Costco Brisket vs Sam's Club Brisket - Is there a difference?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Where do you buy your brisket? Watch Ribeye On a Stick! Juicy BBQ Beef Back Ribs kzbin.info/www/bejne/opuWl4WaaMqbe6c next!

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

We only have Sam's here in Cheyenne, WY. For Costco, we drive about 48 miles south on I-25 to Fort Collins, CO. For a while, I made the drive to CO because the briskets at Sam's weren't good. But, that's changed in the last few months. I now prefer the Angus choice. I tried the Angus choice after your video about Black's BBQ.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

That Black’s video was a good one. We are planning on trying to do a “one brisket to rule them all” video like the ribs one from a few weeks ago and Black’s 2-stage cook will definitely be a part of that experiment. Thanks for always watching your support means a lot!

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

@@BehindTheFoodTV That sounds awesome! Can’t wait!

[@brisketwizard8004]

Here in SE Texas, I get briskets from my local HEB. I recently became a member of Restaurant Depot. Haven't purchased one there yet, but did a recon mission and they have prime and angus. Will get a couple soon. I let my Sam's business membership lapse years ago when their briskets were over priced and poor quality. No Costco near me. Over 50 years ago, when I started attempting smoked briskets, they were $.99 / lb (they didn't offer multiple grades. just "brisket") Would go on sale for $.69 / lb at local grocers (before HEB). I would stock my freezer and learned from trial and error. Burned up a lot of briskets before I got it dialed in!! Long time subscriber here .....Great video here and all your previous ones. Keep them coming.

[@MrThespian4]

porter road or creekstone farms

[@stephenlong4748]

Observation.. Both briskets are sold in the meat packer bags. The Prime from Costco was from Swift packing and the Choice from Sam's was from Excel packing. Excel and Swift butcher the cow and bag the primal cuts for retail stores. Sam's and Costco just unloaded the briskets from the truck and put in the display. Sam's and Costco didn't trim them. The quality grades Prime and Choice are added at Swift and Excel by USDA inspectors. The price of beef sold in the US are based on quality grades: Prime, Choice, Select, Cutter, Canner Prime should cost more than choice because it has more fat marbling. Angus (cow breed) has nothing to do with quality, but is a marketing gimmick to charge more. Pork uses the same breed gimmick with Duroc pigs. The benefit of buying beef from Costco and Sam's is the price value is better than a grocery store. As always buyer beware

[@KevinWindsor1971]

20 years ago I worked in the Sam's Club meat dept. as wrapper/rotisserie. Nobody bought briskets back then. A case of briskets was about 60 pounds, or about 6 briskets. That's all we would sell all day. Back then we were getting Excel and IBP beef. Each day the prices were downloaded into the system for the wrapping station, and occasionally there would be a major screw-up where some prices were not input correctly by corporate.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey Stephen. Having spent decades in the corporate world I can assure you that the supply chain doesn't start at the meat counter. Sam's is clearly demanding and getting a higher quality of butchered beef than Costco. I guarantee there are both better Swift briskets and better (and worse) Excel briskets out there.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@stephenmitchum5864 read my answer to him. I knew all of those things and I understand how products including food are procured. Since you clearly don’t, please refrain from commenting on any more of my content. We have a no trolls rule here.

[@watermanone7567]

@@BehindTheFoodTV You can't fix stupid, "and boy are you stupid"

[@NotchFox]

Finally...someone gets it!!! Angus means nothing! It is only a marketing scam started by the Angus Breeders Association to differentiate their product to justify a higher price. (very successfully, I might add).....

[@ivantreyton2445]

thanks for showing us how you select the cut in store, we see so many people just showing how to trim, not the real world in store judgement of the individual cuts,

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

You're welcome!

[@itninja9503]

I came here to say the exact same thing. That was so valuable to me.

[@webman1956]

I`ve smoked Briskets on my eight foot smoker on wheels for years and have cooked hundreds of them and I have found that the select ones cook just as well and choice and prime and you have a ton of money, in fact they tend to be more tender with the extra fat.

[@TOMGARVEYtheKETOCOOK]

Great video Al, here in Vegas Costco meat prices are NUTS!!! I enjoyed watching!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Tom - I didn't know you were watching! 3K subs looks like you're doing something right! Keep up the good work - and ALWAYS BET ON RED! :-)

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Happy 4th of July Al. Enjoy the weekend

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@SmokingDadBBQ thanks James! Happy belated Canada Day!

[@charlesbolin7249]

Where I live, the Costco Business Center carries a good selection of large, whole cuts, as to where the retail Costco does not.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Good to know! Closest CBC to me is 350 miles away in Georgia!

[@stevekassel3301]

@@charlesbolin7249 Same here. South San Francisco

[@GOLFADDICT65]

what kind of gloves are you wearing and where from thx great video cheers from Vulcan Canada

[@fredstone9016]

Remember the days when brisket was at 2$? Oh those were the days! Great vid!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@fredstone9016 wasn’t that long ago I’m afraid. Maybe someday we will be able to see those prices again!

[@HammerShock23]

Not sure where you're shopping, but I haven't seen it under $3 in at least 7 or 8 years. Considering how many more individuals are doing backyard BBQ, I don't expect demand is going to fall off.

[@fredstone9016]

@@HammerShock23 upper Midwest. They’ve been having some great chicken and pork sales recently.

[@tireddad6541]

Kroger had it recently at 1.99​@@BehindTheFoodTV

[@PoolamRules]

@@HammerShock23 Costco has choice for 2.99 on sale very often in even MCOL areas. If you live in LCOL or Midwest, you'd find brisket under 3 without sales pretty often.

[@DerekEstrada-b6g]

Been waiting on this video. I'm a costco fanatic but this video confirms it what I've been experiencing, Sam's brisket is better. I'm in Texas so I have the great luck that my costco and sams only carry Prime, and the angus choice at Sam's. the best brisket I've made have been from Sam's. Based on these comments, i guess i might need to try an Angus choice now. Costco for me has way too much fluff in their packer brisket, I'm trimming a good 6-8 lbs off.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Ok I agree with everything you said BUT….. you live in Texas and you don’t buy yours at H.E.B.? I thought that was like going to church down there! 😂

[@DerekEstrada-b6g]

@@BehindTheFoodTV haha, you got me there. Costco/sams prices are better per lb than HEB, but i have heard that sometimes HEB does stock snake river farms brisket. I'll have to check it out!

[@brian2359]

Great video guys! Those look fantastic!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Brian!

[@ElectricLuvz]

Most of the time when I go to Sams they have Prime briskets for sale. Costco on the other hand is almost always Choice only. Very rarely do I find Prime at Costco. That said, I've bought briskets at both and I can't recall any negatives to either.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks for watching and chiming in!

[@LiquidPepsiCan]

I guess it depends on the Costco location and the time they get their shipment/put them out. I shop at both stores and for the MOST part the Costco where I live has the better briskets

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I’ve had a couple of folks mention that in their area Costco does better than they do in mine.

[@bonefisherman71]

Last time I was at Costco (probably 6 weeks ago) I bought a Prime American wagyu brisket, and it was the best brisket I have ever cooked. I don't know if they have them all the time but you should try one.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Those are fantastic if/when you can find them. Primarily because the supply chain is totally different for heritage and specialty breeds. A lot of care goes into those cows, including the slaughter and butchering.

[@bobby350z]

My local Costco has them quite a bit more but prices are like $150 plus. I need to try once.

[@Tim_Marshall73]

​@bobby350z where exactly is this costco. I've never heard of this. And I'm a Costco Meat Cutter

[@declanfarber]

My experience with Wagyu vs Prime briskets is that the Wagyu’s were more tender but the Primes had a fuller beefier flavor. I’ve been smoking briskets for a long time, and I preferred the Prime briskets.

[@williamwilson2624]

Great video, guys!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks William!

[@markmanning2921]

both of them have had water injected into them under high pressure to almost DOUBLE its weight. That does not just apply to brisket, it applies to ALL meats you purchase that have been distributed by the big 4 meat packers who ***ALL*** inject water into their meats.

[@jacasaus100]

Winter time hitting here in Phoenix so now it's brisket time.

[@McBrewmeister]

We’ve found 100% the exact opposite in central Ohio. The Sam’s Club Prime Briskets are very poorly trimmed and far thicker fat. Your finding is interesting, we have a Costco membership specifically for brisket, chicken , ribs and pork belly.

[@matthewgreazel7343]

sams briskets vary so much from what store and who they have employed

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Very interesting - I wonder if the meat buyers are regional?

[@Tim_Marshall73]

Glad to see a Columbus Costco shopper in here 😊. I'm a meat cutter at the easton store

[@KENNEY1023]

Sam's club doesn't have a prime brisket. The brisket is called Members Mark prime not USDA prime and is cheaper than the Sam's club USDA choice. I have researched this and couldn't come up with what grade of beef Sam's club Members Mark is and why it is always cheaper than choice.

[@SoulDuJour]

@@KENNEY1023 my guess is that the Waltons own a cattle farm somewhere and when they can source it from there, it keeps the price down

[@mysticwanderer4787]

Anytime you get prime beef it will have a lot of excess fat that you have to trim unless you let the butcher do in which case he is going to charge you for gross weight anyway so if your top priority is getting the most edible meat out per pound of the brisket then USDA Choice is always the best bet. Prime is great for steaks and relatively quick cooking cuts of beef but honestly, I have found there is little if any difference between the two grades for slow cooked or braised cuts as long as you know how to pick out the best items offered. A great video but a better test would have been to compare two Choice grades from the different stores but even then you are looking more for timing and useable beef than quality.

[@chriswagoner5406]

Nice video. To what would you attribute the points getting done faster than the flats?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks! Most likely it has to do with the time they spent over under the vertical chamber. I haven’t tested that far in for temperature stability.

[@WA-eg7ft]

I only have a Costco in my area. Fortunately my second brisket cook ever was an 11pd prime from Costco and it turned out better than I ever expected. Costco had only 1 prime in the cooler, all the rest were Choice and much bigger.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

What's your third going to be?

[@pizzapaul94]

I've never been to Sam's Club since it's extremely far away from me in my city so I always go to Costco to get brisket. Once in a blue moon I'll get lucky and they'll even have picanha for sale.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I'm working on some mail order alternatives Paul - stay tuned!

[@tealnexttimebond8859]

I got a brisket at Kroger. Just a regular ole one. My first brisket. Used blacks seasoning. Man I think it came out great. A little tough on flat. But blacks was great.

[@cly1575]

Learn the brands of the Big 4 packers. Excel is Cargill, Black Canyon is National Beef, Swift is JBS, Five Star is JBS, IBP is Tyson. Both Costco and Sam's buy Beef from the Big 4. Sam's Club is more prone to buying from Cargill and Tyson where I'm located in the Midwest Northern Missouri. Costco deals a lot with JBS for their BEEF and Pork at Costco but JBS controls 55% of all three of our major proteins in the USA being BEEF, Pork, and Chicken. In Des Moines IA I was only able to find Prime Excel Briskets from Cargill and they were imported from Canada. Beings that the USA cattle inventory is at an all-time low, down to 1956 numbers at only 27.6 Million cows. Brazil currently has 232 million cows, so you can see where we are going to get most of our BEEF in the future. People don't know nor do they have a clue this is happening and they label this BEEF product of USA because MCOOL (Mandatory Country Origin of Labeling) was repealed under Obama in December of 2015. But soon coming I'm January of 2026 the Big 4 packers won't have to label anything so it will open the floor gates for more cheap foreign BEEF into the USA since it will be voluntary for them label their product. We no longer have enough BEEF in the USA to feed ourselves, we have to import to meet demand. We are still losing 1 cattle farm every 25 minutes in the USA. The last 5 years we've lost 105,000 cattle farms in the USA. Sad, and it sucks but this is the world we live in now. Educate yourself.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey welcome to the channel - I don't think I've seen you here before. Of course all of this is true. What you left out though is that the process isn't just that a retailer orders and sells whatever they get. Not all Excel briskets are created equal - nor are all Swifts, etc. The buyers from Sam's are clearly focusing more on the quality of the selection than the buyers at Costco - no other way to explain that with the vast variety of quality available from any of those packers, Sam's has consistently higher quality options than Costco does. Hope this helps you with my perspective.

[@btb6011]

Not fair!!!! Not fair at all. Was going to finish fasting (24 hrs so far) till morning and now I HUNGRY. LOL Looking good. Lets see if I have willpower.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@btb6011 I’m so sorry to have ruined your fast! Hope you can pull it off until morning!!!!

[@econ0003]

You should try the Costco Business Center. They have a much bigger selection of brisket there. The price is always cheaper than the regular Costco too. The supplier can vary from time to time with any store.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Closest one to me is 349 miles away 🤧

[@chrisfromnj3995]

I've bought from each location and it's a love hate relationship, both places are hit or miss. Costco had some exquisite marbling on a few, looked borderline Wagyu, while other times its looked like Stevie Wonder trimmed it before vacuum sealing. I don't think either place has their "butcher" trim on site. I also like doing the bend test and Sam's cuts seem to be good on that front. Thanks for the video!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks for the "Stevie Wonder with a scimitar butchers knife" visual. That will carry me for a while :-)

[@mrgold3591]

I have both memberships. Sam's seems to be more consistent quality in the meat department and have a little better selection. I have the upgraded Sam's membership and can shop 8am-10am, Mon-Fri, with minimum amount of people, no lines for check out, and max selection of everything. It can be hit or miss with Costco and it usually feels like an after Thanksgiving Black Friday sale every single time I go to Costco.

[@reltius2993]

Would like to see a comparison of Sams Choice Angus vs Sams Primes.. I assume the Sams Primes are not Angus as well? I just wonder if that better flavor you're getting is just due to the angus beef. I don't have a Sams membership just Costco. I'd do the experiment myself, but my best smoker for brisket is an Akorn which can only fit 1 at a time on it.

[@medvetz7010]

Totally agree. Sam’s club meat seems to be better quality and taste. I go to both stores often.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I just hope maybe this puts some pressure on Costco to up their game!

[@jtf267]

I don't know where you are, but i paid $6.99/lb for Costco prime brisket at the Business Center last month in South San Franc over $120. I usually prefer Costco meats but i might try a brisket from Sam's next time.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Man, you got it bad out there in Cali! I'm in North Carolina.

[@Mrhandfriends]

Can’t wait for this one !!! ❤

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@Mrhandfriends Now I need to come over and compare the UK brisket sources!

[@josephkordinak1591]

Good video, I would have preferred a prime to prime but I have seen some primes that should have been choice and some choice that could have been primes so they probably weren't a whole lot different. I usually find primes make a better finished product but at the expense of more waste. The primes I cook always have less yield than other grades.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Interesting observation about yield. I'll have to pay attention to that going forward!

[@josephnicoletti6772]

If you are good at BBQ cooking, you should be able to make any piece of meat into a delicious meal. To your point, the way briskets are processed(as you pointed out), some are better than others. Well done, Sir.

[@theunclejeffchannel1]

First-time viewer and now I'm really hungry! Maybe I missed it... when you put it in the warmer to "sleep" for the night... what's the temperature and best way to do that for someone without a fancy Treager (or whatever your warmer is)?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey Jeff - if you're handy, you can recalibrate your oven to act as a warmer (Google "How to recalibrate a [brand] oven"). But for about $300 you can just get the warmer I have lol. emv4.me/vevorwarmer for the Amazon link!

[@russ350r]

I wonder if different regions get their beef from different areas. Here in Arizona, I find the beef at Costco is much better than Sam's.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@russ350r that’s really interesting. You could be right!

[@Dan-rp9wu]

I just got into smoking briskets and I’ve noticed from the time I started with Costco, till now that all their brisket has been crap lately I just thought about firing up the Sam’s Club account. That’s why I watch this video. So thanks for making up my mind for me,😂 Costco‘s out, Sam clubs in

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

That was me a few months ago! Welcome!

[@ftswarbill]

*You can always tell if a cooking video is good by how much you salivate.*

[@robertburkhardt3506]

ha ha I love it

[@homevalueglass3809]

Interesting... My girlfriend has costco and sams memberships. I usually lean towards Sams because I can order and pick up whole bone-in pork loins and uncut beef plate ribs. That and costco is insane busy and their parking lot is like a demolition derby.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

lol even more reasons!

[@crushingbelial]

Piedmont triad area NC here. Costco stocks screw all for prime briskets anymore. Sams club prime quality has been pretty trashy as well. US foods variants will stock prime at 4.99 a lb which sucks but the quality is acceptable

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@crushingbelial you’re not far from me. Come to my Sam’s Club lol.

[@crushingbelial]

@@BehindTheFoodTV hey hey I've been to the one in gso and it's often so picked over

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@crushingbelial meet you in Durham? 😂

[@crushingbelial]

​@BehindTheFoodTV haha we can get down soon buddy. I'm overdue for a Wegmans run too!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@crushingbelial I live around the corner from the Morrisville store. Lmk when you’re coming!

[@marcustoney7762]

The prime costco briskets are great!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Ummmmm.........did you watch the video? ;-)

[@aram325302]

I appreciate the video but there are so many variables that you made a conclusion based on two random briskets with different grades that make this video pretty pointless.

[@DiegoOrtiz-jl1hg]

Not sure how. Not trying to troll, just want to better understand your thinking. I mean the Costco brisket was a prime brisket and Sam's was Angus choice

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

You’re right Diego. If the Prime had turned out better the test would have been a failure. This way I stand by my results.

[@aram325302]

@@BehindTheFoodTV they were different types of beef. Angus is already known for its marbling. A good Angus Choice will beat a Regular Prime any day

[@josephkordinak1591]

@@aram325302 Do you have a clue about the grading process?

[@christinenieto7160]

First of all we can’t taste to make our own judgement, don’t get brainwashed, these 2 mensos “grading” look clueless

[@praetorxyn]

Sam's Club is always have here (closest Costco is 2 hours away in Knoxville, Sam's is about 40 minutes away in the tri-cities), and I've been happy with their briskets. They've usually got a basket full of Primes when I get there at 1 to 3 in the afternoon. I'm surprised that a Choice from Sam's Club beat a Prime from Costco so soundly though.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

There's a huge difference in quality. Stick with Sam's and enjoy it!

[@castbob]

What wireless meter probe and app did you use. I'd like to purchase one.

[@herbertbooker3301]

Black Angus is good. Sam's Black Angus cowboy ribeye's are really good too.

[@MrDportjoe]

So, what say nationwide we increase the number of processing plants and slow down the cut lines just a touch so everyone gets that much better cuts?

[@vaajchang]

Trimming can DEFINITELY be better

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@vaajchang no question about it. I suck at trimming brisket.

[@tdtommy196]

Interesting experiment. I came to the conclusion that unlike a steak, when it comes to roasts, especially very fatty roasts like prime rib or brisket, I prefer choice over prime. There is so much fat in those cuts anyway, that the extra intramuscular fat from prime grade almost dilutes the flavor. Just like when you inject with beef tallow the flavor kind of gets washed out. I definitely think Prime is better for something like a steak where you are searing a large cross section of the meat. So a prime ribeye is going to be better than a choice ribeye, but in a whole roast I prefer choice. Unless its something that is naturally lean like top round. Then I would go with prime over choice for one of those.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@tdtommy196 really interesting take Tommy!

[@jp4751]

Your taste tester gets it😂 I have thought how great it would be to just get bark😅.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Right?

[@jeriks7894]

What type of wood is used in the smoker?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

These were cooked over post oak

[@georgepagakis9854]

Why don't you use the boat coil on a brisket? Maybe do a video 195F vs 204F and boat or no boat :) Amazing video AL!!!!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey George! Both of those videos are in the queue to be made!

[@nickma71]

The only difference for me is how they are cut by the in house butcher. And I buy it at Sam's because it is 2 miles away instead of 6.

[@IL4aerc]

What reason do you have for using foil vs paper?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Butcher paper is great if you're putting the meat back on the smoker, as the smoke can penetrate it. For a tallow-rest there's no upside to paper - using foil helps it to come down more gracefully.

[@petebrandstrom1038]

Nice video, different meats

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks! Were you surprised which one was better?

[@petebrandstrom1038]

@@BehindTheFoodTV not really. When it came down to angus choice vs prime beef. I would have liked to try it myself though! I was a Sam’s member and switched to Costco. Better meat at my Costco, but I live in a different part of the country.

[@CH-ec5on]

Those Costco briskets look more like the Select Grade briskets Walmart will sit out here and there. Which I’ll pick up to do chopped beef and use the trim for burger/sausage. But yeah they aren’t pretty.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Exactly. And that was Prime.

[@robertwoods4457]

You should do WILDFORK brisket

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I'm working on evaluating mail order options now......stay tuned!

[@grode2b1]

Great Cook / love the way you insert the Total Cook time on your videos, as the cook progresses along--Thanks, follow you all the time

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks Gary!

[@wait4dl]

what brand of off set smoker are you cooking with?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

The one in the video is a Yoder. But if you're thinking about buying one, DM me on IG and I'll tell you who is making it's replacement and why :;-)

[@chuckmiller5763]

Angus choice can be better than prime when it comes to brisket, tri tip, chuck roast.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Clearly! Thanks for watching!

[@dres-bbq3569]

We dont have Costco or Sam's over here, and Brisket is not a normal cut of meat at our butchers. I normaly buy mine from a special butcher or a whole sale like Sligro or Hanos in the Netherlands. One big let down here is that they call the cut a brisket even at 3 Kg and it is verry lean. So looking for a right cut is realy a big pain in the butt here. Somethimes i get a good cut, or i get lucky at the local turkish butcher for a nice piece :-). Would love to get my hands on a good nice USA cut of brisket, any advice for a dutch meat lover?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Oh man, Dre - you might have to fly over here and we'll cook it together!

[@dres-bbq3569]

@@BehindTheFoodTV that would be an honor sirr :-)

[@jasonpettis4691]

IBP, Swift, Excel, National Beef, and Certified Angus Beef, which is usually Excel. Sam's and Costco sell any and all of these brands at one time or another, and those names and the grading are what make a difference. Not whether it came from one store or another. I have personally found IBP and Swift to have more consistent quality. Here, the Sam's Clubs tend to carry a lot of Excel, and National Beef, which I have not had the best luck with.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hi Jason - I've seen pretty solid brand consistency at the Costcos that I've shopped at over the years. Granted I haven't shopped in every region, but in Chicago, NY, North Carolina and California I've seen the same products - and the Costco buyers just aren't focused on quality anymore. It wasn't always this way though. I've only been shopping at Sam's Club for about 6 months but I've seen the same product there for the whole time in all 4 stores I visited. I think the Sam's Club buyers are putting more effort into making sure the products they get from their suppliers are higher quality (not all Excel briskets are created equal, right?).

[@jasonpettis4691]

Definitely sounds like a regional thing. Here in the deep south, Sam's never even carried Prime beef at all, until Costco started moving in, and it kinda forced their hand. Even then, Sam's still wouldn't carry it, at locations that were not fairly close to a Costco location.

[@scottsmith379]

As a former secret shopper and Asst Manager from Sam's Club I can tell you're not wrong. It might sound like I'm biased but I go to both chains for different things, Sam's meat typically but not always IS better. Costco Seafood does have an edge over Sam's Club.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks for the validation Scott! Can you get the Sam’s people to start carrying whole pork bellies please?!?!?!?!

[@BubbaThaumaturge]

@@scottsmith379 I know you're correct. It seems both chains have a problem with declining quality. I'd love to know why that is. Are the cattle not being fed as well as they once were? What is happening?

[@scottsmith379]

@@BubbaThaumaturge it's about the Almighty dollar bro and shareholder value....it's not about us the consumer.anymore.

[@jimeboyd3226]

In the southeast no one trims brisket before they smoke them . The fat gives the brisket the flavor , but what do I know ? I’m 82 and was taught a long time ago by old men older than me

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@jimeboyd3226 lol thanks for watching Jim. I’m sure you could teach us young folk a lot! (I’m 57)

[@user-wq7jj9zr9r]

$3.99 a pound? What year did you purchase the meat?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

It was about 5 months ago.

[@Keith80027]

Thanks guys for doing this comparison as I not happy with Costco meat anymore either. I check to see if they have prime meat next week and will become a Sam's member and drive the 36 miles to get there and back. Thanks for the detailed how to trim too as it has been a while since I trimmed a brisket. Nick you need to be careful around a person that has one glove on as all of older men know what the single glove means.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

It's worth the drive, Keith. And trust me - Nick could kick my ass and I have no interest in either hand getting in range!

[@Keith80027]

@@BehindTheFoodTV Smart move!

[@jayc4283]

one day at Costco VS next month at Costco could be as variable as Costco VS Sam's ?

[@idontwantahandle._.]

LOL at $3.99/ lb. $4.78 here in So Cal.

[@seanandersen]

That's crazy you got bill paxton eating your q, GAME OVER MAN!

[@knarfster]

I too recently switched to Sams' but only because mine always has Prime and Costco is hit and miss.

[@joewhite917]

It wasn't brisket, but I found a 4 package of NY strip steak that had a lot of marbling, so I figured that they were choice, but we're just under prime.

[@joewhite917]

At Sam's Club

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey Joe - when you can find those it's like winning the lottery sometimes!

[@KENNEY1023]

Sam's club has a Members Mark prime that is cheaper than the Sam's club USDA choice brisket. After a lot of Googling I couldn't find out what grade is Member Mark prime beef is. It certainly isn't USDA prime, my best guess is it is USDA select which is why it is cheaper than the choice. I quit buying briskets from Sam's club and buy it from a source I know what I'm getting.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I just talked to the local manager about your question. He said that Members Mark Prime is USDA Prime, and the more expensive stuff is likely both Angus and USDA graded. Hope this helps!

[@melvingibson4525]

I've had good luck with both

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I used to have good luck with Costco. Not anymore unfortunately.

[@user-yr9hl2mk5h]

I’m Not a hater I love your content

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I'm also not a hater I love you watching!

[@alancarlsonmd145]

Why didn't you wrap when you were up over 170?

[@marco785]

I think they stopped taking on smoke about 4 or 5 hours ago my friend.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Hey Marco. Actually that's a myth that's been busted lots of times. A brisket carried unwrapped the whole way always takes on more smoke than one that's been wrapped - because they keep taking on smoke. Of course you know me an my experiments.......adding it to the list!

[@Thefertilityguy]

You never mentioned what your cooking temps were?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

For big primals I run the smoker between 250 and 275.

[@alancarlsonmd145]

Costco is overall better for meat except for bone-in Pork Shoulder, definitely better at Sams. Also, Lobster Tails and Sams better although Costco has gotten better, Bacon - Oscar Meyer - much better at Sam's. But if I could only have one membership, today, it would be Costco.

[@vincentmilam2627]

why do you not wrap when you get to 170

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Over and over again we’ve found that the top brisket places don’t wrap while cooking. They get the best bark cooking uncovered the whole way and just wrapping to rest.

[@miamired1]

Where did you get tallow from?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Here's how I make it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pquQpHeDYq2gaM0

[@TWC6724]

I just want to say I don’t know if it’s you or Nick that replies to the negative or snarky comments on your videos sometimes, but your replies are pure gold! 😂 One of y’all has a gift Lol!!! I don’t remember what video I was reading the comments on but I had to go get a beer and go through all comments because it was so hilarious 😆 Y’all crack me up

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

LOL it's me (Al) - and I will admit that sometimes I get in "a mood" and let both guns go ablazing for the trolls :-)

[@TWC6724]

@@BehindTheFoodTV Keep it up! I absolutely love your replies! 🤣

[@fiberjunkies]

Holy crap $59 for prime brisket??? You'd fall over if you saw what we are paying in Ca for it!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I think you’re paying the cow fart tax out there. Plus Gavin needs a new limo 🤷‍♂️

[@TexasRox]

Just keep voting Dem in CA.

[@fiberjunkies]

@@TexasRox Not all of us do. Most of the country doesn't get this, but the state is controlled by San Francisco, L.A., and Sacramento. It's winner take all and they've redistricted to the point that my vote doesn't matter at all.

[@PoolamRules]

@@fiberjunkies Redistricting stuff doesn't matter for national votes lol. Only ever really matters for the House/local elections which republicans dominate due to geographics anyways. Senate/president/governor doesn't matter at all unless you're doing voter suppression, which is a tactic only used by the republicans anyways.

[@lutomson3496]

costco does have Wagyu briskets at times like Wagyu burgers...this comparison and trimming was not equal..and i would rather have grain finish vs grass finish and Im from a 5th generation farm family

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

They do sometimes have Wagyu beef - but of course that wasn’t the topic here. Nor was grain vs grass. Just everyday brisket vs everyday brisket.

[@thenomenclature7243]

The flat being folded over isn't an issue since not all briskets will be smoked, someone might love the fact there's extra meat on the flat.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Interesting take. I think having that much ultra-thin meat at the end of a thick cut will make it unusable to pretty much every cook even those who braise their brisket. Also fwiw those who braise typically only buy brisket flats not whole packer briskets.

[@thenomenclature7243]

@BehindTheFoodTV Mexicans call it suadero, literally boil it with spices amd make tacos, the more meat the better, I've not once seen them trim meat off only some fat as they remove it after the cook.

[@AppaJooey]

Wow, big price differences... your USDA Prime Costco brisket @ $3.99 lb costs $6.81lb ($14.99kg) here in Toronto, Canada for a slightly lesser quality AAA Costco brisket. (equivalent to US Choice.) Although, while marbling attributes are apparently uniform between Canadian and USDA beef (Prime = Prime, AAA = Choice, AA = Select) higher grading requirements for other factors like age, muscling, colour, and fat colour in Canada could help explain the higher costs here.

[@markfowler5577]

Al, can you please put a link to "Brisket Land"? I'd like to book a couple days there to eat Sam's Club meat.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Oh you know where the guest room is old man! B-)

[@nancyosullivan719]

I definitely agree that the meat products at Sam's is much better than those at Costco.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

We agree Nancy!

[@joshbimthedoctor]

This was a prime vs choice test. Not a costco vs sams test. You might as well test Japanese wagu vs grass feed prime ribeye. Of course the prime is better... The real answer to this "test" was buy prime.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

You know what's cool Dr. Josh? Is that people who don't watch the video are really apparent to everyone else. Did you get to be a doctor by not reading the whole text? Or do you diagnose your patients before seeing the test results? Go watch the WHOLE video including the END, then come on back over to apologize for wasting everyone's time with this comment. See you in 20 minutes!

[@tetsballer1835]

Comparing a prime brisket to a choice ? :)

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Which do you think would be better? Any chance you watched to the end?

[@Bare_Essence]

I would think you would need to rinse and repeat. One sample is hardly a conclusion. It's an accepted KZbin surface test, but .... I've bought Sam's club chicken for price. Their bulk packs are great. I prepare and serve the same way. I hand shred the chicken over my salad each day. In the same pack, I get very tender and stringy chicken and each pack varies in proportion and level of each end of that spectrum. I find it hard to believe that you could not buy 10 Sam's club briskets and find similar variation. It's more than the source unless the source is possibly exclusive of origin and processing. That's not going to be the case for both brands since they source from bulk company middlemen. Though, you made me want to get some brisket :(

[@jimeboyd3226]

I make beef bacon out of this thin brisket

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I LOVE that idea! Can you get it tender enough without a long slow cook?

[@Mrhandfriends]

Wish we had Sam’s Club over here :(

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

@@Mrhandfriends I will take you any time you come visit me!

[@JGill0124]

I think it’s wild that the Angus Choice beat out the prime. Makes me wonder if Sam’s prime is that much better than Costco?

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

I couldn't get one for this video but I've been cooking the Sam's prime for a few months and I can tell you I'm much happier.

[@jetrauger1748]

The Sam’s club brisket had 1 1/2 hours more smoke. Sheesh

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Had nothing to do with the result. Sheesh! 🙄

[@smokingtarheel3003]

Sam's club for the win. I enjoyed the rib video you did recently. It's cool that you can shoot for a day and get multiple videos out of it. My next brisket is coming from Sam's since we don't have a Costco nearby. Awesome b-roll and great editing Nick!

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks man. Working on a brisket video similar to the rib one - combining everything I've been taught about briskets along the way. I hope you like that one as much when we make it!

[@bobby350z]

I suspect costco prime and choice brisket dont have much differences. They look the same as far as marbling is concerned. The american wagyu brisket at Costco has a lot more marbling.

[@jlaw3255]

Nick gives me real Forrest Griffin vibes.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

My money's on Nick!

[@daviddesmond2143]

Cattle probably came from the same place

[@moogs]

Costco brisket flats are always so thin. Drives me nuts.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Easy answer. Buy Sam's :-)

[@glong2720]

Don't know about the brisket at Sam's but I can tell you that many people open the berry packets, eat from them then close then allowing for resale. My wife and I observed this going on for about 1/2 an hour. Two shoppers would open the containers and eat grapes & berries from several packages, then close them and move on to the next package. When we notified the produce he actually watched the people do the aforementioned and said there was nothing he could do about it. I informed that there were 2 violations at least... one- theft of product and the other a violation of weights and measures. We no longer are a customer of Sam's because we figure bacteria from their hands (who knows where they were before) possibly contaminated the product and why pay for something your not getting. Especially after we had brought it to 2 managers attention. Another thing that concerned us is being forced to use their self checkout if we wanted to receive a couple of products at a cheaper price. I could not see paying to be a member and having to work to shop at the facility. I felt I was not an employee, I was a customer who was paying for services. NO MORE SAM'S CLUB for this family and a few of my friends I have told about the produce stopped being members. I will stay shopping aty COSTCO where they serve their customers and have their produce properly sealed.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

That must have been traumatic. Hopefully you keep having great experiences at Costco!

[@danielwolf2163]

So it's probably goes against the conventional wisdom. But I only Let mindset for about 4 hours 4 and a 1/2 after they're done. Having said that, I don't have a Sam's and upstate New York anymore by me. So I have b j's. We do have Costco I have not shopped there very much but I do know people with membership. I can tell you this b j's birthgets. A very rarely ever have to even trim if I get one from Walmart. Walmart's well definitely needs some trimming. And we have an Amish store which they have very good brisket there too. I don't have to trim it very much at all if it all. But I can tell you this when you get to a hundred and ninety degrees if you rap at and let it set 4 to 6 hours in the warmer, The best brisket I've ever made no matter where. I get it from 203f is ok, but I'm gonna tell you at 190f is the best temp to put in the warmer. I found leaving him in the warmer overnight. Cause system to have more of a tendency to dry out. Especially depending on the quality of brisket 4to6 hours is more than enough time.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Thanks for chiming in, Daniel! I've found as long as they are wrapped tightly in foil and held in a warmer at 150F that pulling at 195 and holding 15 hours is perfectly mind blowing. Try it!