Stupid Question... When and Where do you cook?

[Ron_L]

For those vending out of a trailer or truck, when and where do you cook your BBQ? Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, etc. don't seem to be stuff that can be cooked on site, so when and where do you cook?

 

[Bbq Bubba]

At your commissary.

Dont you have a commissary?

 

[Ron_L]

At your commissary.

Dont you have a commissary?

No, but I also don't have business :-D

So would you set up a smoker outside of the commissary and cook overnight for the next day? Or start early for that day?

 

[cpw]

If we're vending, we'll either cook before hand and crash cool and freeze, then reheat once on site, or cook first thing in the morning for the "lunch rush."

 

[ShencoSmoke]

Here, If you have a permitted trailer with a smoker on the porch you are basically a rolling commercial kitchen and as long as you maintain your permit you can cook wherever the trailer is.

 

[Puppyboy]

I have a licensed trailer. All the smoking takes place a day or two before the day I am going to vend. I then reheat in an oven in my trailer.

Up all night cooking and up all day vending is not feasible.

 

[vexter1]

We cook onsite in our trailer. Right off the pit to the masses. With OH CTO's - cooking all night and vending all day is no problem since we don't have to babysit the pits. I still monitor them with a Stoker to make sure they're holding temp (not out of propane or some kind of mechanical failure..) - and monitor meat temps with the Stoker - sleeping quarters in trailer doubles as storage area - so we get some rest while cooking overnight and are able to serve 'Q right off the pits.

 

[Ron_L]

Thanks, guys...

I've talked to our county health department and they require that all food be prepared in a certified kitchen and cooked indoors unless you are vending at a festival and on a temporary permit. I have a list of certifies kitchens around here who will rent time, but none of them have smokers, and I seriously doubt they will install one for me :-D

She said they would consider certifying a trailer with a smoker in the trailer, but I'm not ready for that kind of expense.

Oh well...

 

[sunrise]

In CA, you must cook or smoke inside a certified trailer or truck, (CTO or Fast Eddys are the only ones approved for this. Cooking on a trailer with a porch in not allowed, even if the trailer is certified, because technically its outside. If you do not have a certified truck/trailer and have a temporary food permit, you can cook out side at any community event. Anything else must be done at a commissary or certified kitchen (restaurant or commercial kitchen)