There aren’t many substitutes for brisket in terms of flavor and tenderness.

The economics of selling brisket are broken. And for now, pitmasters are stuck selling an unprofitable product.

Texas barbecue has a math problem. Specifically, with the cost of brisket. Both in how much a pitmaster pays to acquire and cook the raw product and in what the customer pays to consume the finished product.

This has resulted in the unthinkable: some barbecue joint pitmasters have considered removing brisket from their menus, if only temporarily. No one is willing to go on the record yet, though.

How did we get here? Essentially, it’s due to the stubbornly high cost of beef, specifically brisket. The economics of selling brisket are broken.

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First, a quick refresher on how brisket is made and sold. Conservatively, it costs a barbecue........

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