Brisketexan
1,000+ Posts
I made a run up to Costco last night to pick up some items, including 5 briskets, for our second annual "First 500" day of service (we serve the bbq lunch to all the volunteers afterwards). Had 5 briskets in the basket, averaging 13-14 lbs (although I'm kicking myself -- maybe we should have 6? 5 served 85 last year, but we ate ALL of those 5 -- maybe need another for "cushion?")
ANYWAY, I leave the basket sitting to grab something else, and when I come back to it, a Costco employee -- a guy maybe in his mid 20s -- asks me if that's my basket. I say yes, expecting to be chastised for leaving it in the middle of the aisle. He points at the briskets, and asks "do you know how to cook those?" Before I can answer, he continues "you don't trim ANY of the fat off them, and you simmer them for like 12 hours . . . "
I'm pretty sure all the color ran from my face at the word "simmer."
I said very quietly "actually, I'm going to smoke them." He then continued "oh, okay, I saw someone do that once, had a deal with a big metal pipe -- but remember, don't trim the fat off of them!"
Still quiet and stunned -- "Okay. I won't."
Would I be buying 80 pounds of brisket if I didn't know what the **** to do with it?
And I'm still toying with grabbing another one tonight, so we cook 6. We have 2 smokers this year (one will hold 3, the other will hold 5), so we have the capacity. I just don't know.
Huh -- just thought of something -- we could smoke a couple of extras, and auction them off to the crowd after the meal, after they've had sufficient time to "sample" the goods. With the proceeds going right back to the service projects, of course. I don't know. Just a thought.
ANYWAY, I leave the basket sitting to grab something else, and when I come back to it, a Costco employee -- a guy maybe in his mid 20s -- asks me if that's my basket. I say yes, expecting to be chastised for leaving it in the middle of the aisle. He points at the briskets, and asks "do you know how to cook those?" Before I can answer, he continues "you don't trim ANY of the fat off them, and you simmer them for like 12 hours . . . "
I'm pretty sure all the color ran from my face at the word "simmer."
I said very quietly "actually, I'm going to smoke them." He then continued "oh, okay, I saw someone do that once, had a deal with a big metal pipe -- but remember, don't trim the fat off of them!"
Still quiet and stunned -- "Okay. I won't."
Would I be buying 80 pounds of brisket if I didn't know what the **** to do with it?
And I'm still toying with grabbing another one tonight, so we cook 6. We have 2 smokers this year (one will hold 3, the other will hold 5), so we have the capacity. I just don't know.
Huh -- just thought of something -- we could smoke a couple of extras, and auction them off to the crowd after the meal, after they've had sufficient time to "sample" the goods. With the proceeds going right back to the service projects, of course. I don't know. Just a thought.
