# Is there a brisket shortage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262 "2019-08-06T18:18:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/1 "2019-08-06T18:18:16Z")
I’ve had it in my head now for a few weeks to bake a brisket. Usually when this happens I let the idea marinate, waiting until I see a really big one on sale. But this week, it blossomed into an intention, and I’ve been to three different stores now, with no brisket at all in sight. Now, I know I could just drop by the butcher at Wegman’s and tell them what I want; they would order it for me. But that means paying full specialty pricing for the meat when the entire point of a brisket is you pay very little and then cook it down into a concentrated slug-in-the-mouth of flavor. So I ask you, what gives? Where is all the brisket? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/2 "2019-08-06T18:21:06Z")
I’ve noticed certain cuts of meat sometimes vanish. I assume this is always the case, but we don’t usually notice it because it’s not there, and other stuff is to grab out attention. It hits when you have this situation you describe and something you always assumed is there all the time you find out is only occasionally there. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/3 "2019-08-06T18:40:02Z")
I almost never see brisket at the supermarket, and I don’t think I’ve seen them very often. Meijer occasionally has a couple. with one exception; they always have those brisket sections in corned beef brine in sealed bags. but a plain, raw brisket? pretty rare. in some way I can understand why, a whole brisket is a _big_ piece of meat, and chances are anyone seeking one out is going to smoke it. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/4 "2019-08-06T18:43:51Z")
Alarming data point follows… I like to smoke brisket, either uncured for Texas-style barbeque, or cured to make pastrami. For what seems like ages, my Costco had full packer briskets, prime grade, for some stupidly low price per pound. As of my last few visits, they only have choice grade brisket flats. Still a good price, but not what I’ve been looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/5 "2019-08-06T20:14:37Z")
Just checking my local stores it seems there _are_ very few available, and none on sale. Kroger has choice packer briskets at $1.99 lb. My guess is that most folks don’t want to stand outside tending a smoker for twelve hours in the summer. All winter long the stores will have brisket as a loss-leader in their ads. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/6 "2019-08-06T21:12:55Z")
> [@Bayaker](#): > > My guess is that most folks don’t want to stand outside tending a smoker for twelve hours in the summer. All winter long the stores will have brisket as a loss-leader in their ads. I would agree with this. My take on this is that brisket availability is somewhat seasonal due to lack of summer demand among the general public and probably increased demand from professional BBQers. With that being said, my local had whole cryovac packet briskets available - for the same price-per-pound as ground chuck. I don’t need a brisket that badly. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/7 "2019-08-06T21:31:45Z")
I saw plenty of them at the grocery this last weekend. Didn’t catch the price, but there were a lot. I’m guessing some combination of regional and seasonal demand would be what’s going on, i.e. there’s a lot of demand in Texas(or wherever) during the summer, and they meet that by supplying less to places without the demand, like say… Washington DC. The price has gone up quite a bit overall in the last decade or so for brisket I’ve noticed though- I’m guessing home barbecuing of brisket has become more of a thing than it was previously (elsewhere; it’s always been a thing here in Texas), driving up prices. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/8 "2019-08-06T23:16:07Z")
I’m surprised Wegmans doesn’t have it. I’m sure I’ve seen it at Wegmans locations in New York and Maryland, though I haven’t looked recently. It can’t hurt to ask the butcher on duty. My local Walmart super-center always seems to have it but sometimes you have to buy a whole brisket, which is 12 or 15 lb., I guess. Sometimes they have smaller pieces of brisket at a higher price per pound. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/9 "2019-08-07T00:07:36Z")
Brisket is at [record prices right now](https://www.chicagobusiness.com/dining/why-brisket-more-expensive-ever). Though probably too early to have an effect at the grocery today, the US also just [struck a deal with the EU](https://buckrail.com/us-eu-beef-export-deal-will-boost-wyoming-beef-industry/) to increase amounts exported from here. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/10 "2019-08-07T00:38:55Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I saw plenty of them at the grocery this last weekend. Didn’t catch the price, but there were a lot. I’m guessing some combination of regional and seasonal demand would be what’s going on, i.e. there’s a lot of demand in Texas(or wherever) during the summer, and they meet that by supplying less to places without the demand, like say… Washington DC. > > The price has gone up quite a bit overall in the last decade or so for brisket I’ve noticed though- I’m guessing home barbecuing of brisket has become more of a thing than it was previously (elsewhere; it’s always been a thing here in Texas), driving up prices. Yeah, it’s as easy to get a brisket here as it is to get a raw ham in Kentucky. Similarly, you have a hard time getting a raw ham here and hard time getting raw full briskets in Kentucky. It’s usually due to high demand in one place and low demand in another. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/11 "2019-08-07T00:42:54Z")
I have never seen beef labeled brisket in a grocery store. Does it have another name? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/12 "2019-08-07T01:04:42Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I have never seen beef labeled brisket in a grocery store. Does it have another name? It’s sometimes separated into the point and the flat. I think it would still be called brisket, though, unless it was corned. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/13 "2019-08-07T01:17:48Z")
Aldi is advertising brisket this week, salt and pepper or “Texas barbecue,” for $4.99/lb. starting tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/14 "2019-08-07T01:20:56Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > It’s sometimes separated into the point and the flat. I think it would still be called brisket, though, unless it was corned. Maybe it’s just not popular here because point and flat aren’t familiar either. Well, flat for beef, that is - McKinnons has flat iron _pork_ steaks. Around here beef is mostly chuck roast, pot roast, top/bottom round, tenderloin, sirloin, ribs, tips… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/15 "2019-08-07T01:37:21Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Alarming data point follows… > > I like to smoke brisket, either uncured for Texas-style barbeque, or cured to make pastrami. The popularity of both of these things has made the cut less cheap than they were 60-70 years ago. It’s one reason a lot of the cheap, traditional New York delis have either gone upscale or disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/16 "2019-08-07T01:40:28Z")
I can go to BJ’s and find 1-2 whole flats. The big supermarket will carry highly trimmed pieces of flat cut into smaller portions. If I’m looking for a whole flat, it all depends on whether I can get to them before they’ve broken down all the shipment. Smaller supermarkets don’t carry it at all, unless one goes into a Jewish neighborhood (and then it’s only flat cut into ~2 lb. pieces). Can’t find a point anywhere, and a whole packer brisket is a special order at a butcher. And that equals expensive! ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/17 "2019-08-07T01:41:35Z")
OP, you are looking for brisket to bake it? Like, in the oven? No no no no. Get some other cut of meat. Maybe a pot roast? ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/18 "2019-08-07T02:07:15Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > OP, you are looking for brisket to bake it? Like, in the oven? No no no no. Get some other cut of meat. Maybe a pot roast? Brisket makes a perfectly fine pot roast. It wouldn’t be my first choice but it is a wonderfully tasty cut. I just cooked up a couple for hot beef sandwiches for a family gathering and twenty plus pounds of meat and gravy disappeared like a fart in a tornado. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/19 "2019-08-07T03:21:13Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I can go to BJ’s and find 1-2 whole flats. The big supermarket will carry highly trimmed pieces of flat cut into smaller portions. If I’m looking for a whole flat, it all depends on whether I can get to them before they’ve broken down all the shipment. Smaller supermarkets don’t carry it at all, unless one goes into a Jewish neighborhood (and then it’s only flat cut into ~2 lb. pieces). > > Can’t find a point anywhere, and a whole packer brisket is a special order at a butcher. And that equals expensive! Costco was tried, but no joy there either. The last time I got one it was just the local supermarket had them out insanely cheap - about 30 pounds IIRC. > [@kayT](#): > > OP, you are looking for brisket to bake it? Like, in the oven? No no no no. Get some other cut of meat. Maybe a pot roast? I’ll see if I can’t get a review for you. ROFL! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262/20 "2019-08-07T03:41:15Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > OP, you are looking for brisket to bake it? Like, in the oven? No no no no. Get some other cut of meat. Maybe a pot roast? Brisket _is_ one of the cuts of beef traditionally used for pot roast. Pot roast itself isn’t a cut, but cuts will often be sold under that name, just like they sell “beef stew” meat. Brisket is fine in the oven, and there’s zillions of recipes out there for it. Pot roasted with tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, and stock, it is rather lovely. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-brisket-shortage/838262.md?page=2)