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Any frequent Costco shopper will tell you that if you’ve never been there, there are a few must-buy items you have to try on your first trip. With that said, not every Kirkland Signature product — the chain’s store brand — is worth the purchase. Customers seem to have some serious beef with Costco’s burnt ends, which have been described as too tough or too fatty and having way too much gristle.
The Kirkland Signature burnt ends are made from seasoned and smoked beef brisket; they’re packaged fully cooked, so all the customer has to do is add sauce, if desired. You can serve them with a homemade barbecue sauce, eat them as-is, or turn them into brisket sandwiches or tacos. Despite the meat’s versatility, this dish is one of Costco’s frequently returned food items. Although Costco’s website doesn’t have any customer reviews of the product, people have voiced their opinions about the meat on various forums like Reddit.
Customer reviews make the brisket a tough sell
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Anyone who reads customer reviews of the brisket burnt ends likely wouldn’t pick it up off the shelf. The general consensus is the burnt ends are no good, but there are varying opinions on what exactly makes them so bad. One Reddit user described the package as a “bucket of burnt gristle and fat,” with another Redditor stating, “They’re not fatty, they are fat coated.” And other reviewers claimed the brisket they received was actually too dry, with no fat to be found. “Ours was dry and tough. We would have welcomed a bit of fat,” they wrote.
It seems there could be some quality-control issues with the meat, and perhaps not every package is prepared with the same fat-to-meat ratio. In a separate Reddit thread, one user described them as edible but anyone who has ever made their own brisket wouldn’t like it. The verdict could depend, too, on an individual’s familiarity with brisket’s flavor and texture.
Not everyone agrees with the harsh negativity, though. One user didn’t necessarily rave about the brisket but felt it was salvageable. “Thought they tasted alright but were too dry,” the user wrote. “Slathered in BBQ they’re solid. Fat didn’t bother me.” Ultimately, it might come down to personal preference. The brisket could be a quick fix if you don’t own a smoker or can’t spend hours slow-cooking this otherwise-tough cut of beef.
Dining and Cooking