Yuk, brisket is supposed to be tenderized with a long cooking time. We did ours in the pressure cooker. 1.5 hours and it tasted great!

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Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
It's Walmart. Probably imported It from China.

I have had that over tenderized beef in China at a hot pot restaurant. Supplier got it for us because Americans like beef and they were being good hosts. But at least it was beef, and not the multitude of other things that normally are cooked in a hot pot (goose intenstine, pig's blood, cow stomach, various other organs, etc.)

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Walmart Corned Beef

Isn't that kind of like gas station sushi?

There ought to be a thread....What NOT to buy at Walmart!

Not surprising that the meat you bought from Walmart was terrible. I had a similar experience after buying a pork roast at Aldi. It had way too much tenderizer in it and it was mushy- a very strange consistency after cooking. I will stick to Costco and Publix for meat in the future. We also have a local market chain that has good meat.

Walmart is good for buying canned goods, toothpaste, shotgun shells, etc., but not fresh food

I have no need to go to Area 51 again. I’ve been to Walmart.

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Originally posted by Blume9mm:
One of my top rules in life..

"life is too short to eat cheap food, drink cheap liquor, smoke cheap cigars or buy cheap guns.... and etc."

100%. Especially when they’re many other excellent choices. Are you really saving that much.

I can't speak to the quality of the meat but the papain sure didn't help. It's a proteolytic enzyme similar to bromelain, which is found in pineapple. If you've ever let meat marinade too long in pineapple juice you've experienced the texture OP is describing and it is not pleasant. Some shortcuts just aren't worth the time they save.

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Originally posted by 1lowlife:
You had me at

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Walmart: Never Again

I don't buy anything at Walmart. Haven't been in a few years, and the only times I do go is when on a road trip to unpopulated areas, because there's always a Walmart and they carry lots of stuff.

I once marinaded chicken with fresh pineapple. It was gross. A similar enzyme to papain in it.

If you have a Costco check for brisket. $3.50/lb for prime grade. Eye of round is corned often but it’s not the best texture. Better for thin sliced deli style sandwich than steamed corned beef slices on a plate. In my experience corned eye of round is chewy if too thick.

I never knew how much better the meat was elsewhere until we started getting our meat from local NC & VA farmers at the local farmers market. We go in with friends and buy a cow then split it. The meat lasts nearly all year. There are a few local butchers and farmers that I buy my meat from exclusively. The pork is where I’ve noticed the biggest difference.