The Top Spots to Source Amazing Beef Brisket in Toronto

Beef brisket is a prized BBQ cut that requires patience and skill to perfectly smoke or slow cook into tender, mouthwatering perfection. For Torontonians craving slices of sublime brisket, here’s the inside scoop on where to source the best beef brisket across the city.

What Makes Great Beef Brisket?

Before diving into where to procure it let’s look at what defines fabulous brisket

• Tenderness – Properly prepared brisket should be fork tender and pull apart easily. If chewy, it’s undercooked.

• Smoke flavor – The brisket should have a mild smoky essence infused into the meat, not just surface smoke.

• Bark – The exterior bark should have a robust rub flavor and be crusty yet slightly yielding to the touch.

• Moisture – While often fatty the interior meat should still have adequate moisture and not be dry.

• Seasoning – The brisket flavor should shine through seasoning with the rub playing a supporting role.

• Fat – Well marbled fat should render during cooking, basting the meat in its own juices.

When buying brisket in Toronto, look for these hallmarks of quality.

Toronto’s Top Beef Brisket Joints

Known for serving stellar brisket, these Toronto hot spots should top your list:

• Barque Smokehouse – Expertly smoked brisket with a peppery bark that’s beautifully moist and flavorful.

• Beach Hill Smokehouse – Texas-style brisket smoked low and slow over oak and hickory for up to 18 hours.

• Pig Out BBQ – Simple but outstanding brisket full of beefy richness and sopping with juices.

• Cherry Street Bar-B-Que – Nicely crusted brisket slices full of oak smoke flavor and fork-tender meat.

• Grand Electric – Burnt ends and thick slices served with bourbon BBQ sauce and pickles.

• The Stockyards – Old school joint cooking up brisket the traditional Southern way since 2009.

Ordering Brisket for Pick-Up or Delivery

If you don’t feel like dining out, brisket can also be ordered online for pickup or delivery from:

• The Butcher Shoppe – Fresh, hand-trimmed 10 lb briskets available for contactless delivery.

• Chuck’s Burgers – Offers chilled pre-cooked brisket by the pound with reheating instructions.

• Dailo Foods – Sells heat-and-serve brisket and burnt ends with sides and sauces.

• The Friendly Giant BBQ – Smoked brisket plate kits available for pickup or delivery.

• Hogtown Smoke – Preorder their competition-style brisket online for pickup Wednesday to Sunday.

Getting High Quality Raw Brisket to Prepare

For cooking brisket yourself, visit:

• The Healthy Butcher – Carries Creekstone Farms brisket sourced from humanely raised cattle.

• Cumbrae’s – Offers Australian Wagyu brisket along with prime Canadian briskets.

• Marbl – Specialty butcher with 100% grass-fed brisket options.

• Whole Foods – Stocks quality certified briskets to cook low and slow.

• Fiesta Farms – Has Creekstone brisket and occasionally grass-fed brisket.

Look for well-marbled brisket at least 1.5 inches thick for the best results.

Brisket Quality Varies – Buy from Reputable Sources

To ensure you get the best brisket in Toronto:

• Avoid super cheap brisket – Low prices mean it may be poor quality or improperly butchered.

• Inspect marbling – Brisket needs ample thin marbling versus large chunks of fat.

• Checkthickness – Thinner than 1.5 inches dries out faster when cooking.

• Ask about rubs – Some salts and rubs prevent smoke absorption. Go plain.

• Consider grass-fed – Leaner than grain-fed but gains flavor from longer cooking time.

Putting thought into your brisket selection means you’re well on your way to brisket bliss!

So for meat lovers looking where to find beefy, smoky sliced brisket heaven in Toronto, swing by one of these top spots to get your fix. Or for making it yourself at home, we covered the best places to source high-quality briskets to lovingly smoke or braise yourself. Got another favorite brisket source? Let everyone know in the comments!