I use to buy short ribs in bulk, and the store put them in smaller packages. They were $5 then. Tripled in price. So, for company, I use brisket in the crock pot. Wine, onion soup mix, all the rest that you said. The next day, I get ride of the fat and cut against the gravy .
I still want short ribs or flanken in some soups.
Well, that explains it. I haven’t bought short ribs (I use boneless) in awhile and was thinking they weren’t that expensive. But triple the price??!!! Yikes.
So I took a look at the briskets today at Costco. As I’ve said, I have never made one. The price was good comparatively - I think it was $4.29 pound. They all looked so enormous! lol. And my question is…they look like they have LOTS of fat. Do you trim the fat pre-cooking or lightly trim or REALLY trim?? I know a tried and true brisket recipe but looking at even the smallest they had (just under $50) that’s a lot of meat to wrangle!!!
The briskets at Costco are huge. They are the equivalent of two.
I find it more convenient to buy at the grocery store trimmed. They are usually in the stores this time of the year for Passover.
So even at a big box store the briskets will be trimmed (or more trimmed than Costco!) ???
I like to buy from a butcher and tell them how I want it trimmed. I like to keep a very thin layer of fat on top (and then cook it fat side up).
You can do the trimming yourself, but I’m lazy.
Good idea! I
Can’t be lazy with handling meat too. 
I’ve seen them on occasion trimmed at Costco in a 2 pack. I know people who buy them at Smart and Final. I usually buy at Whole Foods from the butcher or from a local small grocery chain. I haven’t seen them at Vons or Albertsons which are the main chains in my city. I strangely keep the receipts in my cookbook (I have been bringing the brisket to a large Passover gathering for years) pay between 10 and 15 dollars a lb. Most years I cook three depending on the size. I always cook a day or two ahead. I think the texture of the meat is better with a refrigeration.
They do. Here is our son prepping a brisket for his smoker. After watching him deftly remove all but that thin layer of fat, I asked if he’d consider removing some excess from me.
This brisket recipe for the instant pot is great. I do NOT add the sugar, and I use chili sauce (sort of looks like ketchup but in a smaller bottle). Easy, fast and delicious.
I do not thicken the gravy/sauce. I love the au juice over mashed potatoes!
Sharing a delicious meatless salad I made tonight. Will be adding to the rotation. Great bold flavors. I used regular blue cheese as Whole Foods doesn’t carry smoked; it worked fine.
Did you add the almonds? My vegetarian SIL would love this!
Yes, I think the smoked almonds brought it all together. Funny because I’m not necessarily a fan of them by themselves.
I will make that, but no blue cheese.
made a yummy dinner last night, it had been a while since I’d done anything interesting.
I thinly sliced a bulb of fennel and half an onion - put on a baking sheet with olive oil, s&p and broiled until almost done. Then added a handful of cherry tomatoes to the mix and back under the broiler until the tomatoes started rupturing. Stirred in a heaping spoonful of capers and turned the oven off and just let the pan sit in the still hot oven.
Meanwhile, I cooked farro in chicken stock, when done I drizzled with some lemon-infused olive oil and set aside.
Finally, I dusted cod fillets in a bit of flour, s&p and pan-fried.
Assembled plates included a bed of farrow with a nest of the veggie mix encircling it and the fillet placed in the center. Garnished with lemon slices and a bit of minced fennel frond. It was really, really tasty!
I bet it looked photo-worthy, too. Yum.
Nothing fancy, but this was tasty. I didn’t have any fennel seeds, but I did add a Tablespoon of Italian seasoning as well as 2 additional cups of chicken broth after about 6 hours of cooking. Served with a salad, crusty bread, and thick shavings of Parmesan cheese for topping.
I made that last night, @Hoggirl, and DH pronounced it “spectacular.” However, I think the 1 tablespoon Kosher salt had to be a mistake. I used a scant teaspoon, and it was still a bit salty, which I like but DH has to watch. In any case, it was so good and will be added to our rotation. Thanks!
I made it in the InstantPot, 20 mins on the meat/stew setting. Also agree that it could use more liquid which I will add when reheating.
I love when this thread solves some of our dinner dilemmas. 
Glad it was a hit! I should have mentioned that I reduced the salt as well.
It makes a VAT! I had to add more broth when I reheated the leftovers. So, it kind of grows - lol.
I think figuring out what to make is the most difficult task. My friend calls it, “the relentless return of dinner.”
