Pre-cooking Hamburgs for about 50 guest!

[josepmille]

I've been tag to host 2 Graduations on the same day. Oh my! Two menu items, pulled pork and hamburgers. First venue serving hamburger at 12:00. Second venue serving pulled pork and hamburgers. serving at 15:00 3pm. Grilling both at 225. First venue I'm not anticipating any timing issues. The pork and hamburgers will have to be on the grill at the same time. Grill space may be an issue. If so I will have to cook the pork first then the hamburgers.
1. If I cook the pork first, how do I hold the pork until ready to serve some 3-4 hours later? Do I keep the pork whole and wait to pull apart? If so how do I store? Or pull apart and store in a slow cooker?
2. If I grill the hamburgers to 140, how do I hold them until I'm ready to finish the searing?

[Jerod Broussard]

Pork first, don't pull until serving. Wrap well in foil, wrap in towels, place a cooler with no extra airspace. It will easily hold 3-4 hours.

[FireMan]

Yessir, hold that pork as Jerod says!

[bbqLuv]

Ditto. On the pulled pork

[tbob4]

I agree with Jerod about the pork. It will hold for 6-8 hours wrapped in foil and put in a quality ice chest. I wouldn’t pre-cook burgers, if possible. They will get dry or be cool in the middle. Is there an avenue for you to have the pork ready to go but the burgers cooked on the spot?

If it were me, I would cook the pork the day ahead, pull and put in a slow cooker on high with some extra sauce for serving. I would cook the burgers for guests as they arrive.

[josepmille]

I like the idea of the day ahead. But high in the slow cooker? Like I'v says I'm a beginner, will I get enough sauce? I'm planning on using a Pork Brine Injection fm: Meathead. Also using Carolina sauce fm: Meathead. Should I use a combination of both or just one of them?
Thanks

[tbob4]

Only high for about an prior to each event. I would portion them into the two groups. I usually put an onion, sliced small and some garlic along with the sauce you are planning on using (about 1/4 cup) and about a quarter cup beer as liquid. I actually also add diced jalapeños but it might not be the flavor profile you are looking for.

[Richard Chrz]

We host a burger cook annually for an event. Grill roughly 400 burgers. We hold in various style cambros or hotel pans with a bit of beef broth,

[josepmille]

Is there a temperature I need to hold beef broth?

[Richard Chrz]

Well, assuming a few things, a sv safe at a temp of 131, as I think 130 is the mark, and 131 is giving yourself a bit grace, I would bet we are hitting higher at our event, enough to create a bit of humidity. Just enough stock to probably cover the bottom, and a lid to help it steam up a bit, we grill roughly 25 at a time, and the line starts once we have about 200 in there, so, 50 would be have 25 - 40 ready, and finish the last as they are about to be eaten.

[josepmille]

Thanks

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Not a big fan of holding the burgers for any length of time....unless you are going through 400 ( Richard Chrz )!!

You could consider getting the pork to 180 or so by 10:30 and finish the cook in the oven....that frees up your grill for the burgers??

[realdocBBQ]

I don't see a conflict... pulled pork? Night before. No problem. It holds a loong long time and reheats well, also. I also like the slow cooker idea, but in my experience, unless it's already hot AND your slow cooker is preheated, 1 hour isn't long enough. If you do it the night before and put in the fridge or something, it will need plenty of time to come back up to temp.

You didn't mention what you're cooking on?

For burgers, I would absolutely do at the time of serving. If you've got a decent sized gas or charcoal grill, 25 burger patties at a time, shouldn't be too bad - and half that for the second round, it sounds like, the pork will probably get snatched up faster than burgers. At least in my neck of the woods, unless your burgers are superstars, like my smashburgers on the griddle! lol

Good luck, sounds like a busy but rewarding effort!

I guess I better start planning something for graduation... <sigh> 4 weeks away.

[RonB]

I managed several Jack in the Boxes back in the '70s. When they introduced the Jumbo Jack, the instructions were to hold the cooked patties in hot beef broth. Of course, they were better hot off the grill, but they were thick and did not cook fast enough, so in the bath they went.

[josepmille]

Thanks As a beginner I'm benefiting from your experience

[FireMan]

As I stated above, I’m in the hold the pork camp. The burgers, yeah you can put em in soup, but dang they’re still in soup. I know, “it’s only a little”, but still soup. Cook em! Then serve em! You’ll be glad ya did & so will yer eatin folk.

[Richard Chrz]

It’s really not a soup, it’s more like you have a chuck roast boated, you are not boiling a chuckroast, put a little in the bottom keeps it steaming and moist. Personally I would likely offer various pulled beef options and loin. But if the gathering is important, not the food, (say like a grad party) and you want burgers, this will work in a pinch, if the burgers were cooked properly, they still will be a decent burger.

[josepmille]

I didn't pick the menu, the grads did. Thanks again for your thoughts.

[FireMan]

Yup, a decent burger, …………in soup. 🫣

[WillTravelForFood]

Chafing dishes are your friend for both dishes. Cooking THAT many burgers to order is a PITA.

[josepmille]

Thanks As I've said I'm a beginner smokey griller and new to the Pitmaster Club. Getting a lot of help.

[Clawbear57]

josepmille don't have an answer but good luck.

[josepmille]

here's hoping and Thanks

[WillTravelForFood]

Be sure to let us know what worked and what didnt.

[josepmille]

That's a good idea and I will but the verdict won't be in until May 20th.

[Alan Brice]

I am in the pork the day before camp. Sauce it n put in a slow cooker. Cook the burgers as needed. Make sure ground meat gets to 165* min. If you have help it will go very quickly. I am not a fan of leaving food out below safe temp. Esp ground meat.
Sounds like a good time. Above all have a good time n don't sweat a good plan. It will all be over before you know it. Work yer plan.

[WillTravelForFood]

There are not a lot of magnets on the fridge, but the Meathead temp cooking chart made the cut.

[josepmille]

As a newbie and my first "how to" I'm very appreciative of all the help. Thanks
The Meathead temp cooking chart is on the kitchen door. And I have referred to it.

[jfmorris]

I think you've already gotten the advice you need, but will toss my hat in the ring as well, since I've frequently done parties of 80+ people here.

Pulled pork *can* be done the day before, pulled, and reheated for serving, but you will lose some moisture. I've done it and just slowly warmed in a low oven, in foil half-steam table pans with the lids crimped on well, then we would put those out on a steam table setup (2 half pans per full pan on the table) for serving. As others said, better if you can pull and serve the same day. But I understand that isn't always possible. I've also served using a couple of crock pots (slow cookers) set on low/warm, and we would dump the foil pans in those as needed to replenish.

On burgers - burgers are not something you are gonna slow smoke and have come out appealing at all. Burgers need to be grilled hot and fast, and holding for any extended period will dry them out tremendously. I would grill burgers at the time of the event, or assign someone to grill them for you, and put them out in batches for serving. I don't know what your grilling capabilities are, but I can flip 30+ burgers at a time on my 4 burner gas grill, or 30 smash burgers on my griddle (flat top). On the griddle they take about 3 minutes per side. On the Weber gas grill, maybe 5-6 per side.

As far as burger temps - don't grill to 140. Grill to 160 for food safety with ground beef. No medium-rare burgers in other words. And I think I would toss them into slow cookers or a steam table tray setup as well to hold for serving. This means you will serve cheese on the side, versus making a bunch of cheese burgers with it pre-melted, but you really cannot have more than one layer of cheese burgers in a pan, unfortunately.

[josepmille]

Thanks for your advice. Maybe some day I may help others. I had to lookup your steam table stuff.

[jfmorris]

josepmille I am talking about a chafing dish setup. It's very cheap - just some wire frames and two Sterno cans underneath. A large foil pan holding about an inch of water that stays warm, and you drop the two half pans of food on top.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/chafing-stand-standard-size/prod14081047?xid=plp_product_2

I have 7-8 of these and use them or loan them out with pans for friends having parties. I just reuse the large foil pans. The sterno cans last a couple hours each.

[jfmorris]

This one shows the full setup I am talking about:

https://www.samsclub.com/p/members-mark-party-set-safe-heat-chafing-fuel-24pc/prod4860319?xid=pdp_carousel_rich-relevance.rr0_1

The main difference compared to a slow cooker is that you can put it on a folding table in the middle of a room and don't need to worry about an extension cord.