Catering for 500! Help!

[backyardchef]

Ok, so we were just offered a political fundraiser gig on Aug 3 cooking for 500 people. I'm a little freaked out right now. It is for a presidential candidate but I can't mention her name. :wink:

Chicken, ribs and pork w/ sides and salads. I'm guessing about 90 pounds of raw pork, 125 slabs of ribs and 100+ pounds of chicken-- I haven't figured out that piece-- any suggestions?

Extras...
35 quarts of beans
65 pounds of cole slaw
75 pounds of potato salad.

50 packs of potato rolls
40 pints of sauce

What do you think? This is the largest gig we've ever been offered.....I'm a nervous mess..:icon_smil ..and will need lots of help. Anyone interested? The gig will be far out in Eastern Suffolk on Long Island.....

 

[JD McGee]

WOW!...way out of my league brother...but you have my best wishes for you, your crew, AND the "female candidate"!!! :eusa_clap

 

[big brother smoke]

:shock: That's the big one brother, so you better calm down a wee bit. Nerves are good; keeps you balanced I think:biggrin:

Here is brother So EZZY's catering planner for starts: http://bbq-review.com/planner/catering1.xls

Good luck, feel free to PM if you need to talk.

 

[parrothead]

It's in Long Island? We don't have any brethren from there do we?

Interesting. I'll be wishing you luc, but not the candidate.

Just think how many big contacts you may be able to give cards to.

 

[ModelMaker]

Too far away to help, guess my best wishes will have to do.
ModelMaker

 

[BBQchef33]

ok.. call me!



BUT........Do I have to vote for her?


btw.. your estimates look low on meat.

 

[YankeeBBQ]

Good Luck ! I'll be competing in Maine or else I'd jump in and give you a hand.

 

[YankeeBBQ]

Ok, so we were just offered a political fundraiser gig on Aug 3 cooking for 500 people. I'm a little freaked out right now. It is for a presidential candidate but I can't mention her name. :wink:

Chicken, ribs and pork w/ sides and salads. I'm guessing about 90 pounds of raw pork, 125 slabs of ribs and 100+ pounds of chicken-- I haven't figured out that piece-- any suggestions?

Extras...
35 quarts of beans
65 pounds of cole slaw
75 pounds of potato salad.

50 packs of potato rolls
40 pints of sauce

What do you think? This is the largest gig we've ever been offered.....I'm a nervous mess..:icon_smil ..and will need lots of help. Anyone interested? The gig will be far out in Eastern Suffolk on Long Island.....

You do mean 90 pounds of cooked pork right ?

 

[parrothead]

Meat sounds fairly decent to me. After all, he is having 3 meats along with the sides. Besides, he isn't new to this thing.

 

[backyardchef]

ok.. call me!



BUT........Do I have to vote for her?


btw.. your estimates look low on meat.

Meat sounds fairly decent to me. After all, he is having 3 meats along with the sides. Besides, he isn't new to this thing.

I'll take any and all advice.....The numbers felt pretty good, but it was a first draft....I'll definitely give it a closer look.

Thanks, Phil.....I'll be calling....

Good luck in Maine, Steve.....wish you could be in both places......

 

[BBQchef33]

i read it as 90lb raw pork.. which may yield 40-45 lbs. 3-4 people per/lb 120-160 people.

ribs, 3 per slab, 375 people.

chicken 100 lbs? better off by the piece our bird.. u KNOW a bird will yield 8 pieces... but a 50 lb case can be 50 pieces, or 150 pieces depending on sizes.. it cn fluctuate to the point of screwing your numbers.

understood not all wil eat everything, but it still sounds a tad low.

 

[parrothead]

I'm scrubbing because I can.

 

[backyardchef]

I would much rather err on having too much than too little, so the feedback is appreciated.

 

[Rusty_Barton]

Cookbook with recipes for 100 servings

Here is the online link to the U.S. Armed Forces cookbook. The recipes are geared for 100 servings.
This might give you some idea about how much food to prepare per 100 people.

It's in PDF format, so you need to have the free Adobe Acrobat reader to view it.

http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/aces/publications/pubs/recipes/index/full_index.pdf

 

[Jorge]

Best of luck, and I don't care who the candidate is!

 

[ApronGuy]

Logistically, how does one cook 125 slabs of ribs? That must be some big smoker.

 

[grillfella]

The amount seems about right, make sure you give yourself enough time. Make sure you have people serving (or they might pile up on food) I don't think it is all you can eat. Don't forget the little things like extra utensiles and plates, make sure you bring your eazy ups, I can't tell you how important they are. Don't worry you guys will do fine. We will all be Q'ing with you in spirit:-D

GOOD LUCK BROTHER

 

[backyardchef]

Logistically, how does one cook 125 slabs of ribs? That must be some big smoker.

Or small ribs

Lots of ways to do it if you don't have a megahuge cooker...

One example would be to cook a load till they have the right look (color, etc.), then stack in a pan or on the grate, or foil and stack to finish cooking and put on the next load. Remove the first stack and rest when they're ready, then stack the next batch and repeat the process. I'm not afraid to layer. We had beef ribs 3 deep at various points during the big apple bbq block party. Probably had at least 100 racks going at a time.

 

[backyardchef]

I don't care who the candidate is!

Me either, Jorge! I'm not doing it for the politics, just the glory :lol:

 

[timzcardz]

BBQ seems to have become the big thing for political fund raisers here in NY.

Governor Spitzer had his yesterday. http://www.spitzer2010.com/bbq