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Brisket vending question

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kmax3450

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I'm going to be selling Brisket and pulled pork at a large festival this coming weekend. Setup begins Friday 12 -6 then you can't get back in until 6 the next morning. I'll be smoking 3-4 packers thursday night. Since I've never done this before what is the best way to keep these from drying out. I plan on injecting and I guess leaving them whole then heating in smoker until they get back up to maybe 165
 
Here's how we do it (been doing this for over a year now - vending just like you) and it's been working great for us.

We trim and inject each brisket. Rub and put on smoker @ 225*.

Next - when it hits 160* - we foil and add beef broth. Foil tightly, put in a full pan and place back on smoker (this keeps any juices leaking from the foil in the pan for use later..)

Cook to about 192* then keep in a warmer or on a smoker set at about 150* - keep it foiled and whole. Then when you need to pull it out of the warmer - slice/chop (however you want to present it) - then put in a pan, add as much au jus from the foil into the pan and hot hold/serve.

This same method has been working great for us - hope it helps you and someone else :)
 
My problem is Friday between noon and 6pm I have to setup my smokers on site . after 6pm vendors aren't allowed back until 6 am. Saturday and have to be ready to serve by 11:30. I'll plan on cooking 4 to start with Thursday night. When I return Saturday i'll need to reheat those as needed. Then I guess load up the fec120 with a full load of meat. Now @ 10pm the festival is done for the day and vendors aren't allowed back until 8am. Sunday so that means I have to cook for Sunday before I leave take the food home to refrigerate come back and reheat. This seems like a nightmare to me . I'll double foil with broth or some au jus. This festival dreww over 500K last year and the promoters expect the same this year but they don't have as many vendors. I just hope I can keep the beef moist and tender. The Pulled pork I can just pull and half sauce and water then refrigerate over night that usually works.
 
He is in Maryland after all.

The above method sounds good to me, but, I suspect you are going to run out of brisket real fast. I assume you are filling the 120 with pork along with those briskets?
 
No I am cooking 4 maybe 6 briskets at home before I load in at the venue. This should be enough to start with since most people don't come until mid afternoon. I'll be loading the fec120 and my jumbo offset with butts and briskets after I get there Sat. am. I'm buying 4 cases of brisket and 6 cases of pork butts. If I get close to running out I can always go back to restaurant depot or Sam's early Sunday morning. I don't know how many food vendors are attending the event organizers said it would be less than the last year. The part I don't like is they won't allow you to keeps your vehicle onsite because having a refrigerated truck would be a big help. I am limited to what I can keep iced down in 3 150 qt coolers. In addition I am also vending sausages , chicken tenders, and hand cut fries.
 
I would have ALL your big meats pre cooked and just reheat thru the weekend as needed.
 
I've done something close to this before I opened the restaurant. I didn't have the silly requirements he has. But cooking and reheating is the way to go.

As an aside. You wonder why there are fewer food vendors? Crap like this I would walk away.
 
I am asking cause I am doing a big event this weekend, Can I precook then do what leave it whole and wrapped in fridge then take out slice and warm everythiing up? or how would you do brisket like this?
 
@ BBQ Bubba in a perfect world that's exactly what I would have done. If I only had a nice walk in cooler or commercial fridge and a little help. I spent the holiday after running two errands trimming and preping brisket and I did get 7 pre cooked. Today I have 6 cases of butt's to inject and wrap. Do't really want to see anymore brisket today. @ Pyle's you may be on to something about some vendors not returning I found out Wednesday that I can't use my generator there and have to purchase an additional electrical
hook-up @$250. Baltimore has got to be the most expensive place to vend at. The preakness 1 day event $2,000 - $2,500 avg 125k crowd Afram festival 2 day event 500k $1000 for food truck and $1500 - $2500 depending on location, Artscape 2 1/2 day event $3500 crowd not sure. you can go to Salisbury MD. 3 day $500 also has KCBS contest there.
 
That is the problem. Organizers think we are making money had over fist when we do an event. They don't realize the overhead, labor and logistics that go into doing an event. Do you have to give them a percentage of sales? If not then it might work. Just curious, what is your menu and pricing?
 
Brisket $8, Pulled Pork $7, Sausage $4, chicken tenders and fries $10, Hand cut fries $4 or $5 that's what I've been told people are paying for the fries. I'll try to see if anyone else is selling them and adjust accordingly. No percentage of sales. Hell they already got that off the top.
 
Hope things are going well. If you have, time a picture or two of the crowd and your set up would be great. I have not seen an event that will draw 500K in 2 days.
 
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