Meat prices are rising, and rising fast. For some families that just means eating less expensive meat. For other families it can mean that they can’t afford to buy enough protein for their families. If you’ve foregone meats because you chose to, that’s one thing. But if, like us, you’ve cut back based solely on cost, I’m going to show you how you can put more meat in your freezer, for a lot less money.
What I’m going to suggest might sound counterintuitive, but bear with me. If you buy a large (and at first glance expensive) primal cut of meat and trim it down yourself, you’ll save money. A lot of money.
We’re going to show you how. Step-by-step.
This is the first in a series of posts designed to help you save a ton of cash on food, specifically meats, by buying primal cuts and portioning them out yourself. This may sound daunting at first, but it’s really no more difficult or time-consuming than making potatoes from scratch once you get used to it.
This post will show you how to turn a $20.97 purchase into somewhere between $35 and $40 worth of prepackaged food. That’s up to a 50% savings, depending on prices in your area. (This will vary. In some places the savings will be far more significant, slightly less in others.) And it all starts with a whole beef brisket.
If you’re buying trimmed, ready to cook brisket in your local market, chances are you’re paying upwards of $3.00 per pound. For the whole beef brisket we bought, the price came in at $1.90 per pound. This wasn’t sale pricing. That’s the everyday price at a national grocery chain. You already have a savings of about $1.00 per pound, and that’s if you just whack that big boy down into a few smaller brisket segments.
What I’m going to show you goes farther. It’s going to turn that primal brisket into 7 different pieces, including:
- 1 trimmed brisket
- 6 steaks
- 2 1-pound portions of stew meat
- 3 1-pound portions of stir fry or fajita meat.
All-in-all, the same meats bought at the same store would cost close to $40.00, so we got just about 50% off. This may differ for you, but it’s still going to be significant.
What you’ll start with is something that looks like this:
It may seem hard at first, but really, turning this huge chunk of beef into smaller pieces isn’t rocket science. It just takes a bit of planning and some time.
Preparation:
First; clean your counters well. Get rid of anything you don’t need on your surface and scrub it well. I like to cover mine with freezer paper while working, just so I have less clean up at the end. As long as you’ve got a bleach cleaner to finish up the job with, the paper isn’t necessary. You’ll also need a plastic or teflon cutting board, so that you don’t dull your knives or scratch your counters.
Next we need to consider knives.
While I love my J.A. Henckels 8-Inch Chef’s Knife (Pictured on right) and use it nearly every day, it’s not really the right knife for this job. A far better choice is an inexpensive carving knife like the one pictured on the left. It has a much more flexible blade that is more forgiving for trimming meat and will make the final product much cleaner.
If you don’t already have one of these, you can get it at most grocers, or through Amazon. in either case, you’ll want a Traditional 8-Inch Slicing/Carver Knife. The shape and flexibility of this style knife will make your task easier.
Let’s Get Butchering Your Whole Beef Brisket:
Now that you’ve assembled your tools, it’s time to break that whole beef brisket out of the package.
First, wash your hands well. You can wear plastic or medical gloves if you want, but never start with unwashed hands. (Common sense, I know, but I have to mention it.)
Lay the brisket fat-side up on your counter and slowly and carefully start slicing away the fat cap. There’s no need to be in a hurry here. You’ll quickly find that there is a lot of fat on a brisket. Just trim down until you’re shaving the last bits away from the body of the cut.
Here’s a video that will walk you through trimming down your brisket.
(Note that instead of keeping the brisket as a whole piece, we’ve simply separated it at the cap end… Don’t worry, you’ll know where to cut.)
About half way through you’ll notice that there is a vein of fat running through the middle of the brisket at the thickest end. Peel back the brisket and remove that, too. you’ll end up with two large pieces of brisket and a mountain of fat that looks something like this:
Yep. That’s a lot of fat. probably about 4 pounds worth. Don’t throw that out! Pop it in a freezer bag and get it in the ice box pronto. We’ll show you what to do with it in a later post.
Now that you’ve got your brisket broken down into its basic parts, it’s time to consider what you want to do with it. This brisket got me two fair-sized chunks of pure beef.
*Note that one end of the top piece is flat. That’s because I’ve already cut off a 3 pound brisket from that end and have it resting in rub in the freezer for later in the month. Our diagrams will ignore that cut.
The left-hand side of the cut at the top is very lean, while it gets more marbled going to the right. The piece on the bottom is stringy and extremely well marbled. We have to take that into consideration when deciding what each piece would be good for in cooking. From my experience, this is how I portion these pieces out.
(Again, the diagram is skewed because I already trimmed the brisket piece. This is an approximation.)
On to the top piece. Cut the whole beef brisket off the end at the size you want it. (This is fast and loose, folks. If you don’t want a whole brisket, cut more steaks, stew meat or kebab chunks, it’s up to you. this post is a guide, not a definitive instruction manual.) Then part out the large cuts for steaks and stew meat. You’ll end up with something like this:
From left to right, I decided to cut these sections into 6 steaks, stir fry meat, and the last two as stew meat. I cut the entirety of the thinner piece of brisket into stir-fry meat.
After slicing it all up, we ended up with this:
Not bad, eh?
Storage:
Now that you’ve got your whole beef brisket cut, you need to quickly store it away. Either use butcher paper or zip-top bags and get the meat to the refrigerator or freezer as quickly as possible. If you have plans for some of the meat on the same or the next day, the fridge is fine. Otherwise freeze it. The key is to get it chilled as fast as you can to avoid the meat coming to room temperature.
Clean Up:
This should go without saying, but the last thing you’ll need to do is toss the butcher paper and spray your counters down with disinfectant spray, allowing the disinfectant to sit on the counter for at least three minutes before wiping it off. This avoids cross-contamination of foods later. It may seem fine to use just soap and water, but it really isn’t. I strongly suggest a cleaner with bleach here, but you can use any disinfectant, just follow the directions carefully.
Now go enjoy some time with the family and bask in the glory of saving 50% on beef for the month. You deserve it.
If you try this, please let us know how you did! We’d love to hear if it went well or not, or what we can do to make these tutorials better or help you save money on your bills.
hey, great article! I was wondering if there was ever a follow up post about what to do with all that fat you cut away and stuck in the freezer? Because previously I just got kinda mad about all that money I spent on fat I’d just throw away.
Manda,
It’s actually still in the freezer, but I should be getting to it in a week or so.
Did you post that yet? I saved the fat too.
I am wanting to know the same thing.
So…what did you do with all that fat? I just bought my brisket, and I’m going to cut it up tomorrow.
I’m going to use it to make tallow and (hopefully) beef cracklings. It’s sitting in the freezer waiting for me, as my mason jars are currently otherwise occupied ;)
Great article and enjoyed watching the video but I am also pondering what to do with the extra fat?
Can any of the brisket be used for stir fry?
Yes! But remember, this is a tough cut, so you either cook it hot and extremely fast, or marinade it in acids like lemon juice or vinegar for a long period and then fry it quickly. Otherwise it will be tough. (Dr. Pepper is a great marinade, too.)
That’s great to hear. In that case though, can any tough cut be cooked fast for stir fry or is it specific to brisket?
Where the heck did you find a whole brisket for $1.90 a lb.? It’s about $7.00 now. You must still be in the 80s if not the 70s. Just saying.
Nope, We’re in Texas. And you can get whole, untrimmed brisket at that price through the summer BBQ season here
Render the fat to tallow and use for all kinds of things!
Costco gets whole Prime Briskets, they’re $2.79/lb. just bought a 12.17lb’er for $33 and some change today 1/3/18.
Ezra,
That’s not a bad price at all. Hope the tutorial helps you make the most out of all of that meat.
25# Brisket up in midwest – $44
Kevin,
I’d wager that you’d still see a significant savings over buying the same amount of stew meat.
In my area of texas, our brisket is about a dollar a pound right now. Granted we got absolutly untrimmed,but im seriously glad i found this article.
“Don’t worry, you’ll know where to cut…” Nope! I’m either too blonde or too clueless about meat in general! :) Where do I cut the “end cap”?
I think you’re referring to the fat cap. Just trim away all the fat on the top of the meat.
As for the rest of the cuts, just go against the grain of the meat and break it down into the portions you need for later.
What do we do with the fat? You mentioned publishing a follow-up post on this specific topics, but I cannot find it.
Thank you for the very helpful tutorial on the cutting up of a whole brisket. I had never bought a whole one before. I purchased mine for $3.88 a pound and was thrilled. I did save the trimmings which I will bag in small amounts to you on beef roasts the have an all the fat trimmed away.
What a great idea for using the trimmed fat! I’ll have to give that a try myself. thanks for the tip, I’m sure it will be useful to others as well.
Hi Jerry.
Thanks for the great article. I get my briskets for $2 36 or so per pound. I buy them all the time, just like I buy a whole pork loin. It saves me a lot of money.
Have you made a post yet about making use of all of the beef fat? Sometimes I roast the meatier bits very slowly and then add carrots, sweet potatoes or winter squash, onions, celery, turnips or other root vegetables and garlic, salt pepper and seasonings. Another thing I do is to to slowly roast or braise the pieces until I get a nice flavorful bit of brownness in the bottom of the pan and then use this to make Beef and Barley Soup or a root vegetable soup with some whole grain elbows or brown rice. I also make a beef, mushroom (using a single variety or several different ones), onion soup by browning my meat a bit and then sauteing my onions and mushrooms, and then using either homemade stock or store bought, I bring to a boil and then throw in a package of store bought pre-made Portobello Mushroom & Cheese Tortelloni. Then I serve it with a crusty loaf of French, such as Pain de Campagne, Italian bread or fresh or store bought garlic bread and a salad. In my family it is always a toss-up which bread to have because everyone loves Pain de Campagne and garlic bread, so we usually alternate.
I hope you will soon share what you do with your trimmings!
Thanks! :-)
Linda Anne
I’m doing this today but I was told that a fairly large chuck of fat may add to the moisture in the smoker if I put it in the fire with the wood. it seams logical but i’m thinking it may burn a cause a little bit of a foul taste. Any ideas on this technique?
Jeffery,
If you’re going to smoke a chunk of a brisket, you’re definitely going to want to leave some fat on it. Over the course of a long, slow cook most of that fat will render anyway, but the fat is crucial to keep the meat moist.
If you like, you can simply cut off the fat cap and then lay it over the brisket while cooking.
Did you ever do other posts on how to save money on meat? The above post is one of the best I have seen in a long time.
Millason,
I haven’t yet, but I am planning a few more over the course of the year. If you have any suggestions for a prime cut of meat you’d like to see broken down, just let us know!
Just trimmed down a brisket like you said. Came out really well. Part is going to burgers. Just wondering what your favorite recipe is for the brisket section?
Thanks for your help.
Tom,
There are several brisket recipes But for a trimmed piece like this, a good dose of rub, a bottle of good beer and a slow cooker make for a wonderful meal. Give it a try!
Jerry, I cook brisket often, my boys love to make brisket tacos. I purchase a whole brisket, cut it in half, season well with my fave seasonings and some liquid smoke, then wrap in 2 layers of Reynolds wrap, place in a large casserole dish and bake low and slow on 250 for 4-5 hrs. with fat side up to retain all that wonderful flavor and moisture. Cant beat the wonderful flavor of brisket!
Deneace,
I totally agree! I butcher my briskets so that they’ll do the maximum amount of duty for the family. I have to make every dollar stretch.
Cut up an 18 pound brisket I bought for $1.70 per pound. . I will likely toss most of the trimmed fat, as I can’t see us eating cracklings or making beef tallow and my freezer room is limited.
I made about 3 pounds of kabobs, from what you called the “steak” piece, which are now marinating in Italian dressing for beef spiedies. I trimmed another 1/3 and I’m marinating that in a worstershire sauce mix and I’m going to cook that part tomorrow slow roasted as brisket. I will use some of the trimmed fat to place over the marinated brisket for slow roasting. I figured trimming it and then reapplying the fat on top will help with the marinade.
The other 1/3 I halved for space sake but placed the 2 pieces back in the freezer intact to use at a later date.
I’m not a fan of stew or slow cooker meat. I’ve cooked a lot of meat in the crock pot and it just doesn’t compare to slow roasted.
Thanks for the visuals AND how to clean up afterwards.
This and your pork loin post were SO helpful!!! Thank you! I can’t wait for your other posts on breaking down big chunks of meat!
Rebekah,
I have several more planned for this year. So glad I you find it useful.
I must agree completely with Rebekah, My husband and I buy the whole, loin, brisket, sirloin tip etc… Now it is just he and I and we are having to learn to cook all over again. I must say, your post has really helped us to not have waste. As for the fat, be it from the brisket or the small amount on a loin, we use it in our sausage we make from the ‘burger’ scraps. works great. Thank you again and we look forward to learning more from you.
Using the fat as filler for grinding is a great idea! I’ll put that on the list for things to try this year.
I can’t wait to try this and the pork loin! Thanks for posting this!
Glad we could help!
This and the pork loin post are two of the most informative blog posts I’ve ever read. Came across the loin post as I was looking for ideas on how to cook the half loin I’ve got thawing in the fridge. I was hoping for a mild seasoning recipe to use with it as I cook it tomorrow so I can stretch it out for more meals. No luck, but what I found here was better! If only I’d seen it before I originally put the meat in the freezer a couple months ago. From now on I will only be buying primal cuts.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it never occurred to me that the loin chops I was buying were from the chunks of pork loin I was also purchasing. (And I do all the grocery shopping and cooking! Geez Louise!) Now I know and I won’t buy separated prepackaged meat again.
THANK YOU so very much for the wisdom! Anxious for more primal meat posts!
Show the cutting up of fresh turkey. I learned it years ago. Large turkey cut up and frozen in many pieces can make many meals. Breast can weigh up to three pounds. When cut across grain and seasoned with differs spices you would not believe you are eating turkey..
Thanks for what you have posted on pork!
Well done.
Carol,
Thanks for the suggestion! I was already planning on doing a post on chicken next month, so there’s no reason I can’t add a turkey to the shopping list!
I know this comes a long while after your comment, but as requested, here’s how I cut up a whole turkey… How to Butcher a Turkey and Save Yourself a Ton of Money (How to Part Out a Turkey)
Thanks for this great article! Do you find the steaks to be tough? If so what techniques do you use to deal with this?
Great ideas!!! How many lbs was that brisket? It looked huge! Or maybe the ones I find are small? Could you do the same thing with a smaller one??? Thanks!
Nancy,
These usually come in at between 11 and 14 pounds. These are primal cut briskets, which means that they are not trimmed. From what you’re saying, you probably have super trimmed briskets, which are meant for single family meals. The brisket shown may or may not be available in your area, but you could ask your butcher if the (or she) has one available
I’ve been doing my version of your pork loin butchery for years, and I love that you’ve shared it.
But… this brisket looks WAY more daunting, IF I can even find one, at a decent price, here on the east coast of Virginia!
John,
It might be a bit hard to find in your area, But well worth it if you do happen to come across a whole beef brisket at a good price.
Do you find that the steaks would be tough? How would you cook them?
Rebecca,
The steaks can be tough. I like my steaks incredibly rare, so for me they’re perfect, but if you want to tenderize them as much as possible, cover in salt for about an hour, rinse dry and then cook. They’ll be MUCH more tender.
I’ll have to keep this in mind next time I get a brisket. I usually smoke the whole thing till its juicy and tasty. Then after we feast, scrape the fat off and cut it into 2 people portions, wrapped tight I plastic wrap then in the freezer in A zip bag. A quick thaw, easy slicing when it’s cold makes a great quick dinner on a bun, or excellent on a baked potato! Next time, I might get 2 briskets and portion out the raw meat for savings instead of just pure pleasure of smoked brisket ❤
I am new at cooking and enjoyed the butchering of the primal cuts
A brisket steak sounds fairly unpleasant. Maybe mechanically tenderizing it would work OK. Sliced thin and beat to make something like swiss steak or a minute steak.
If you have a slicer, you can slice it super thing and use it as roast beef.
I get whole briskets sometimes but corned beef goes on sale every year for $1-2 and I end up buying those for the smoker since they are essentially trimmed briskets that are in brine and prepackaged for the freezer. I throw the packets away and smoke them. Often, I make pastrami with them.
Whole eye of round costs the same as brisket a lb and makes excellent roast beef and if you like it super rare is decent that way.
David,
I prefer to eat my beef VERY rare, so to me, brisket steaks work well. But just salting the beef well and allowing it to sit for an hour or so (then rinsing) can make this a pretty tender cut, even at medium rare.
I wish corned beef went on sale like that in my area! It’s exceptionally expensive here, so relegated to once-per-year on St. Paddy’s day. I am looking forward to making my own this winter, though.
Eye of round is a good cut also, but if I’m going for a cut for one use, I’d generally by chuck roast. It’s a personal preference, but I just prefer chuck.
I highly suggest wet curing brisket into homemade corned beef (or pastrami for that matter). Not only is it a much less expensive route, it’s also a very straight forward process and there’s lot’s of directions to be found online. I typically cut the flat from the point prior to brining, and use the point for corned beef, and the flat for pastrami. The same technique of wet-curing can be applied with pork to produce ham. Our favorite cut for ham is actually the shoulder and not the leg. Once you go down the rabbit-hole of wet-curing meat at home, side effects may include: loss of appetite for store bought varieties as well as an enhanced creativity for lean proteins such as venison :) Have fun!
I would like to know if I can smoke the two separate parts of the brisket . Or can I just cut the whole brisket. My smoker is only 17 inches long . I know about the flat but I just would like to try the whole brisket.
Bernard,
There’s no reason you have to smoke the whole thing at once. Go ahead and cut it down into 2 or 3 pieces if you need to.