![]() Often, big-box locations like Costco can offer high-quality cuts of meat at lower per-pound pricing than local grocery stores because they are buying in larger quantities.Īnother reason for a difference in the per-pound pricing is the amount of labor that goes into the processing of the cut. So, if Prime is better, why is it cheaper? There are a few reasons for the price difference, starting with the store you are buying your meat at. It isn't uncommon to find Prime brisket for sale at a lower per-pound cost than Choice. Why Is Prime Brisket Cheaper Than Choice? Prime grade beef tends to cost more than other grades. Prime is the grade that is sold to restaurants and hotels, though you occasionally will find it in your local grocery store. Prime brisket is the highest grade and is given only to young cows that have exceptional marbling. Unlike many cuts, you aren't looking for lean meat when buying brisket. These cuts are superior in quality to USDA Select beef brisket. Choice Beef BrisketĪccording to the USDA, Choice grade briskets are moderately marbled cuts that are high-quality but feature less fatty marbling than Prime. Paying attention to other labels like grass-fed beef, organic or free-range, and labeling that indicates the specific breed of cow from which the cut was taken is equally or more important than selecting your brisket based just on the USDA label. You can have a low-quality dairy cow that has much higher marbling at the ribs than an Angus steer, but the beef itself won't have as good flavor. This is why other labels you'll see also matter. However, it is possible to have a Choice brisket that has more intense marbling than a Prime grade brisket. ![]() Often, grain-fed beef boosts fat in the rib area and increases the grading (and thus the value of the carcass). The inspector is specifically looking at the marbling of fat through the muscle at this point. When a carcass is graded, the inspector looks at the cut made between the 12th and 13th ribs where the ribeye steaks come from. The first thing to keep in mind is that the USDA grade you see is determined by an inspector looking at one specific cut, not the entire carcass of the animal. We say 'on paper,' because there are lots of variables that go into a brisket grade. On paper, Prime is a better grade than Choice. Which is Better: Choice or Prime Brisket? While it is common to say that Prime is a better grade than Choice, this doesn't always mean that you'll get a better brisket when you select Prime over Choice. ![]() These are two labels that indicate quality and they can only be used by processors when the beef carcass they are using has been graded by certified United States Department of Agriculture inspectors. One of the labels that you'll find when you are shopping for the perfect brisket is Prime and Choice. Unfortunately, lots of the labeling that is out there doesn't really give you much information about what you are buying and an alarming amount of the labels that packers use are deliberately misleading. When it comes to buying meat, consumers are often faced with the difficult task of wading through massive amounts of labeling information in an attempt to find "the best" option.
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