A packer-cut brisket for $1.89 per pound. I lost about 1/2 pound by
pouring the "juice" out of the package. Then I trimmed about 10 or 12
ounces of fat because last time I did this, it was too fatty. Ground
the whole thing up with about a 7/16" plate to make "chili meat". I
started cooking 2 pounds to make a pot of chili, then froze 2 more two
pound packages, then ground all the rest again with a 1/8" (I think)
plate. I bagged-up 5 one-pound packages, and had enough left over to
fry a couple of burgers.

I didn't save much money, but this meat actually smells *good* when you
cook it. Supermarket ground beef (which starts at $2.69 a pound for the
cheap stuff lately) always has a faint shit-like smell when you cook it
-- and it doesn't matter where I buy it. The only preground beef I've
found that smells OK when cooked is the frozen tubes they sell at Aldi.

I think instead of trimming off the fat, I should have cut the brisket
in half and used the fatty end for chili and the lean end for hamburger
meat. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fat; I used to make soap with
it, but I can't find a source for small quantities of lye anymore.
Maybe use it for bullet casting, or feed it to my too-skinny dog (if I
can keep the fat dog from getting it)

--
Bob

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> A packer-cut brisket for $1.89 per pound.

The one I'm fixin' to roast I got lucky with for $.99 per lb.

> I lost about 1/2 pound by
> pouring the "juice" out of the package. Then I trimmed about 10 or 12
> ounces of fat because last time I did this, it was too fatty. Ground
> the whole thing up with about a 7/16" plate to make "chili meat". I
> started cooking 2 pounds to make a pot of chili, then froze 2 more two
> pound packages, then ground all the rest again with a 1/8" (I think)
> plate. I bagged-up 5 one-pound packages, and had enough left over to
> fry a couple of burgers.

I've honestly never had finer burgers than ones I home ground from
Brisket. They are a real joy.

>
> I didn't save much money, but this meat actually smells *good* when you
> cook it. Supermarket ground beef (which starts at $2.69 a pound for the
> cheap stuff lately) always has a faint shit-like smell when you cook it
> -- and it doesn't matter where I buy it. The only preground beef I've
> found that smells OK when cooked is the frozen tubes they sell at Aldi.

HEB, our local chain, grinds all outdated beef and sells it for around
$2.80 per lb. It actually works. I so totally feel your pain!

>
> I think instead of trimming off the fat, I should have cut the brisket
> in half and used the fatty end for chili and the lean end for hamburger
> meat. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fat; I used to make soap with
> it, but I can't find a source for small quantities of lye anymore.
> Maybe use it for bullet casting, or feed it to my too-skinny dog (if I
> can keep the fat dog from getting it)

Bullet casting might work... if you don't worry about the degradation.
<g>

Me? I'd render it and add it to wild bird seed for the woodpeckers or
feed it to the skinny border collie.

But that's just me. <g>

I use "One Shot" for case lube. I'm not into casting.... yet.
Leavings from the pistol berms are most lucrative. I have a good friend
that casts and trades me cast 9mm for the raw led at the rate of 1 to 4.
1 lb. of precast bullets for reloading for 4 lbs. of berm led.

Well worth it.
He's trying to get me to purchase the Magma molds for .40.

The pistol range is rich with brass...

Now I'm trying to negotiate for .223 brass from our local Alerrt range.
I need to make another phone call or two.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>A packer-cut brisket for $1.89 per pound.
> I didn't save much money, but this meat actually smells *good* when you
> cook it.


Brisket is my favorite hamburger meat. I'll mix in some pork and/or veal
for meatloaf. Commercial ground is, as you say, nasty stuff by comparison.

Omelet > wrote:

> HEB, our local chain, grinds all outdated beef and sells it for around
> $2.80 per lb. It actually works. I so totally feel your pain!

HEB uses fresh beef and trimmings to make their beef. Maybe in your
stores they use outdated meat, but the ones here in Austin sell all
their beef before it gets stale - the turnover on the products are
that high. I have never seen any beef there that is within a day of
it's sell-by date (which are usually stamped at 3 days for beef).

They start pulling the beef after 2 days to use for ground beef,
based on how quickly its moving.

-sw

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> I think instead of trimming off the fat, I should have cut the brisket
> in half and used the fatty end for chili and the lean end for hamburger
> meat. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fat; I used to make soap with
> it, but I can't find a source for small quantities of lye anymore.

It's available on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=220298382760

That's where the meth lab chemists buy it.

Ed Pawlowski said...

> Brisket is my favorite hamburger meat. I'll mix in some pork and/or
> veal for meatloaf. Commercial ground is, as you say, nasty stuff by
> comparison.


Ed,

I've meant to try grinding brisket for burgers.

Andy
Rib eye ground burger BUM!!!

Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
>>A packer-cut brisket for $1.89 per pound.
>> I didn't save much money, but this meat actually smells *good* when you
>> cook it.
>
> Brisket is my favorite hamburger meat. I'll mix in some pork and/or veal
> for meatloaf. Commercial ground is, as you say, nasty stuff by comparison.

The local HEB chain here packages/sells chubs of ground brisket in
regular or coarse grinds. They also do round, chuck, and 'anything
goes' of course.

-sw

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Omelet > wrote:
>
> > HEB, our local chain, grinds all outdated beef and sells it for around
> > $2.80 per lb. It actually works. I so totally feel your pain!
>
> HEB uses fresh beef and trimmings to make their beef. Maybe in your
> stores they use outdated meat, but the ones here in Austin sell all
> their beef before it gets stale - the turnover on the products are
> that high. I have never seen any beef there that is within a day of
> it's sell-by date (which are usually stamped at 3 days for beef).
>
> They start pulling the beef after 2 days to use for ground beef,
> based on how quickly its moving.
>
> -sw

I'm just going by what they told me Steve.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
> zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>> I think instead of trimming off the fat, I should have cut the brisket
>> in half and used the fatty end for chili and the lean end for hamburger
>> meat. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fat; I used to make soap with
>> it, but I can't find a source for small quantities of lye anymore.
>
> It's available on eBay.
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=220298382760
>
> That's where the meth lab chemists buy it.

Or make your own.
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html

TFM®

On Sat 25 Oct 2008 10:43:13a, zxcvbob told us...

> A packer-cut brisket for $1.89 per pound. I lost about 1/2 pound by
> pouring the "juice" out of the package. Then I trimmed about 10 or 12
> ounces of fat because last time I did this, it was too fatty. Ground
> the whole thing up with about a 7/16" plate to make "chili meat". I
> started cooking 2 pounds to make a pot of chili, then froze 2 more two
> pound packages, then ground all the rest again with a 1/8" (I think)
> plate. I bagged-up 5 one-pound packages, and had enough left over to
> fry a couple of burgers.
>
> I didn't save much money, but this meat actually smells *good* when you
> cook it. Supermarket ground beef (which starts at $2.69 a pound for the
> cheap stuff lately) always has a faint shit-like smell when you cook it
> -- and it doesn't matter where I buy it. The only preground beef I've
> found that smells OK when cooked is the frozen tubes they sell at Aldi.
>
> I think instead of trimming off the fat, I should have cut the brisket
> in half and used the fatty end for chili and the lean end for hamburger
> meat. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fat; I used to make soap with
> it, but I can't find a source for small quantities of lye anymore.
> Maybe use it for bullet casting, or feed it to my too-skinny dog (if I
> can keep the fat dog from getting it)
>

If you want your burgers to be juicy, they need at least 20% fat.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Saturday, 10(X)/25(XXV)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
2wks 2dys 2hrs 4mins
*******************************************
Tubby or not tubby, fat is the question!
*******************************************