Better with each try

[mnickcrna]

I smoked a brisket and some ribs this weekend just for me and the kids while the wife was in Portugal with some other wives on a shopping trip, both turned out great, probably best to date for me. Using some rub that Phil sent me I'm sure was a big difference! With all the mods I have made and now using the Nu-temp thermometers (for the first time this weekend) it isn't as intimidating to use the Bandera anymore. Using the digital thermometers and charcoal base adding wood for smoke has made things a whole lot easier than my first few tries. You guys have helped me come a long way in a short time!

Word has spread about my BBQ on base and now they want me to cook some pulled pork for a fund raiser here at the Naval hospital. They want enough pork for probably 100 sandwhiches. About how many pounds of Boston Butt would it take to fill 100 buns?? The only Boston Butts we get here on base are only around 3#. I know that sounds way to small but the label says Boston Butt and they said that they could not get any bigger ones. They are going to sale the BBQ around 1200 on a workday, so what is the best way to plan my cooking??

 

[Bigmista]

I would figure on a quarter # per sandwich (more if that is all they are going to eat) but you need to take shrinkage and bones into account. Some of the more experienced caterers will probably have more advice but I didn't want you to think we weren't paying attention...

 

[chad]

Mista is correct - with shrinkage and all I'd figure at 1/3 pound raw weight plus a little smidge factor.

35-40# of raw butt ought to do ya! I'd test cook a small one and see how long to get to 185ish - then add on about 3-4 hours for cooler/resting time before pulling. If you have access to a mess hall's (or the O club or consolidated mess) buffalo chopper (they'll know what I mean) you could chop it earlier.

If you can't get butt maybe you can get shoulder or "picnic" - this the the lower portion of the leg (below the butt) and cooks a bit differently - same general strategy but with the bone it just takes bit longer. It can be chopped or pulled.

If all else fails find the Chief in charge of the club or dining hall!!

 

[jeffsasmokin]

Hey, Mike! Wondered where you've been, haven't seen you around in a while. Glad to hear your Queing prowess has improved and has gotten around the base! As Mista said, I'm sure some of the caterers will chime in soon. Don't they have butcher shops in town where your at in Spain? I would think you could find an 8 to 10# Butt at one of those..........then again, I'm not in Spain!

 

[tommykendall]

Mista is correct - with shrinkage and all I'd figure at 1/3 pound raw weight plus a little smidge factor.

Guys - I was never in the military ( ), but I thought our troops EAT. My first thought was 1/2# per head.

 

[chad]

This is a FUND RAISER - not a beer bash trough race! The purpose is to raise money - not provide food at a LOSS for those with larger than normal appetites!

Just my opinion. If those of the piggish persuation want more they'll just have to pony up more $$$.

 

[evilpsych]

if you were really resourceful you could figure out a way to turn a tank turret into a smoke chamber..
i hear those turbines get the cockpits pretty warm without the ventilation system.. just pipe smoke in there.. and there ya go. all your meat at once!

 

[midnight]

4 sandwiches per lb of UNCOOKED meat is about what I average, and I use the large burger buns not the tiny ones most people use at home. I would do the 30- 40 lbs of meat that DF recomended, its always better to have extra than not enough!

Follow DF's directions and you should be all right. I have found that the smaller pork roasts still take about 6 hours or more to cook.

Can you fit all that meat in your smoker???

 

[tommykendall]

This is a FUND RAISER - not a beer bash trough race!

Oh yeah I missed that. I'll take a double then.

 

[Jorge]

If all else fails find the Chief in charge of the club or dining hall!!

I figure that will cost an extra smoked butt 8)

 

[racer_81]

4 sandwiches per lb of UNCOOKED meat is about what I average, and I use the large burger buns not the tiny ones most people use at home. I would do the 30- 40 lbs of meat that DF recomended, its always better to have extra than not enough!

Follow DF's directions and you should be all right. I have found that the smaller pork roasts still take about 6 hours or more to cook.

Can you fit all that meat in your smoker???

Maybe.

I had 100lb in the Bandera once, but it was only 12 butts.

The bigger butts stand taller - take less grid area.

40lbs of 3lb butts is 13 butts. They should fit.

A good butt rotation strategy is key.

 

[Jorge]

4 sandwiches per lb of UNCOOKED meat is about what I average, and I use the large burger buns not the tiny ones most people use at home. I would do the 30- 40 lbs of meat that DF recomended, its always better to have extra than not enough!

Follow DF's directions and you should be all right. I have found that the smaller pork roasts still take about 6 hours or more to cook.

Can you fit all that meat in your smoker???

Maybe.

I had 100lb in the Bandera once, but it was only 12 butts.

The bigger butts stand taller - take less grid area.

40lbs of 3lb butts is 13 butts. They should fit.

A good butt rotation strategy is key.

Help the brother out. At what point in the cook did ignition occur?

No mockery here, I've been tempted to try it myself just to see the flames shooting out the chimney. Fire is good. Beavis Mod.

 

[parrothead]

At the restaurant we use 1/4 pound of cooked meat per serving. Fills up an italian loaf pretty nice.

 

[racer_81]

4 sandwiches per lb of UNCOOKED meat is about what I average, and I use the large burger buns not the tiny ones most people use at home. I would do the 30- 40 lbs of meat that DF recomended, its always better to have extra than not enough!

Follow DF's directions and you should be all right. I have found that the smaller pork roasts still take about 6 hours or more to cook.

Can you fit all that meat in your smoker???

Maybe.

I had 100lb in the Bandera once, but it was only 12 butts.

The bigger butts stand taller - take less grid area.

40lbs of 3lb butts is 13 butts. They should fit.

A good butt rotation strategy is key.

Help the brother out. At what point in the cook did ignition occur?

No mockery here, I've been tempted to try it myself just to see the flames shooting out the chimney. Fire is good. Beavis Mod.

Ignition occurred about 3.5 hours into the cook when this "Perfect Storm" of circumstances occurred:

- lawn boys arrived with noisy implements so we
- threw a couple of logs on the fire to hold the heat while we went inside to avoid the noise but the
- logs ignited quickly shooting flames into the smoke chamber igniting
- the rendered fat in the bottom of the smoke chamber which caused
- smoke box overtemping which we did not notice because we were
- dumbasses and didn't take the temp remotes inside with us

Flames did not actually make it out of the flue. It was smoke rapidly ejecting in that forced billowing reminiscent of the big Mt. St. Helens and Mt Pinatubo eruptions.

The butts were foiled at that point so no bad smoke got to them.

Man, that was funny.

 

[mnickcrna]

Thanks for the advice. We will be serving baked beans and cole slaw with the BBQ meat on buns. I will get around 30#'s which should be no problem for the Bandera. I have not cooked that much meat before. Does that increase the overall hours/pound of cooking or is it the same whether your cooking 10# or 30#?? As far as moving the meat around, do you just pull out the shelves and rotate them from upper to lower and vice versa? If I have to work the day of this fund raiser I won't be able to cook all night. Will it be a major difference in the quality of the BBQ if I have to cook the day before and re-heat the day of the fund raiser? If I do have to reheat are there any special techniques to help make it the best I can? Thanks for all help.

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Questions, questions!! <grin>
Hiya Mike, welcome nack and congrats on your newfound fame!

I've never cooked more than about 20 lbs of anything at one time so I can't talk to large quantity questions, but I have frozen and revived pulled pork successfully so doing them over two days might be the way to go. Just pull and refrigerate half on one day then reheat it and maybe comine it with the 'fresh' pork the next for an even taste. Either way, you need to ask the guys about large-scale pig pulling ideas. One guy and two forks won't cut it. You'd be at the clinic for carpal tunnel or something.

Best of luck!

Arlin

 

[Mark]

Thanks for the advice. We will be serving baked beans and cole slaw with the BBQ meat on buns. I will get around 30#'s which should be no problem for the Bandera. I have not cooked that much meat before. Does that increase the overall hours/pound of cooking or is it the same whether your cooking 10# or 30#?? As far as moving the meat around, do you just pull out the shelves and rotate them from upper to lower and vice versa? If I have to work the day of this fund raiser I won't be able to cook all night. Will it be a major difference in the quality of the BBQ if I have to cook the day before and re-heat the day of the fund raiser? If I do have to reheat are there any special techniques to help make it the best I can? Thanks for all help.

Time will increase but not by that much especially with the smaller butts that you described.

You got the rotation ideaa right.

If it was me, I'd smoke the butts a couple of days in advance. Cooler them for a few hours untill you can comfortably pull the meat form the bones. then refrigerate the meat and pressure cook the bones for stock to make your beans.

 

[chad]

You can do it ahead of time, pull, season, pan it up, and then cover with foil. The day you serve just start several hours ahead and put the pans in a 250 or so oven for a couple of hours.

Forget the forks for pulling the pork! Get some neoprene (chem) gloves If you pull the pork after it gets back down to 160 or so the bones (if any) will pop right out and the meat will be easy to shred.

 

[jt]

I've done 30 pounds in the 'dera - 4-5#ers. Would be easy to fit in 2 to 4 more that size.

I usually do this a week or so ahead. Pull it, vacuum seal it , freeze it and then reheat it in a big electric roaster pan to serve it. Or dunk all the bags in boiling water to thaw 'em out before putting it in the roaster pan. Then you're not worried about when to start, etc and you can enjoy the party more. I fed about 40 people this way last year for my son's birthday party - gonna do the same this year.

 

[parrothead]

You are in luck. Pulled pork happens to agree with being reheated. We have no problems whatsoever reheating at the restaurant. We even reheat in a baggie in the microwave with no ill results.

We do a 100 pounds or so at a time. No problems.