Favorite Brisket Packer

[PaulstheRibList]

We use Sysco for our wholesaler, and we've been running into more and more problems in getting consistent brisket supply. Apparently, Sysco uses "Buckhead Beef" as a source, in Georgia. Sysco has their house label, and is also a CAB dealer. We've been using CAB Choice some, and CAP Prime a lot (when we can get it).

But since I'm not ordering the same amount every week, I don't get a "slot" and I get shorted regularly. I'm up for getting a slot, but I want a slot with the packer we like. We're getting busier and busier, cooking between 20-50 briskets a week, as we ramp up to opening our restaurant later this year and doing catering orders.

Here are the packer's we've used for Sysco/Buckhead/CAB in the order of our liking:
National Beef - more consistent sizing and trim is usual
IBP - has had irregular sizing (6 pound briskets in the case with 14's)
Excel - not as great, sometimes a ton of fat cap

Previously, I've used 1855 in Choice. It was good. Sometimes we would get funky trims, with this extra on the nose from the neighboring cut that ended up as waste.

I'm learning that maybe Sysco just isn't a big player in the Prime Brisket world, at least in my area. I find this surprising, they are a huge company, but here I am, unable it seems, to get anyting past these three?

MY QUESTION: What are your top packers for upper-quality briskets?

Mr. Franklin has made Creekstone Farms famous.
What other packers (and the wholesalers attached) are your using?
Have used?
Ones to avoid?
Best to cook?
Best value?

[nachos4life]

national beef is what we usually end up with here in indy. Its decent. sometimes the trims are BS and some briskets are gashed to hell. but they are consistent at least. The CAB at RD are good but not reliably available.

[seangoggin]

Here in GA Sysco was unfortunately our best bet. The IBP were the best with issues in sizing like you'd mentioned. One week we'd get 6# brisket the next 14# honkers. Tried going to US Foods, I can't remember the packs, but the quality was always shot and they couldn't supply us anything but the flat.

Sorry I can't be of much help.

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[HBMTN]

Please let us know if you find something as in 10 years I've had the same problem. I have a strong suspicion that the bigger buyers don't have this problem. Take Franklin for instance, in his book if memory serves me correctly he said he was buying like 20,000-30,000 lbs per month from Creek Stone. I'd be willing to bet that if any of us were buying this amount from Sysco we could describe how we like our brisket and they would make it happen with consistency. If they didn't then I bet several of their competitors would to get that account.

[PaulstheRibList]

Thanks for the feedback HBMTN and seangoggin.

I've had conversations with Gordon Food Service, who owns Halpern's, and Colorado Boxed Beef in the past couple days. Both had really good info and solid leads on lots of Prime Brisket. Next to visit with is Ben-E-Keith.

I'll keep you up to date.

[medic92]

I ran into the same problem with Sysco here in Illinois. They were getting brisket from Iowa Premium, but the the flats were very thin and the fat cap was sometimes over two inches thick. They also had packers from Excel, but most of them looked like they succumbed to sabre wounds at the Battle of Shiloh.
I started going to Sam's Club for my brisket, simply because I can have them bring out a few cases and I can actually look at them and choose the ones I want. They've locked me into a lower price as long as I commit to two cases a week, which is great because I usually go through at least three.

[PaulstheRibList]

Originally Posted by medic92

I ran into the same problem with Sysco here in Illinois. They were getting brisket from Iowa Premium, but the the flats were very thin and the fat cap was sometimes over two inches thick. They also had packers from Excel, but most of them looked like they succumbed to sabre wounds at the Battle of Shiloh.
I started going to Sam's Club for my brisket, simply because I can have them bring out a few cases and I can actually look at them and choose the ones I want. They've locked me into a lower price as long as I commit to two cases a week, which is great because I usually go through at least three.

That's good to know about Sam's! I haven't tried hard to get to the Meat Manager, so I've been leaving something on the table! What we heard from them is that they cannot guarantee having Prime's each week.

[ynotfehc]

Do you have any butcher shops in your area that also do wholesale accounts? Here in Minneapolis and St Paul we have a few that sell to re as restaurants, but I've talked to other regular butcher shops and they are sometimes willing to order for special requests.

[qnbiker]

FYI, Sysco owns Buckhead Beef.

[Philly-QueMaster]

Originally Posted by seangoggin

Here in GA Sysco was unfortunately our best bet. The IBP were the best with issues in sizing like you'd mentioned. One week we'd get 6# brisket the next 14# honkers. Tried going to US Foods, I can't remember the packs, but the quality was always shot and they couldn't supply us anything but the flat.

Sorry I can't be of much help.

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Hey Sean I just noticed you're from Savannah. I'm just a stones throw away over in Bluffton, SC. I'd love to meet up some time and talk Q if you're up to it. Let me know!

[Bbq Bubba]

Look for Iowa Beef brand Black Angus CAB. You'll thank me later.