for mine. However, I think that many use a mix. Maybe try chuck and brisket in varying amounts until it suits your taste, and budget.

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Re: Beef brisket

Postby Shuswap » Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:58 pm

We've reduced our hamburger cost by mixing chuck and pork
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby ComradeQ » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:13 pm

I use a mix of roughly equal parts chuck to brisket and then add a few short ribs (boned of course!). I love what the short ribs add to the flavour, the bite of the brisket, and the overall versitality of the chuck. Combined I have created the perfect burger. Separate, each element was fine but fell a little flat. I should add I also like to lean to the higher fat end of the burger spectrum aiming for roughly 70/30. In the links I included below I agree with the texture/flavour issue of brisket alone that he mentions. Maybe you can buy a few oxtails/short ribs to add flavour into the brisket without breaking the bank? Oxtails are usually dirt cheap and they have great fat/umami to them.

My experience with just chuck or just brisket was ok, but it was missing something. Also, don't mix the meat, you don't want sausage meat. I gently handle it and form it with minimal pressing/squeezing. And don't add any seasonings at all. When you want to cook the burgers just liberally season both sides of the outside with salt and pepper right before grilling/searing.

See these links:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/2009/10/the- ... -beef.html
http://aht.seriouseats.com/2010/03/the- ... rgers.html
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby Odin » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:26 pm

Thanks for the suggestions

Shuswap: I tried that combo and it was good but not a true hamburger the way I like them. I do you a beef and pork mix in my chili.

ComradeQ: That sounds like a good combo. How do you achieve your 30% fat ratio? Brisket fat? The chuck I purchase is about 20% fat. I just picked up a brisket flat, not much fat on that one. I also picked up beef ribs and to my surprise they came out with this large beef rib roast. I never saw anything like it before. The short ribs usually have a good amount of meat but nothing like this thing. Another adventure.
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby ComradeQ » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:39 pm

Odin wrote:Thanks for the suggestions

Shuswap: I tried that combo and it was good but not a true hamburger the way I like them. I do you a beef and pork mix in my chili.

ComradeQ: That sounds like a good combo. How do you achieve your 30% fat ratio? Brisket fat? The chuck I purchase is about 20% fat. I just picked up a brisket flat, not much fat on that one. I also picked up beef ribs and to my surprise they came out with this large beef rib roast. I never saw anything like it before. The short ribs usually have a good amount of meat but nothing like this thing. Another adventure.


The fat content comes from the short ribs more than anything else although chuck is usually well marbled. I find brisket alone to be too lean. I have never tried the oxtail suggestion but Kenji Lopez-Alt makes a good case for it and it will be on my list ... also, you get a good byproduct of marrow rich bone to use in stock ;)
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby Odin » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:48 pm

I just read the article, excellent, lots of ideas. Many thanks again.
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby ComradeQ » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:50 pm

Odin wrote:I just read the article, excellent, lots of ideas. Many thanks again.


Happy to help! Let us know what combo you end up with, interested to see what works for you!
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby NCPaul » Wed Feb 21, 2018 5:51 pm

I'd like to point out that this is something that can done with a grinder even if one doesn't have a stuffer (yet).
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby Odin » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:46 pm

Just go back from shopping and picked up some more chuck for the project. The brisket point is thawing and will be ready tomorrow. I tried to buy oxtail, my god what a pricey bony meat, $6.37 pound. That’s off the table for now. The butcher sold me some nice fat, with meat attached, from a sirloin roast so that’s what I’m going to start with and see what I come up with. So it’s going to be chuck, $4.19 pound, brisket flat, $3.99 pound, and sirloin fat with meat, $2.49 pound.

Now to decide on what size to grind and how many times. I read some where the larger the grind the more steak like the burger will be. I’d like to to have a sticky consistency so as not to fall apart when cooking. Add salt to the mix?
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby ComradeQ » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:06 am

Odin wrote:Just go back from shopping and picked up some more chuck for the project. The brisket point is thawing and will be ready tomorrow. I tried to buy oxtail, my god what a pricey bony meat, $6.37 pound. That’s off the table for now. The butcher sold me some nice fat, with meat attached, from a sirloin roast so that’s what I’m going to start with and see what I come up with. So it’s going to be chuck, $4.19 pound, brisket flat, $3.99 pound, and sirloin fat with meat, $2.49 pound.

Now to decide on what size to grind and how many times. I read some where the larger the grind the more steak like the burger will be. I’d like to to have a sticky consistency so as not to fall apart when cooking. Add salt to the mix?


Just a suggestion, I find the asian groceries have cuts like oxtail for very good prices, I usually go there for cuts like this and can find them significantly lower in price. I say salt and pepper only the outside of the meat and only immediately before grilling/searing. Pre-salting will make it more dense and chewy like sausage or meatloaf.
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Re: Beef brisket

Postby Odin » Sat Feb 24, 2018 7:34 pm

ComradeQ

I will check out the Asian Grocery stores. I don’t mind spending to make a fantasticly good Hamburg right now I’m looking to make good hamburger that I can use general purpose. It amazes me the cost of what used to be scrap meat now cost more to main stream meats. Chicken feet, $1.99 pound, cows toung $7.25 pound, pig feet $2.29 pound, pig tail $1.19 pound etc.
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