How to Orchestrate ?

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Cliff H.

Master Chef
Joined
Mar 18, 2006
Messages
6,143
Location
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Just wondering how to put it all together.

Due to the variety of cooking times involved with pulled pork, ribs and chicken, how is the best way to put it all together if someone wants you to pull your smoker to the party ?

Do you have the pulled pork cooked and resting when you arrive ?
 
Well you got all kinds of choices here..the most logical of which would involve precooking the meat in advance...freezing..and planning a simple thaw and reheat job on the pit the day of the party. If you was wanting to cook something at the scene of the crime..I would pick the chickens. If you want to cook two things on D-day I would add the ribs. If you wanted the utmost time to devote to having fun..bring it all cooked and warm to the party and just fire up the pit to let em smell some smoke and bring the meats back up to above 160.

bigwheel
 
I also agree with Jeff. The most popular meal I serve is pork, ribs and chicken (drumsticks). I cook and vac-pack the pork in 5 pound packs ( this fills a 1/2 pan perfectly). The day of the service I heat the pork in a turkey fryer and transport to the site in a cooler full of hot water. Also that morning I cook the ribs for three hours and then foil them. I transport them in a cooler or in the warming box on my pit (Lang). At the site I cook the chicken as hot as I can get the pit. On mt lower rack of my pit I can fit 120 drumsticks.The chicken takes around 2-2 1/2 hours, toward the end of this cook I put the ribs on the top and sauce them ( I can fit 18 slabs flat on the pit). Then it's just setting up the buffet line. You do need a bunch of coolers or Cambro type holding boxes but it's not to hard to serve 150-200 people this way.
 
I cook it on site and just vary the time I put it in and take it out. Cooking in advance is great, but it requires an entirely different type of license. You need to have a commercial kitchen, to be legal. What they need to see, is that you can cool that food quickly enough, transport it safely in either cold or hot mode, and reheat it quickly enough. If you are catering as an "outlaw" it ain't gonna matter. To be compliant, unless you have a commercial kitchen, better cook on-site.
 
Cliff,
As others have said pre-cooking is the way to go. The last thing you want is a bunch of hungry people asking how much longer until we eat! I've vacuum sealed and reheated (like Rich said)pork and ribs with great success. The chicken cooking will add the "Grill Factor" people want when they're eating Q. They're never know the difference!!
 
Coming in a little late on the topic, but I did just get here. I agree with bw that precook/advance prep is the way to make money in most bbq caters.

Woodman, you really dont camp out all night doing briskets and butts do ya?
 
Bubba-Q said:
Coming in a little late on the topic, but I did just get here. I agree with bw that precook/advance prep is the way to make money in most bbq caters.

Woodman, you really dont camp out all night doing briskets and butts do ya?

Yep, sure do Bubba! Just like a cook-off! I only do a limited number of cooks. I am not certain just what the logistics of reheating food for 200-400 would be!
 
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