Quick cook ideas?

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bmoorhouse

Knows what a fatty is.
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My wife invited 8 of our friends and their 4 young children over for BBQ on Saturday. Unfortunately, with another commitment I have, I can't start cooking until 11:00. As we would like to serve dinner at 6:30, that does not leave much time, probably 6 hours to cook and an hour to rest.

I have had great success with a couple of pork butts and a brisket, but those took quite a bit more time than I have. Can anyone suggest any good ideas that I can smoke in the time I have? My fall back is burgers and hot dogs. Not terribly exciting, but easy to cook up quickly.
 
Ribs
Chicken
Fatties
MOINK balls
ABTs/SBTs

You could also go the hot and fast route.
 
I bet you could make some ribs work in that time frame.
 
Pork loin or tenderloin and you will be done in two hours or less. If you are not just set on pork a whole roasted beef tenderloin is always very nice.
 
Ribs, ribs, ribs. Definitely a crowd pleaser. You have more than enough time for them. Also, like others said, throw in some moinks or pig shots.
 
Prep the night before just don't season anything. Chicken and ribs are very doable with time to spare, if pre prepped. You could even set the fire up the night before, so all you have to do is light it, and let it come up to speed while putting on the seasonings. Also pork steak, country style ribs, double smoked ham, italian sausage or any combination of these, would be good for a quick cook.
Dave
 
Chicken & Ribs, Meatloaf,Pork loin, Sausage, Fajitas, Steaks, Chops, Mac & Cheese,Roasted Sweet tatoes, ABT's, Peach cobbler Grilled Vegies.
 
Not sure what your budget is.....A nice prime rib would work, a pork crown roast, rack of lamb..........hmmmmm, chicken thighs and wings, whole roasted or spatchcocked chickens..............smoked turkey breast doesn't take to long............grilled salmon, shrimp or shrimp and scallop k-bobs............a combination for surf and turf.

KC
 
If your grilling and want to serve something a little more expensive seafood skewers are always nice, maybe scallops and shrimp, or even a firm firm fish like swordfish on there too in chunks. You can make the skewers the night before and have them marinating and easy to handle and eat and really fast cooking. Throw some veggies on them too that cook in the same timeframe. You could even do some chicken ones for people who don't do seafood. I love skewers, been a long time since I did them and I have no idea why.

Good luck no matter what ya do though! I'd definitely stick with grilling over smoking though, I wouldn't want to have to worry about something getting done at exactly the right time. Every cut of meat acts so differently no doubt, some have wanted to fight me pretty good in the little bit of smoking I've got in to.
 
What are you cooking on? I can do ribs in about 3 hours on the Akorn. Simple rub and lots of wood in with the charcoal. Pull when they pass the bend test and keep in the oven until it is time to eat.
 
Ribs and chicken and fatties work. Or how bout a quick taco bar. Grill up some carne asada and maybe marinate some chicken. Put out all the fixins at let em at it.
 
All the above. With six hours, I would probably go with a couple racks of baby backs and a couple beer can chickens, maybe a fattie, some appetizer things like ABTs or pig shots to munch on while the big stuff is cooking, and some hot dogs for the kids in case they're picky and won't eat real food.
 
ABT's, moinks, pig shots, armadillo eggs, and stuff fatties for apps are easy and quick to do.
Ribs and chicken for main course as they cook quick compared to pork butt and brisket.

Those are thing things if I was limited to 6hrs of cook time with 1 hour to rest going at low and slow (below 250)

Now if I was cooking 275-300+ I would do pork butts for pulled pork or a brisket.

Now if you want pork butts or brisket but want to cook at low and slow, do an overnight cook. Start it off low and slow. Then when you wake up turn up the heat so that you can finish it before your needed time. Then pull wrap in foil and rest in a cooler or oven. The big hunks of meat will stay hot for 4+ hours in a cooler. My last party I did 4 pork butts and a brisket. I foiled and put in a cooler and would pull a pork butt out and shred them when needed throughout the party. The last pork butt was pulled at 10pm and was still hot from when i pulled it off the cooker at 2PM.
 
bmoorhouse said:
My wife invited 8 of our friends and their 4 young children over for BBQ on Saturday. Unfortunately, with another commitment I have, I can't start cooking until 11:00. As we would like to serve dinner at 6:30, that does not leave much time, probably 6 hours to cook and an hour to rest.

I have had great success with a couple of pork butts and a brisket, but those took quite a bit more time than I have. Can anyone suggest any good ideas that I can smoke in the time I have? My fall back is burgers and hot dogs. Not terribly exciting, but easy to cook up quickly.
Click to expand...

Tri-tip....for the win...
 
...and then teach your wife how to run the smoker so the next time she invites guests over, you won't be in such a crunch.....
 
Try turning them on to some pork steaks. Cheap and easy. I fire up my egg and cook about 10 minutes each side. Then I throw them in the slow cooker for about 2 hours on high. I submerge in store sauce mixed with a beer or a little vinegar. Then drizzle with the cooking sauce when they come out.
While they are getting happy in the crock pot it leaves you plenty of time to cook any of the above.
 
Wow, I really need to broaden my horizons! You guys listed several great ideas. I will bounce some of them off my wife and see what we decide.

As for the overnight cook, that would be a great idea, except I seem to have to adjust my Kamado Joe's vents too much to leave it unattended. I know the grill can handle it, I just have to get better at setting the vents. Eventually...

And of course, now I have to go look up ABT's, moinks, and pig shots as I have never heard of those :)
 
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