Sixty 1/3 lb Burgers

[Bayou Black Iron]

I did a little experiment, Sunday...I threw sixty frozen (good quality) 1/3 lb burgers on the pit. I have to cook for a wedding next month...they want pulled pork, sausage, bugers, dogs and a couple of sides.

I've been trying to decide between smoking and grilling the burgers. Sixty burgers took up more space than I expected but with the way I plan on doing the cook, it shouldn't be a problem. Took about 2 hrs for all to get cooked but with some (in the small door section @ the firebox end of my pit) getting done much sooner. As the ones at that end got done, I would move others over. Sixty frozen burgers dropped a lot of water/ juice into the pit :shock: but most evaporated on the tuning plates (I think). The ones that were done pretty quick had a smoke ring just at the edges...the ones that stayed in for the whole 2 hrs had a smoke ring all the way through (the red has been a concern with feeding a crowd...some people are gonna think they're not done). The person hiring me swears that won't be a problem :shrug:. The burgers were real good...people were bragging on them (of course they were all people that I know :D ).

Still haven't made up my mind on whether I'm gonna smoke 'em or grill 'em :shrug:

Maybe, today, when I look to see what kind of mess they made in my pit, I'll have a better idea.

Anybody with experience or an opinion???

[jptexas]

hope so i am supose to cook 200 burgers we need help

[corndog]

I did 250 burgers the other day on my cooker, and grilling is easy, and there's no red anywhere to ask any questions....Mine were the fresh patties from SAMS, so they cooked up real good. I would vote for grilling if your are high on tasks....they will hold real well also if you finish them early...

[serialgriller]

here's my dos centavos - first off, grilling is obviously faster and probably results in a juicier burger. but i smoked a lot of burgers with my dad back in the day (insert joke here :lol:) and have always preferred them that way. maybe a little drier than grilled but i sure did like the way they tasted. don't get to smoke burgers much any more 'cause sgw don't like 'em that way. i'm pretty sure they will get eaten regardless of how you do them. :D

[cappy]

I'll take a smoked burger over a grilled one any day. And I like a smoked T-bone or Ribeye about the same as a grilled one.

But I agree about the red smoke ring. People see red and they think it means raw. In a big crowd, someone is not going to eat it. But that's their loss.

[Zeeman]

Grill them if ya got a grill big enough and don't have anything else to do but stand over them and flip them while putting out the flair-ups.
Smoking way to go for me. Put them on and take them off in about 1.5 -2 hours. Always done, juicey, and tasting great. Never no question on doneness ya know.

Course if ya really worried, Happy Meals just around the corner.
z

[Bull]

I prefer to grill mine as opposed to smokn them:shrug: To me they come out juicier than smoking them. However the wife only likes lean ground beef or chuck so i am sure if you had a higher fat meat smoking them, they could remain jucy as well. Just my:twocents:

[totally smoked]

Shoulda done a poll..:D I usta like grillin till I run into you :censored:ers..Now it's smoked all the way :)

[david brace]

send me one...you got my address...don't be penurious :D

DB

[ezgoin]

Steak and burgers, I go grilled.

[Goat]

I vote grilled and will give you a cheap grill idea that works real good for me. I cut a 55 gallon barrel in half length wise. It had had ketchup in it so there was no danger of it blowing up. I then welded a short piece of angle iron on one of the rimmed edges of each half to keep it level. Next I built a frame from 1" angle iron that would fit over the barrel and covered it with expanded metal. You can grill a lot of burgers on this and when the barrels get burned out, throw them away and get another. You still have the grates to fit it.

[vinman]

Now this is just an idea and I've never done this myself but I was at a party last year and was really surprised to find out that the burgers were cooked the day before. He grilled them and put them into a foil container with a lid. I swear nobody else could tell the difference either. I don't know what your time restrictions are but that might be an idea. Cook 'em,foil 'em and warm 'em up on the pit when you need 'em?

[BLUZMAN]

Now this is just an idea and I've never done this myself but I was at a party last year and was really surprised to find out that the burgers were cooked the day before. He grilled them and put them into a foil container with a lid. I swear nobody else could tell the difference either. I don't know what your time restrictions are but that might be an idea. Cook 'em,foil 'em and warm 'em up on the pit when you need 'em?

Did he put them in the refer or a cooler or what??? till the next day....

[vinman]

Did he put them in the refer or a cooler or what??? till the next day....

Yes he put them in the fridge.
I really was surprised that they weren't "fresh".

[whiskeynwine]

I've never tried this but what about starting the burgers in the smoker so they get all that nice flavor and then finish them on the grill. This should cut down on the amount of time needed to finish the meat to the proper temp.:idea:

[txpgapro]

I prefer smokies anytime. At the club, I'll smoke until just barley done, put them in a foil pan with a little au jus. Cover when cool and stick in the frig. Take the pan out the next day and stick back in the pit to warm up, no one can tell the difference.