Catering Question

[Red Hanky BBQ]

For all you caterers out there or anyone who cook for large crowds I’ve got a question on how you hold your meat (no wise cracks :D ) before you serve. For the most part I won’t be cooking at the event site and am looking at the best ways to keep the product as fresh as possible. On pulled pork and brisket if you have to pull or cut a large amount for serving rather than doing it as needed do you just use a steam pan or chafing dish? Any problems with drying out? On ribs do you just store in a hot box and reheat on a grill before cutting up? Ribs seem to be the most difficult to cook in bulk and hold until it’s time to serve. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Tim

[corndog]

RH, as far as holding goes, just take the butts, brisket, etc and wrap in foil and put in a cooler. They should stay warm for about 4 hours. I would pull or slice at the party, just prior to serving. As for ribs, you can just do the same thing. Although I don't know the holding times for ribs though.

[Bad Santa]

Say Red a few questions...How far in advance are you needing to hold these items?
What kind of set up will be available to you for serving out of or reheating.
Will it be more beneficial to have the meats cooked before hand, then chilled or bag sucked and cooled, then reheated for service?

Lot of variables...

[Red Hanky BBQ]

RH, as far as holding goes, just take the butts, brisket, etc and wrap in foil and put in a cooler. They should stay warm for about 4 hours. I would pull or slice at the party, just prior to serving. As for ribs, you can just do the same thing. Although I don't know the holding times for ribs though.

Corndog, That's what I'm currently doing with the butts and brisket. I figure that there may be the occasion that I need to to have so much ready that chopping at the event won't be feasible.

[Red Hanky BBQ]

Say Red a few questions...How far in advance are you needing to hold these items?
What kind of set up will be available to you for serving out of or reheating.
Will it be more beneficial to have the meats cooked before hand, then chilled or bag sucked and cooled, then reheated for service?

Lot of variables...

Santa, I hear ya, lots of variables. On the pp and brisket I really don't want to reheat from cold if can help it. I usually just pull and cut at the event as needed. Just wondering if I had to have so much ready that pulling at the event wouldn't be an option. Guess I'm just wondering what the best way to hold them and keep warm once pulled so that they won't dry out. On the ribs I'd have a hot box to hold the cooked ribs in and a grill to reheat. Just wondering how long I can hold the ribs in the box before extended time in heat and steam makes them start to fall apart. Another scenario would be that I cook the ribs several days ahead and have to refrigerate. Could I take them to the event cold then just reheat them on the grill or would I have to reheat in the oven or smoker then take to the event in a hot box and to crisp up on the grill. I guess I'm not really worried about the pp and brisket so much as I am the ribs.

[kickassbbq]

I pull them at the event and I am lucky to have a Lang 84 with a warming box. Holds 3 large aluminum pans. I serve out of them and pull another pan and stick it in the warmer as I serve from the first.
Smoke On!!!!!!!!!!!
Doing a party for 75 on the 4th. On site, Low and Slow and the smoker on site is for Part of The Show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ed

[texasbill]

Red:
Couple of my ideas that I have used in the past.

For pulled pork and chopped brisket I have chopped and pulled and placed in large aluminum pans, cover with foil and placed in an ice chest. That way the meat is ready to go when you get there and should hold for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours if you don't open the ice chest. I have used hot bbq sauce for the chopped meat and this will also let you get it pretty warm with just the sauce added to it at the event.

Ribs are a different animal to hold for an extended time. The best way I have found so far is to cook the ribs in advance and cool them down. Remember you are going to be re-heating them so they do not have to be perfectly done at this time. I wrap them in pairs or three racks in foil and cool down. To reheat, you will need to add some kind of liquid to the ribs. I have used alot of different things but coke, Dr. Pepper, apple juice, beer, etc will all work. Open up the aluminum foil and give the meat a good coating of liquid (the refrigeration has taken out some of the juices in the meat) each rack please and if you want add a bit more rub at this time. Squirt bottle works great for this. Reheat in your pit or in the oven before you go. It usually takes a couple of hours at 200 degrees and yes they will be fall apart tender as they have steamed for awhile but they should work fine. If you have a grill then you can reheat them quickly but you will still need to add some liquid to replace what the cooling did to the ribs.

Bill Cannon

[jshively]

Those cheap alumin steamer pans with the wire holders. I just leave them at the client's house and call it a day. Sometimes I get them back and other times I don't.

To reheat I just fill another alumin pan about 1/2 inch with water and put the meat on top and light the fuel. Covered with alumin foil it reheats really quickly.

[Red Hanky BBQ]

Those cheap alumin steamer pans with the wire holders. I just leave them at the client's house and call it a day. Sometimes I get them back and other times I don't.

To reheat I just fill another alumin pan about 1/2 inch with water and put the meat on top and light the fuel. Covered with alumin foil it reheats really quickly.

js - doesn't the pan with meat in it push the water out of the other one?

[Red Hanky BBQ]

Red:
Ribs are a different animal to hold for an extended time. The best way I have found so far is to cook the ribs in advance and cool them down. Remember you are going to be re-heating them so they do not have to be perfectly done at this time. I wrap them in pairs or three racks in foil and cool down. To reheat, you will need to add some kind of liquid to the ribs. I have used alot of different things but coke, Dr. Pepper, apple juice, beer, etc will all work. Open up the aluminum foil and give the meat a good coating of liquid (the refrigeration has taken out some of the juices in the meat) each rack please and if you want add a bit more rub at this time. Squirt bottle works great for this. Reheat in your pit or in the oven before you go. It usually takes a couple of hours at 200 degrees and yes they will be fall apart tender as they have steamed for awhile but they should work fine. If you have a grill then you can reheat them quickly but you will still need to add some liquid to replace what the cooling did to the ribs.

Bill Cannon

Thanks Bill, that info on the ribs will help a lot.

Tim

[Bad Santa]

I agree with Bill on that being the best way for the ribs.....just a little under done and chilled down, then finished out with some juices added by sprayer to finish tightening as well as finshing them out....with or without a sauce or glaze.

[Hankerin Bar-B-Q]

Red Hanky,
Use the deep pans for the water and the shallow ones for the food. Or if you find yourself in a pinch, like I did one day, wad up some aluminum foil to put in the water pan. That will give your food tray a little lift. Use enough wads to support the food pan good. You can judge the size of the wads. I think I used about 4 or 5 that time. Made um about the size of golf balls, then squashed them a little. Worked fine. Another tip, if you have access to hot water, you can use hot water to get it hot quicker if you're in a hurry.


Hank

[Red Hanky BBQ]

Hank - Good tip thanks.

[Woodman]

Red Hanky,
Use the deep pans for the water and the shallow ones for the food. Or if you find yourself in a pinch, like I did one day, wad up some aluminum foil to put in the water pan. That will give your food tray a little lift. Use enough wads to support the food pan good. You can judge the size of the wads. I think I used about 4 or 5 that time. Made um about the size of golf balls, then squashed them a little. Worked fine. Another tip, if you have access to hot water, you can use hot water to get it hot quicker if you're in a hurry.


Hank

That's a good one Hank! I agree with Corndog, and Bill. I pull the meat, put it in a cooler and pull just before serving. The HUGE benifit to having an offset is the upright! I can take the pulled/sliced trays and keep them ready indefinitely. One big advantage of the "pull and serve" method, is that the meat won't discolor the way it does when you pull hours in advance. Good luck Hanky!

[Zeeman]

I agree with the above. Big meats is easy, da ribs is more difficult. Nothing like dem bones rite off da pit. About 2 hours in warmer is longest I try to keep dem, after dat, "somebody else cooked dem" 8)
z

[Dirty Ron]

I started on coolers, but have found the the Catering pan holders work great for me. The ones I am using are Carlisle (sp?) 4 pan holders and only lose 2 ish degrees an hour. I run one for meats and one for sides

[Woodman]

Ron, you going to visit us next week in Dundee? I'm cooking a prime rib Friday night.

[david brace]

What I have done with the chafing trays is this: put in the 1/2 inch of HOT water in the full pan immediately before you want to set out the food. As far as the food...I've learned to serve the food in the smaller 1/2 trays, this way all the food is ALWAYS hot from the oven or pit or cooler, because it only has to fill a 1/2 tray and not a big one. Also with the 1/2 trays, it's always easier to keep 1 of the 1/2 trays of food completely closed and therefore HOT on the chafing rack, while the other 1/2 tray in the rack is being served from. Last point on the 1/2 trays is that they have more support, so they don't fall into the water pan when someone really digs in with the serving spoon...

Also I only light 1 sterno, as this will keep the HOT water hot just as hot as 2 cans...and you save the 2nd can for when the 1st goes out.

DB

[Big Mike]

Red,

I say pull the pork as you need it. What do you use to pull your pork?

I used to use the two fork method. However, before I did my first catering job a couple weeks ago I bought a pair of the Bear Paws. That was the best $9 I have ever spent. It took me about 1 minute to pull a butt with these things.


Mike

[Red Hanky BBQ]

Red,

I say pull the pork as you need it. What do you use to pull your pork?

I used to use the two fork method. However, before I did my first catering job a couple weeks ago I bought a pair of the Bear Paws. That was the best $9 I have ever spent. It took me about 1 minute to pull a butt with these things.


Mike

Hey Mike,

I've been using the Bear Paws for a while too. They do work pretty dang well. I'm actually thinking about starting to chop my pork. Will do some experiments to see which I like best.

Tim

[txpgapro]

Red Hanky,
Use the deep pans for the water and the shallow ones for the food. Or if you find yourself in a pinch, like I did one day, wad up some aluminum foil to put in the water pan. That will give your food tray a little lift. Use enough wads to support the food pan good. You can judge the size of the wads. I think I used about 4 or 5 that time. Made um about the size of golf balls, then squashed them a little. Worked fine. Another tip, if you have access to hot water, you can use hot water to get it hot quicker if you're in a hurry.


Hank

I'll just send you some golf balls to use. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Hankerin Bar-B-Q]

I guess keeping an extra sack of them in your bbq tool bag might be a good idea. :shock: You never know when you might need them. :lol: