help me understand...

[Tut-T-Que]

So ive done my first event, it went great. But i need to know some answers to questions i have.....here we go.
1.-is it ok to cook food the day before and reheat the day of? Anotehr bbq vendor asked us how we did so great and we explained i cooked everything the day of and all throughout the day. The man said they cook their food the day before and reheat. When you get into the big fairs and things, is this acceptable or no? If so, does the que get affected by cooking partially or all the way and then put back on the smoker to be reheated? My biggest problem was keeping the ribs plentiful, they take 4-5 hrs. I had 30 ready by 10, but the other 30 took till approx 2 to be finished. Is there anything i can do to help me out, because in order to sell the product, the product must be readily available.
2.- i have a custom pits a1 smoker. Im starting to feel this may not be big enough to feed "the masses". Or do i just not know the loop holes with the event ordeal? Im brand new to this, this is a part time ordeal for me as i have a full time job as it is. I love cooking, but i love being efficient also. So i am always open ears to finding out every possible way of doing things the right way.

Ill leave this here. Hopefully your knowledge on this subject can help me become more knowledgable in this area of expertise. Thanks

[kurtsara]

We smoke fresh overnight for every event, even a couple four day events.

[Hogsmoker]

I think there are alot of vendors that will cook and hold and there are many that reheat. It just depends on your needs and equipment. Of Course fresh off the original cook is best but properly cooled and reheated meat can still be a good product. Extra care needs to be given to keep from drying it out though. I would't recommend busting up your buts , just separate into quarters or fifths (primal) and keep some of the rendered fat from the cook to mix with it when you do reheat it. Ribs can be reheated in pans with some apple juice but not too much or too long, just warm up to safe temp then as your vending have grills set up for direct heat . Place the warmed ribs on the grill and baste and flip till a good caramelized coating. They will be pretty hot at this point . You cant really keep them long after this as they will be hard to hold as far as quality at this point.

Like I said fresh is best but when dealing with crowds you just need to to be able to meet the demand as best you can safely as well as putting out the best product that you can live with. So its up to you and your available time and equipment I guess.

Hope this helped some, I am sure there are many others on here that can point you in the right direction as well. Good luck in your ventures
Rodney

[sunrise]

It is ok to pre cook some things, but you have to be aware that it is not going to be the same quality as you serve is fresh cooked. Thats the reason the other fellow asked "how you did so well", your food was just cooked & theirs was pre done. The best one to get away with advance cooking is pulled pork, it will hold well, & reheat well, we cook, pull and vacuum pack each butt, then to re warm put it in a 1/2 pan add a bit of apple juice and some sauce, cover with foil and put in the smoker to warm. I have done the same with my ribs, but they are just not the same quality, & I hesitate to do them that way.
On my ribs though, I have a Lang 60, it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get them done, & I have figured my time accordingly. I rub, put in the Lang for 1 1/2 hours, wrap with foil for 1 hour, they are done, I sauce to set & pull. I cook at about 280-300 in the Land, and it works for us. When they are done, I keep them whole and dont cut the racks until needed, and keep covered in a cambro. They will hold very well for up to 5 hours that way. As Hogsmoker said, fresh is best.

[Tut-T-Que]

thanks guys

[kurtsara]

Originally Posted by sunrise

It is ok to pre cook some things, but you have to be aware that it is not going to be the same quality as you serve is fresh cooked. Thats the reason the other fellow asked "how you did so well", your food was just cooked & theirs was pre done. The best one to get away with advance cooking is pulled pork, it will hold well, & reheat well, we cook, pull and vacuum pack each butt, then to re warm put it in a 1/2 pan add a bit of apple juice and some sauce, cover with foil and put in the smoker to warm. I have done the same with my ribs, but they are just not the same quality, & I hesitate to do them that way.
On my ribs though, I have a Lang 60, it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get them done, & I have figured my time accordingly. I rub, put in the Lang for 1 1/2 hours, wrap with foil for 1 hour, they are done, I sauce to set & pull. I cook at about 280-300 in the Land, and it works for us. When they are done, I keep them whole and dont cut the racks until needed, and keep covered in a cambro. They will hold very well for up to 5 hours that way. As Hogsmoker said, fresh is best.

Are you legal using a vacuum pack for commercial sale?