Tips, Tricks & Just Good Advice! > Burn it in the Back Yard with Hub!
Question regarding first cook for a large group
grossie:
So, after pricing the catering options for my daughter's graduation party, I decided "I can do it at least that good. And a heck of a lot cheaper."
I've done quite a few pork butts now, but never more than two at a time. This time I'm doing 40 lbs in my 30" Cajun Injector smoker (electric). My question is whether I should plan on more time for cook, since there is more pork, or should it take (about) the same time?
The graduation is Saturday morning and the party starts at 2 PM Saturday. I was planning on taking off on Friday and starting the cook around 8:00, hoping to be done around midnight, then foil, towel, cooler.
What is your experience?
Thanks,
Grossie
sliding_billy:
It just depends on how many lbs per butt (compared to previous cooks) and cooking temp you will maintain in the smoker. Are you doing pulled pork or sliced?
P.S. Am I reading it right that you are planning on holding the butts for 12 hours after taking them off?
TentHunteR:
Ironically my daughter just graduated this past Friday evening as well . Her party will be this coming Saturday, we're catering it ourselves and we've already got it pretty well handled.
I do a few large cookouts for 50 - 150 folks every year (Church cookouts & I've done the annual H.S. Marching band bbq/cookout the past three years running).
PLANNING IS KEY!
- Plan your menu and have EVERYTHING written out, so you don't forget to buy anything. Write down each and every menu item and what you will need (ingredients, foil pan, etc.). This way you don't forget to buy anything.
- Plan as many side dishes as possible that require easy or no cooking. Large pans of roasted potatoes are easy and cheap and so are large pans of Mac & cheese.
- Plan meats that don't require a lot of babysitting or ones that you can keep coming hot & fresh off the grill and are easy to cook. For very large crowds Sausages work really well. You can cook some up put them in a pan to keep warm and keep cooking & adding to the pan as folks go through the line. Your pulled pork idea works well too because it can all be cooked ahead of time (same with pulled beef).
- Plan your time-line for cooking and write it out on a large sheet of paper or poster board, especially if you have others helping. This way everyone knows what's happening and when. Trust me, DO NOT TRY TO WING IT! And do NOT be afraid to delegate specific tasks to individuals.
Planning cuts w-a-a-a-a-y down on stress, and allows you to enjoy the experience!
muebe:
The more meat in your smoker the more time it will add. That electric heating element can only put out so much energy and there will be more meat absorbing that energy.
I would pre-prepare the butts a day or two before the party and pull them. Then refrigerate in large ziplock bags so you can reheat in a 200F oven in aluminum serving trays right before the party.
Butts can be unpredictable and sometimes take a long time to finish. The last thing you want is people standing around waiting to eat.
TentHunteR:
--- Quote from: muebe on May 28, 2013, 09:33:51 AM ---The last thing you want is people standing around waiting to eat.
--- End quote ---
Words well spoken! Especially if it's a larger crowd.
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