I have used smithfields, product is good. Don't trust it by the case though.
Joe I saw that response. I think Excel packs some good products. My problem is consistancy, 20 cases you know three will be crap.
For the restaurant pull back deal:
Depends on the price being paid for the meal. Utility cooking or catering people expect to have cheaper meat. And will live with white bones sticking out like some type of muscle with a compound fracture. But the hire end you go on your food the more sophisticated the consumer. In catering you charge $45 per plate for ribs and have bone creep, they are going to know you went down in carcass grade, or worse yet, purchased no roll. People know the differnce in meat grades when they start being willing to spend real money on food. And that will get you fired from the job in the future.
It also shows you spend no time looking at and inspecting you meat. I reject a lot of cases of meat that come in without the proper cover. You want to keep the warehouse in the mode where you never get sent the crap. Reject a couple cases every quarter back to the warehouse and they begin to realize you are not the place they should send their crap cases.
Pull back comes from in proper cover on the cut. That either means the packing house purchased unfinished animals, or the cutter screwed up the trim. Either way I don't want it for a catering.
Don't get me wrong, the meat will usually taste fine, but given the choice at the store I will feel up a lot of ribs prior to selecting one. I even leave stores for a different store if they have all crap.
Don't get me wrong, it is not for everyone, but for those that want to learn to select the ribs with the proper cover, there are rewards in a nicer looking product, at tastier product and an excellent presentation at table side.
Now I am adding the emoticon disclaimer, I am not picking on anyone and not trying to tell people to do things different, I am just saying this is something to think about adding to your knowledge. Add in the smilies and crap like that so you realize I am just passing on information about how it works when you do it for your catering money.
We do not utility cater so I can not speak for those down in the $18 per plate cost events.