Biggest cook to date next Saturday

[JimmyR1Rider]

Hows everyone been? Been busy as a one armed paper hanger here.

Doing a rather large cook next Saturday. Looking forward to the challenge and dreading it at the same time in a way. I'm a one man show basically and will be feeding 120 next Saturday for member of my volunteer fire company on long island. I'm a member but not an active one anymore obviously. It's going to be for a surprise party commemorating a member that has reached 50 years of service.

I'll be doing pulled pork, brisket, ribs, cornbread, potato salad, coleslaw and macaroni salad and possibly beans but most likely not. No mac and cheese.

I'm figuring 30lbs finsihed product of pp and brisket and 30 racks of ribs. This will give each person 1/4lb of each protein and 3 ribs a person.

I'm figuring 20lbs of each salad.

Will do 3 trays of cornbread.

I'm not sure if 20lbs of each salad would be enough so anyone that has catered I'd welcome your input.

Anyway, thanks for reading and hope everyone is well.

 

[sudsandswine]

My first off the cuff response is that you're over estimating the meat, especially ribs. Half pound total of pulled pork and brisket plus a few bones each on average, plus sides? My other off the cuff reaction is that 3 different kinds and styles of meat will greatly complicate your cook, not even factoring in sides. [Edit - 30lbs cooked of pork and brisket combined, or 30lbs cooked each?]

Lots of people do it, but having cooked pork and brisket for 200 people...it was a TON of work and I had a helper. You have the right cooker for the job at hand though.

Good luck and looking forward to pics :thumb:

 

[JimmyR1Rider]

My first off the cuff response is that you're over estimating the meat, especially ribs. Half pound total of pulled pork and brisket plus a few bones each on average, plus sides? My other off the cuff reaction is that 3 different kinds and styles of meat will greatly complicate your cook, not even factoring in sides.

Lots of people do it, but having cooked pork and brisket for 200 people...it was a TON of work and I had a helper.

Good luck and looking forward to pics :thumb:

Thanks for the reply.

30 of each

My wife will be helping me make the sides in advance, I'll seal them in the chamber sealer and transfer to serving vessels at the firehouse as needed.

I'll be feeding firefighters and their families, we tend to eat like animals lol.

I was planning on going hot and fast and holding the briskets and pork for a few hours in the warmer at 175 before service time and get the ribs done in the time between to where they were being cut at the same time the briskets being sliced and pork pulled.

I'll have some probies and junior men of the fire company there to help slice and to serve everyone so I think I'll have time built in for transitions. They helped me serve the last time I cooked for the companies yearly ex captains night.

Again, I'm no expert and appreciate your taking the time to reply.

 

[JimmyR1Rider]

Cook went great but I got an ass whooping at the same time. Turned out weather wise to be hot and humid.

I was happy to do it and luckily it all turned out well. Ribs I was in the weeds a bit so I was pressed for time so they could have used another 30-40 minutes to really loosen up and become tender like I usually get them but they had to be served.

I arrived at the firehouse at 2:15 am and the butt's and briskets went in at 3:15. They were done right at about 10:45. Ribs went on at about 11:15. Service was at around 2:15, 2:30ish. Normally they'd be done but with wrapping and saucing 30 racks at stages they were out of the heat for long enough it slowed the cooking process. Oh well, can't win em all.

Was just happy that everyone enjoyed the food, ribs included, there were no complaints and felt good when people made sure to find who cooked and thank me. Added bonus on top of Jack and his family enjoying the food.

The brisket was the star of the show by the reviews. People came back for seconds, thirds and a few fourths. The pulled pork everyone loved as well but as we all know there's something about brisket that people go nuts for. Especially when there's only famous Dave's and then a few hole in the wall places that also aren't great.

Was a nice ceremony the company put on for him.

Also need to thank my awesome wife, she made the salads and helped me with the cornbread. Couldnt have done it without her.

Luckily I noticed the day before the front left on the trailer was low so I went to fill it and realized I had a pin hole in the valve stem. Got that fixed on my lunch break.

Like an idiot I didn't get finished pics of the briskets or pulled pork.

 

[olddawg]

lmao just send me a pan of that coleslaw

 

[wihint]

Great looking cook! It ain't easy doing good Que for that many folks congratulations sir!

 

[Hoss]

Nice work!:thumb:

 

[JimmyR1Rider]

Great looking cook! It ain't easy doing good Que for that many folks congratulations sir!

Thanks very much Bill. It was a challenge but feel it was a good achievement. Had 2 people tell me it was the best food they've ever had and another tell me he thought he'd had great bbq at a certain place but after this it doesn't compare. Felt great to know people enjoyed our food that much.

Nice work!:thumb:

Thanks Hoss.

 

[ShadowDriver]

Well done, Jimmy!

Your boss lady sure did take care of you! That's a lot of salad and slaw!

Grub looks great, and we're always our own harshest critic (I try to remember that, too).

Thanks for sharing the adventure with us!

 

[pjtexas1]

That's awesome brother! My wife has family and family friends on Long Island that are fire fighters. Big cooks like that will whoop you but seeing everyone enjoy the food is worth it. :thumb:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Pork Floyd]

Hey...great cook!

What temp did you cook at?

 

[cfrazier77]

Good looking grub there. I have to ask, what where you doing with the Halligan bar?

 

[JimmyR1Rider]

Well done, Jimmy!

Your boss lady sure did take care of you! That's a lot of salad and slaw!

Grub looks great, and we're always our own harshest critic (I try to remember that, too).

Thanks for sharing the adventure with us!

Thanks bro! Yeah she's great. Hooked me up. True I'm definitely super hard on myself. Everyone chowed down on everything with not one complaint, only rave reviews so I need to not beat myself up. Was a super satisfying day, as well as the first time that outside guests including local politicians ate my food. If I knew politicians would be there I would have made a "special" pan for them lol.

That's awesome brother! My wife has family and family friends on Long Island that are fire fighters. Big cooks like that will whoop you but seeing everyone enjoy the food is worth it. :thumb:

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thanks Paul. Yeah it whooped me for sure but spot on that it feels great to see people enjoy the food. Makes it 100% worth the torture.

Hey...great cook!

What temp did you cook at?

Thanks floyd. 300'ish sometimes 275 sometimes 315 that was basically the range.

Good looking grub there. I have to ask, what where you doing with the Halligan bar?

Thanks cfrazier..... you caught it!! Good eye. I had forgot my shirley poker at the house and the only thing available was a halligan so I had a 12lb poker. Gave me quite the workout lmao!!!

 

[cfrazier77]

Thanks cfrazier..... you caught it!! Good eye. I had forgot my shirley poker at the house and the only thing available was a halligan so I had a 12lb poker. Gave me quite the workout lmao!!!

Fellow fire fighter, hard to miss the tools of the business.