Cooking for 70- yikes!

[Frank Mahovlich]

Been commissioned to cook for a party with a guest list approaching 70. Looking for recommendations / ideas to make this a very successful endeavor.

Menu:
St. Louis cut ribs
Brisket

Sides:
Mac and cheese
Cole Slaw
Kerri's apple beans
corn bread

Trying to determine how many racks of ribs to prepare, and wondering if one or two briskets will be enough.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for other side items that would be great as well.

Thanks so much in advance,
FM

 

[CptKaos]

Most I've cooked for is approx 50, I figured 1/2lb brisket 1lb ribs per person, this is uncooked weight. We had enough but no leftovers.

Larry

 

[toys4dlr]

I hope you are being paid well, as you picked the two most expensive and labor intensive meats.

Rough numbers on the lower side would be 1/4 rack and .25 lb of brisket per person and that is keeping it really tight. Will depend what type of the crowd, like a team of Football players, or bunch of little old ladies or somewhere in between.

Based on those numbers, you are going to need to cook 18 racks of ribs and you will need 17.5 after cooked weight of brisket. I get about a 45% yield on my briskets, so you are looking at about 39 lbs raw briskets. So around 3 to 4 raw briskets depending on the sizes.

A half pan of sides roughly serves 20 - 25 people.

The biggest thing is are you serving or are they serving themselves?? If they are helping themselves, the size of plate really plays a part. People often overload their plates with BBQ and then don't eat it, especially brisket. So, do have wagon wheel size plates, rather the 3 compartment 10 inch plates will really help your numbers. .

Hope you have the room on your cookers, the ribs take a lot of real estate.

Good luck

 

[W.I.T.W.A.G?]

I like to use 1/4 of meat per person. As toys4dlr said those are the toughest meats to do large scale. In a perfect set up I would prefer to slice the brisket in line per guest to get the best product and to ensure less over-serving or waste. Good luck brother (Hulk Hogan voice)

 

[Jason TQ]

3 bones a person is what I'd do along with 35-40lbs of raw brisket and with 4 sides that should be good. If you want to make it a little easier you could knock it down to 3 sides.

 

[mchar69]

I would have some pulled pork involved in the mix, maybe 30 pounds raw(?).
Very easy to do, cut back on the ribs and real estate,
it might save your bacon in a pinch.
Use slider rolls and get some sweet pickle relish if some want that, plus some Sweet Baby Ray's OR, the CWB at Costco are like 18 burger buns for $3 or so.
I WOULD Definitely do that.

 

[Demosthenes9]

I guess I'm not seeing the difficulty or labor intensiveness. Coat ribs with rub, put in smoker, remove from smoker when done. Trim briskets, coat with S&P, put in smoker, remove when done. Might be time consuming if you don't have the space to cook all the ribs or the briskets at one time, but that's different in my book.

 

[SmittyJonz]

2 Briskets in 15-17 lb range and 15-18 Racks of Ribs

 

[Frank Mahovlich]

Excellent, thanks much for all the helpful replies.

I'll be smoking using only a WSM 22, but I think I've got a solid plan in mind.

I'm going to cook the briskets first, starting around 4:00am. Gonna do them hot and fast, and I can finish them off in the oven if need be. Then then brisket will be set off to the faux cambros to rest. I want to have the ribs on by about 11:00am. Using rib racks, I can get 9 racks of ribs on each level of my WSM. Having this much meat will definitely slow the cook time of the ribs, but that should work out about right timing-wise for ringing the dinner bell.

I'm taking the two days prior off from work- I have time I need to burn, else I'll lose it- so I'll use that time to prep everything and to knock out the side items. Really looking forward to this as my just-turned-11-year-old daughter will be cooking with me. In reality, I'll probably end up being her assistant.

Slicing the brisket to-order is a fantastic idea. Thanks for that, bruddah (In Superfly Jimmy Snukka voice) you for that, W.I.T.W.A.G.?

As for the topic of being paid, this is for a family party. I'll let my uncle cover expenses, but that is about it.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Build a UDS for $100 or so to cook along side the WSM.......

 

[DownHomeQue]

I would do 3 briskets and 12-15 racks of ribs.. assuming they are paying enough to do so. Make sure you start the Briskets at least 14 hours before serving time. WSM will be very full I would see about borrowing some cookers I would rent a trailered offset and do it all at once.. If possible

 

[Deanr]

I usually like to make my sides. However I have had good luck with Mac and cheese from Gordon Food Service. They have two types, the artisan is awesome. I think its about $13.00 for a half pan.

https://www.gfs.com/en/products/pro...s/traditional-entrées/artisan-macaroni-cheese

 

[Mikhail]

Wow -- that seems like a tall order for a WSM 22". How many racks of ribs can you cook at one time?

 

[Mikhail]

If you want extra real estate there are several sub-$100 smokers on Craigslist in your area.

 

[quamdar]

Honestly I don’t know how you’re gonna pull that off with that smoker... I’d go rent one that way you can smoke it all (including beans) at once.

Personally I’d make 1.5 hotel pans of Mac, and a pan (maybe 1.5 pans) of beans. Do you have the oven space for that? I really hope you’re buying the corn bread cause unless you have two ovens you’re gonna be short oven space too...

 

[mchar69]

Looks 18 to me...

a tall order for a WSM 22". How many racks of ribs can you cook at one time?

Using rib racks, I can get 9 racks of ribs on each level of my WSM.

 

[Steve S]

If you were closer, Id lend you a WSM or two. The rubs are going to be the killer. Could you put a couple of hours of smoke on them ahead of time, then finish cooking in the oven the day of the event?

 

[toys4dlr]

You could cook the briskets the day before and reheat in the oven, while you concentrate on the ribs the day of.

Just a though