[Sca-cooks] Getting the most use out of a particular food

[Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Diana Skaggs:
>I have a question for the group.  Last night I was shopping. I found 
>a lovely 5# bottom round roast for $2.18 per pound.  My SO said 
>"lookie here, a brisket, way bigger, for the same price."  I tried 
>to explain to him, by the time I carved all the fat off the brisket, 
>I wouldn't have any more usable meat than on the roast. Is there any 
>other reasons anyone can think of?

Using that particular example with those two particular cuts, I can't 
think of another reason, although that reason is a pretty good one.

If the large, fatty cut were the same price but something that can be 
cooked with dry heat (say, a rib roast, not that that's likely to 
happen), instead of by braising or steaming (and even pit barbecuing 
amounts to a form of steaming), I'd think shrinkage might be an 
issue. A rareish roast cut of equivalent raw weight would presumably 
shrink less than a braised pot roast, not so much because of the cut, 
but because the braising cut pretty much needs to be well-done, or 
nearly so, to be palatable. But between two moist-heat cuts of the 
same weight, waste does need to be considered.

A shame, though. I much prefer brisket myself.

Was the brisket the same price per pound, or larger and cheaper, 
netting the same total cost?

Adamantius (checking freezer)