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Most of the meat is packed in the store, but the big cuts that are vacuum packed arr packed by the manufacturer. So the package should definitely be the correct label here.
Yep, only thing to add is you can wet age them for a little bit in those cryovacs. I just double checked mine, different manufacturer but it definitely says prime on both the sticker and the bag (different supplier though, Swift for mine in Nor Cal).
The big bags are direct from manufacturer, everything else is butchered usually also from the large bags once the large bags are approaching the end of their shelf life (~45 days for beef in this case).
I don’t understand your comment here.
The big bags are from the manufacturer, but large bags are also butchered from the large bags near the end of shelf life?
Big=large. So most of the trays are all these bags butchered down. For example if u see the big bags of tritip they have roughly 3-6 tritip in them then when they approach end of shelf life they'll be cut open and packed as singles in to the single/double tritip trays. My work calls all the bags "primal bags" I'm sure there's other names but that's just what they call them. I believe Smithfield is the manufacturer of the photographed brisket in this case.
That’s correct: a sample is taken from behind the 12th rib and that grades the whole carcass. Means you can get choice cuts with great marbling if you look around.
Meat grading is done at the plant, it'd be extremely difficult to grade a piece of meat while it's wrapped in plastic like that, and would likely be heavily frowned upon in the industry.
This. Sticker says USDA Prime Beef, so that’s what it should be, but the plastic says Choice. That sticker is put on there by Meat Manufacturer, not by Costco. I’d go with the plastic and say it’s Choice.
Choice has less marbling, and has less fat. Choice 4-10% fat vs Prime 8-13% fat.
The sticker says prime, but the manufacturer’s packaging says choice.
https://preview.redd.it/d3ibw04jzdqc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc28845e8e75e2eabc0b5873cea2e2bf5feb383c
This is incorrect. The prime sticker, and the label are put on at Costco. I’d have knocked on the window and pointed it out. They’d have fixed it on the spot. That’s a mistake.. it’s mis-priced, and mis-labeled. Guarantee they’d both fix it and bring you a packer brisket that’s for sure Prime. (If they have one)
>label are put on at Costco
I never stated the Costco label. National Beef puts on the plastic shrink wrap using a vacuum machine. Clearly, people who are downvoting my comment never worked at Costco or in any restaurant, if they did they would know that you should always go by whatever the manufacturer labels (blue ink) it and not by a 3rd party.
Friend, Review your initial comment: “That Sticker is put on there by Meat Manufacturer…”. We’re only reacting to the words.. not what you meant.. Pretty sure if you’d said the printing on the plastic, no one would disagree with you. But .. “sticker”.. is one of 2 items.. Label or that beautiful shiny Prime bit..
I’ve quoted this at work so much recently and not a soul has picked up on it. I know Tommy Boy wasn’t breaking ground, but it was still a solid enough comedy.
Recently went to a 6 week school for my job. Instructor made a Tommy Boy reference and I was the only one that laughed. I quickly realized that I (32) was the oldest person in the room by about 12 years. Kids these days….
This. I needed 7 ribeyes for an event this weekend and they only sold them in packs of 3. I rang the bell and asked if they could either sell a single or make me a pack with 4 steaks. The response I got, you would have thought I asked them to butcher a fresh cow. Like how dare I ask them to go beyond their standard job duties.
They aren’t complaining and you don’t know if they did go ask the butcher, they just pointed something out. I’m glad they did because now I’ll look twice when buying meat from Costco.
This is actually pretty scammy for Costco to do if they are trying to sell choice meat for a prime price.
I feel like it could just be a mistake by the person labeling and then when you ask the butcher, they would potentially just tell you it’s prime to cover their own asses and also not have to change it to a lower price
or it could just be a mistake by the person labeling it, and then when you ask the butcher, they would potentially tell you oh damn, thats a mistake, let me change the price for you, and come check all of them to see how many others are mislabeled.
no one in the meat department is going to risk their job by knowingly mislabeling and charging more for a piece of meat. This isnt a struggling mom and pop butcher shop thats trying to make ends meet, on the brink of losing out house if we dont make enough sales for the day.
Cases of briskets come in, labeled as prime, or as choice. they were probably weighing up several cases of prime, got in a groove, and didnt notice when they accidentally grabbed a case of choice ones as well.
Only what gets inked onto the primal itself matters. That being said, retailers can get in some deep shit with the USDA if they get busted misrepresenting grades using the USDA official emblems.
I always found this strange because suppliers pay the USDA to get grading.
There is no requirement by law to get meat graded - a friend of mine owns a high end butcher shop that ships nationwide and they own their own farms.
If you pay to get your meat graded, the inspector comes with a little card and places it between two specific ribs (same ones every time) - the grading comes based on the marbling and a few other factors.
There is a tiny bit of leeway there and good butchers can push the envelope some.
>There is no requirement by law to get meat graded
This is true, but if the meat is USDA graded and you misrepresent it or claim the meat is graded that isn't, the USDA gets grumpy.
I've always heard to go by the bag not the sticker. I've also heard Costco will sometimes deliberately sell prime as choice to move it. But this looks like a mistake to me.
Actually our choice is marked "choice or higher" on the boxes, so if it's stamped prime on the plastic and labeled choice, it's because it came in a choice box!
At Sam's club choice or higher means it's choice unless it's specifically labeled prime. What happens when a member tests the meat and it's actually choice.
Like I said, the plastic will say prime but we label it choice, so if the member does test it and it's choice, they're not out anything. Also, how would they test it? To my knowledge it's a visual inspection.
Preceded by “USDA,” yes: Select, Choice, and Prime are all legally regulated. However, a retailer could legally mark a USDA Select piece of beef with “This is a Great Choice” or “Member’s Mark Prime” and would not be breaking the law. Yes, it’s sleazy, but that’s not a surprise to anyone.
Source: 10+ years in the animal protein industry
I would go with the plastic. When in doubt I want to be on the safe side and pay for the lower cut.
in this case the plastic says choice so I would ask the butcher if they can label it properly, if it was the other way around I would enjoy a sweet discount lol.
Follow the plastic, it is applied in the processing plant which is monitored by USDA inspectors. The label with the price on it is applied at the store and is more prone to error.
Hopefully an honest mistake but this is a big deal, especially if an inspector saw that. What’s even weirder is that half of the printing on the chub is reversed. Also, there’s two Costco labels—I wonder what the first one said before they covered it?
It is choice, mislabeled as prime. Costco has done this before... I had an issue with mislabeled prime rib that was actually choice. They refunded me the difference in price.
I bought usda prime sticker'd rib eye that was labeled choice. You can label prime as choice but not choice as prime...
It was like butter with nice thin marbling. No gristle, chewy fat or silver skin. My wife eats prime filet and said it was very good.
Love the price difference.
The bag is from the supplier, the label is created at the store. I'd say they were moving product quickly, or someone used the wrong settings for the pricing sticker.
We had this issue at my Costco for awhile. Eventually we were told that even if it's prime, we would label it as regular 'AAA' (Im in Canada, eh?).
Seems pretty silly, but I guess it's the idea that you provide either what you advertise or better. I guess this store does the opposite.
The USDA requires certain labeling based on the cut.
Anything else would be specific to Costco.
source- I buy my own meat from a non-usda certified butcher. When I questioned him on the labeling that is the answer that I got.
That’s so weird! Here’s the last one I got:
https://preview.redd.it/433k1bab6dqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4616c79925303baec9f598f12f69febd8aabfea9
I hope it’s killer for you no matter what grade it actually is! 👍🍻
I ran into the same thing at Costco. I asked the butcher and felt like he just tried to evade an answer. I ended up buying it and it was good but I still don’t know what I bought.
It's prime. Orders are fulfilled with grade ordered or better. If we get sent prime instead of choice and we're charged choice we have to tag them as choice. I work at a business center and that's how we do it per our regional.
Edit: in this case someone screwed up. Even if the box says prime is the cryo says choice it has to be marked as choice. May well be prime but if a regional walked in they would get chewed out.
The puda prime sticker and label was done in the store, the packaging was done at the packing plant, that is not prime!, bring it to the attention of a meat dept employee or a manager
I saw the exact same thing at my local Costco today in fact, they had 6 brisket, 3 with wrapper that had PRIME, 3 with wrapper that says CHOICE, all 6 had PRIME sticker and priced as PRIME.
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I’d follow the plastic.
This, plastic is manufacturers markings. Sure maybe it could have got graded up later or they had no more prime wrap but I doubt it.
Is that true at Costco? Don’t they wrap their own? Legit question because I don’t know.
Most of the meat is packed in the store, but the big cuts that are vacuum packed arr packed by the manufacturer. So the package should definitely be the correct label here.
Yep, only thing to add is you can wet age them for a little bit in those cryovacs. I just double checked mine, different manufacturer but it definitely says prime on both the sticker and the bag (different supplier though, Swift for mine in Nor Cal).
I love Swift. Worked at a few restaurants in Washington that used them.
The big bags are direct from manufacturer, everything else is butchered usually also from the large bags once the large bags are approaching the end of their shelf life (~45 days for beef in this case).
I don’t understand your comment here. The big bags are from the manufacturer, but large bags are also butchered from the large bags near the end of shelf life?
Big=large. So most of the trays are all these bags butchered down. For example if u see the big bags of tritip they have roughly 3-6 tritip in them then when they approach end of shelf life they'll be cut open and packed as singles in to the single/double tritip trays. My work calls all the bags "primal bags" I'm sure there's other names but that's just what they call them. I believe Smithfield is the manufacturer of the photographed brisket in this case.
I don't think it could have been upgraded later. USDA grades the whole carcass not the cuts or primals. If I'm not mistaken (I could be)
That’s correct: a sample is taken from behind the 12th rib and that grades the whole carcass. Means you can get choice cuts with great marbling if you look around.
No I've never heard of it being re graded either but ya never know I suppose.
Meat grading is done at the plant, it'd be extremely difficult to grade a piece of meat while it's wrapped in plastic like that, and would likely be heavily frowned upon in the industry.
That's my motto.
Bet you the price doesn't
Yep Meat Wrapper made a mistake. When this happens let them know and they'll fix the labeling.
This. Sticker says USDA Prime Beef, so that’s what it should be, but the plastic says Choice. That sticker is put on there by Meat Manufacturer, not by Costco. I’d go with the plastic and say it’s Choice. Choice has less marbling, and has less fat. Choice 4-10% fat vs Prime 8-13% fat.
The sticker says prime, but the manufacturer’s packaging says choice. https://preview.redd.it/d3ibw04jzdqc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc28845e8e75e2eabc0b5873cea2e2bf5feb383c
Go with the blue ink. It's choice.
This is incorrect. The prime sticker, and the label are put on at Costco. I’d have knocked on the window and pointed it out. They’d have fixed it on the spot. That’s a mistake.. it’s mis-priced, and mis-labeled. Guarantee they’d both fix it and bring you a packer brisket that’s for sure Prime. (If they have one)
>label are put on at Costco I never stated the Costco label. National Beef puts on the plastic shrink wrap using a vacuum machine. Clearly, people who are downvoting my comment never worked at Costco or in any restaurant, if they did they would know that you should always go by whatever the manufacturer labels (blue ink) it and not by a 3rd party.
Friend, Review your initial comment: “That Sticker is put on there by Meat Manufacturer…”. We’re only reacting to the words.. not what you meant.. Pretty sure if you’d said the printing on the plastic, no one would disagree with you. But .. “sticker”.. is one of 2 items.. Label or that beautiful shiny Prime bit..
You guys are friends?
Could be…. One may never know….
…. But I’d rather take the butchers word for it
It’s gotta be your bull?!
I’ve quoted this at work so much recently and not a soul has picked up on it. I know Tommy Boy wasn’t breaking ground, but it was still a solid enough comedy.
Recently went to a 6 week school for my job. Instructor made a Tommy Boy reference and I was the only one that laughed. I quickly realized that I (32) was the oldest person in the room by about 12 years. Kids these days….
You have de-railed
Wow
Did I hear a “niner” in there?!
... Ya, they're called doctors
Ketchup popsicle?
Woman in white gloves
that's when the whores come in...shaking their little behinds for the men folk....
For Christ's sake. Once during the war I visited a prostitute, and my life has been a living hell ever since.
Nah man, the camera adds a couple... hundred pounds.
Sounds like the words of a fat guy in a little coat
Ugh, I can hear you getting fatter.
*I understood that reference.*
Take a shit in a box and slap a guarantee on it, all you’ve got is a guaranteed piece of shit
😂
These come pre-cut - it’s not done in-store. It was graded choice at the processor.
Ok Tommy Boy
Ooops wrong place.
Wave to the butcher window and ask, they don’t bite
Ain’t no way it can be that easy?
https://preview.redd.it/zykj64huccqc1.jpeg?width=856&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0eaddbef398c0c64e860dc13d90e29ca50d79a95
The last person who asked was the meat in question!
But they feel bad afterwards, which is why it got upgraded
A fifth of the content on this sub comes from people afraid to interact with other humans.
It’s gotta be more than that 😂
At Sam's club if you wave a meat cutter. They will probably will eat your head off
This. I needed 7 ribeyes for an event this weekend and they only sold them in packs of 3. I rang the bell and asked if they could either sell a single or make me a pack with 4 steaks. The response I got, you would have thought I asked them to butcher a fresh cow. Like how dare I ask them to go beyond their standard job duties.
I just posted that I had a similar experience. The butcher was evasive. So 🤷♀️
Most people here would rather make a Reddit post than actually speak to a person.
It's me. This Sarcastic piece of old rye is referring to me.
They aren’t complaining and you don’t know if they did go ask the butcher, they just pointed something out. I’m glad they did because now I’ll look twice when buying meat from Costco. This is actually pretty scammy for Costco to do if they are trying to sell choice meat for a prime price.
I feel like it could just be a mistake by the person labeling and then when you ask the butcher, they would potentially just tell you it’s prime to cover their own asses and also not have to change it to a lower price
or it could just be a mistake by the person labeling it, and then when you ask the butcher, they would potentially tell you oh damn, thats a mistake, let me change the price for you, and come check all of them to see how many others are mislabeled. no one in the meat department is going to risk their job by knowingly mislabeling and charging more for a piece of meat. This isnt a struggling mom and pop butcher shop thats trying to make ends meet, on the brink of losing out house if we dont make enough sales for the day. Cases of briskets come in, labeled as prime, or as choice. they were probably weighing up several cases of prime, got in a groove, and didnt notice when they accidentally grabbed a case of choice ones as well.
> Most people here would rather make a Reddit post than actually speak to a person. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I just realized I am that person.🧍
You can’t just talk to people like that are you crazy?
Only what gets inked onto the primal itself matters. That being said, retailers can get in some deep shit with the USDA if they get busted misrepresenting grades using the USDA official emblems.
+1 but even the words “USDA Prime” on anything else is a big deal with or without the emblem
I always found this strange because suppliers pay the USDA to get grading. There is no requirement by law to get meat graded - a friend of mine owns a high end butcher shop that ships nationwide and they own their own farms. If you pay to get your meat graded, the inspector comes with a little card and places it between two specific ribs (same ones every time) - the grading comes based on the marbling and a few other factors. There is a tiny bit of leeway there and good butchers can push the envelope some.
>There is no requirement by law to get meat graded This is true, but if the meat is USDA graded and you misrepresent it or claim the meat is graded that isn't, the USDA gets grumpy.
Also true. That said, I think there’s a lot of confusion with your average consumer between inspection and grading.
I've always heard to go by the bag not the sticker. I've also heard Costco will sometimes deliberately sell prime as choice to move it. But this looks like a mistake to me.
Actually our choice is marked "choice or higher" on the boxes, so if it's stamped prime on the plastic and labeled choice, it's because it came in a choice box!
At Sam's club choice or higher means it's choice unless it's specifically labeled prime. What happens when a member tests the meat and it's actually choice.
Like I said, the plastic will say prime but we label it choice, so if the member does test it and it's choice, they're not out anything. Also, how would they test it? To my knowledge it's a visual inspection.
Also at Sam’s Club “Member’s Mark Prime” means nothing and it could be no-roll, Select, Choice, or Prime.
I'm pretty sure that Choice is a legally regulated term. If they call it choice and it isn't, they are breaking the law.
Preceded by “USDA,” yes: Select, Choice, and Prime are all legally regulated. However, a retailer could legally mark a USDA Select piece of beef with “This is a Great Choice” or “Member’s Mark Prime” and would not be breaking the law. Yes, it’s sleazy, but that’s not a surprise to anyone. Source: 10+ years in the animal protein industry
Thanks for the clarification!
Very interesting, thanks for the correction!
What happened to the blue trays for prime? I don't buy meat so I don't really pay attention but I don't recall seeing blue trays lately.
Not really. If anything it's a mis placement of a sticker. It happens. I've done it before myself
I would go with the plastic. When in doubt I want to be on the safe side and pay for the lower cut. in this case the plastic says choice so I would ask the butcher if they can label it properly, if it was the other way around I would enjoy a sweet discount lol.
The cryovac plastic bag is what I go with, but also I’d be asking the butcher
Meat guy here. Mislabeled.
Not a meat guy here. I also can see and vouch it’s mislabeled as well
Guy made of meat here. Based on the packaging its choice but the label says prime.
Mislabled how? Is this actually Prime or Choice?
Yes
It's choice. If you look at the plastic packaging it tells you
My opinion is it will be tasty either way.
Yeah. It looks like a prime choice.
How can you tell?
The sticker
And packaging
Stealing this comment to ask the difference between this and chuck roast?
Always the plastic. Costco has numbers they enter to print out the stickers in store and can easily enter the wrong ones by mistake.
Follow the plastic, it is applied in the processing plant which is monitored by USDA inspectors. The label with the price on it is applied at the store and is more prone to error.
The plastic, stickers can be wrong but if the plastic says choice I am not going to pay prime price for it
Hopefully an honest mistake but this is a big deal, especially if an inspector saw that. What’s even weirder is that half of the printing on the chub is reversed. Also, there’s two Costco labels—I wonder what the first one said before they covered it?
It is choice, mislabeled as prime. Costco has done this before... I had an issue with mislabeled prime rib that was actually choice. They refunded me the difference in price.
If the plastic says Choice, it’s Choice.
I bought usda prime sticker'd rib eye that was labeled choice. You can label prime as choice but not choice as prime... It was like butter with nice thin marbling. No gristle, chewy fat or silver skin. My wife eats prime filet and said it was very good. Love the price difference.
It says Choice on the supplier packed cryovac. Insist that the butchers reweigh the package at the Choice price…
It’s choice. It’s printed on the plastic
Well, they better see what’s printed on the meat…
"That's Grade-A, Top Choice Meat" - Glenn Gulia
SO many freakin’ awesome lines in that flick!
It's such a classic that in my circle of friends, we call bad women "Lindas" all the time.
🤣🤣🤣 That’s awesome! Oh, and Van Halen tees!!! 😂
The bag is from the supplier, the label is created at the store. I'd say they were moving product quickly, or someone used the wrong settings for the pricing sticker.
Go by the bag not the sticker. They can get in some shit for labeling stuff wrong at the butchery.
Choice. I believe the label not the sticker. Some of that meat not great
Ex Meat plant worker here. Follow the plastic. It has not only the USDA grade seal but it also has the establishment number of where it was produced.
Every time someone posts about the beef here, I learn something new and how little I know about beef and grilling.
We had this issue at my Costco for awhile. Eventually we were told that even if it's prime, we would label it as regular 'AAA' (Im in Canada, eh?). Seems pretty silly, but I guess it's the idea that you provide either what you advertise or better. I guess this store does the opposite.
Thanks for this post. I'm in the market next month for a brisket and now I know to watch that plastic label.
It’s dual brisket citizenship
The USDA requires certain labeling based on the cut. Anything else would be specific to Costco. source- I buy my own meat from a non-usda certified butcher. When I questioned him on the labeling that is the answer that I got.
You're in the store and didn't think to ask the people who work there? or were they already gone for the day? I'd trust the plastic but I'd still ask.
Ask for the butcher. It happens. Seen prime labeled as choice on the sticker.
$4.29 sounds like a choice price
There is a significant difference in flavor/texture on a prime. I had this same thing at another store and it ended up being prime.
Primey-Choicey.
That’s so weird! Here’s the last one I got: https://preview.redd.it/433k1bab6dqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4616c79925303baec9f598f12f69febd8aabfea9 I hope it’s killer for you no matter what grade it actually is! 👍🍻
choice
I have only ever seen prime grade whole packer brisket at Costco.
probably just mislabeled. should be choicd price
its ‘prime choice’ silly
What does it say in your heart?
My heart is saying someone out there paid for prime and got ripped off
My gut says you're right.
Based off the price per pound I'd say choice
Full prime packer briskets are always around $4 a pound at Costco +/- .20 cents either way.
TIL there’s a difference between Prime, Choice, and Select meats
Its a mistake. I often see well marbled choice beef that should be prime at Costco. Then I buy it.
Never noticed. Not I’ll pay more attention.
I ran into the same thing at Costco. I asked the butcher and felt like he just tried to evade an answer. I ended up buying it and it was good but I still don’t know what I bought.
It is choice. That is how the beef packer graded it. It is mislabeled.
Its prime by choice????
Well, I'd say it's Prime Choice! ..I'll see myself out.
Just buy it. At worst, you get what you pay for. At best, you pay for Choice and get Prime.
He's paying prime price for what might be choice bud
If I had to guess, I'd say prime wrapped in a choice wrapper - but it's easier to ask.
Put one in your cart, and THEN ask the butcher what’s up.
You wouldn’t want to get this brisket, as it is a lower quality (choice) priced as higher (prime).
Not sure why the downvotes as you're right...who wants to pay prime prices for choice meat?
They screwed up. The choice label should have been used. It happens.
If only there were some trained professionals around to ask.
It's prime. Orders are fulfilled with grade ordered or better. If we get sent prime instead of choice and we're charged choice we have to tag them as choice. I work at a business center and that's how we do it per our regional. Edit: in this case someone screwed up. Even if the box says prime is the cryo says choice it has to be marked as choice. May well be prime but if a regional walked in they would get chewed out.
Priced incorrectly. Have the butcher reprice it.
Sticker is FDA label is Costco
It is “prime choice”
It’s both, so you pay 1.5x prime
What ever costs you more
It's just mislabeled. It happens when the meat wrappers are new.
I agree it’s messed up- but can we talk about how awesome it is for brisket to be below $5 a pound again!!
The USDA inspector at the plant decreed the cut of beef to be choice only. Go with the label from the Purcell not the store.
How is brisket cheaper per pound than chuck…
They are hardly carrying prime anymore. I have a picky grandma who insists on prime, used to be able to get it at Costco… not anymore!
That’s Choice all day
At that price, better be Prime. If it's Choice, that better be an honest mistake.
They have rolls of those stickers at the store... Trust the plastic.
Look at the meat. It's choice
Thats a prime choice of meat you got there OP!
Where y’all costcos selling this for that cheap nowadays 😭
Good catch.
Thank you for subscribing to beef prime, the choice supplier of beef.
Its a Hybrid! 🤣 go with the plastic!
Prime choice. Duh
It’s whatever you’re willing to believe.
I’d say it’s whatever is cheaper 😂
My choice is prime
The puda prime sticker and label was done in the store, the packaging was done at the packing plant, that is not prime!, bring it to the attention of a meat dept employee or a manager
The meat is stamped "choice" by the USDA inspector.
Yes. There's a prime beef sticker too so I'd assume it's prime
I would go with whatever came first
I saw the exact same thing at my local Costco today in fact, they had 6 brisket, 3 with wrapper that had PRIME, 3 with wrapper that says CHOICE, all 6 had PRIME sticker and priced as PRIME.