Huge Cook Ideas

[Guttenberg]

Calling in the cavalry...I'm running a bbq at my work next week, and was planning for about 80 people. I'm working with a Rec Tec 680 at home, and a 6 burner gasser at the office on the patio.

My plan was to set up 3 packers on the rec tec and bring it into the office with the rest of my team working out sides, grilled veggies, etc.

I just found out that I need to up my output for about 140-150 people...based on what I've got cooking resource-wise, any suggestions for the most efficient use of the smoker and then the grill? I may need to abandon the brisket thought, but I'd love to bring something special off the smoker...

[ComfortablyNumb]

I was going to say if you want to be a huge cook eat more meat and drink more beer. But now I see that isn't your question....

I used to moonlight at a recreation centre that was rented for half a dozen crab feeds a year. They all followed the same theme, feed pasta and bread first to get the folks filled up, then bring out the crab. You could incorporate the same idea, cook up a bunch of wings, sausage, etc as fillers and only a slice or two of brisket per guest.

[Steve R.]

Pulled pork is what I would do for that size crowd at work. Easy, and they will love it.

[Santamarina]

You could cook the briskets in two waves - one batch with a long hold in warming oven, and the other with a shorter hold. I’ve held brisket for 12+ hours in a 170°F oven and still had moist, delicious meat!

But as Steve just said, pulled pork would be an easier route. You could fit enough shoulders to feed all those people in one batch.

[Guttenberg]

Like the idea of doing the briskets in waves, but I don't really have a warming oven that can keep 170 - my oven will spike up and down at its lowest setting and still jump above 200 so I'm afraid I'd overcook. I'm a faux cambro kinda guy in my backyard setup.

[Nuke em]

Ya could dedicate a gasser to hold your briskets at 170. They act just like an oven. Indirect heat at 170

[Spinaker]

I would smoke some pork shoulders, then let them hold in the cambro, then shock and reheat in a crock on the day of the party. Then the day of the party you can focus on the brisket for the day of. Brisket is a special cook that everyone always enjoys.

I agree with Steve R, pulled pork is perfect for large crowds. I make that all the time for my office and it always plays well. There is nothing wrong with serving both.

[texastweeter]

pork butts give you the most yield per square foot of grate space. Serve with baked beans, slaw, and mac. Pecan pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

[HawkerXP]

What time should we arrive?

[Guttenberg]

Well I'm back down to 100 people now. I try to avoid cooking shoulder (even though I want to) because my wife isn't a pork eater. I wonder if I can feed 100 with 3 packers plus enough sides and fixins. That's going to come out to about 1/2 lb per person, and in a NYC office setting I may be able to get away with that....

[JoeSousa]

I don't think 3 will be enough for 100 people. I usually figure 1 pound of pre-trimmed, pre-cooked meat per person. So a 15 lb packer would feed 15, a 10 pounder would feed 10, etc. After trimming and cooking you will lose ~40% of the weight give or take a couple pounds. If you have some 15 lb packers you could probably stretch it and feed 60, maybe 70 with three of them. 100 is a stretch

Like others said if you can throw a couple butts in there I would do it to be safe. Cook ahead and reheat

[IowaGirl]

Joe makes a good point. And remember too that just cuz one (very important!) person in your life doesn't care for pork, there are many more who do. I'd rather have a succulent slice of pork over a dry piece o' beef any day. You're cooking for a crowd, not for the family.

[jecucolo]

You won’t have any leftovers and you have to control the servings. I would cook 4 -16 lb briskets.

[mountainsmoker]

No don't plan on pre-trimmed weight only on trimmed weight. Each packer is to different. For a 10lb one you will get only 6lbs +/- of meat. Figuring 1/2 pound per person, that is 12 people. Some will eat more, some will eat less. So you need 8 10lb trimmed briskets. If you are having another meat reduce the amount needed. This is how I calculate it.

Good luck and have a great time.

[JeffJ]

For a crowd that size, given what you are working with? On the Rec Etc - pulled pork.

On the big gas grill - hot dogs and brats.

[gdsim1]

Crowd that size with the grill space you’ve got to work with, my initial thoughts are in line with most of the others here - pulled pork and / or a faux cambro (camping size, casket like cooler or two) could be your friend.

Some outside the box ideas:

1) Turkeys feed a bunch of people. Brisket and turkey sammiches are the bomb.com.

2) Who doesn’t like bbq chicken at a picnic? 😃 You can cook them to near temp slightly ahead of time, part em up and put em in foil pans in the faux cambro, then throw on the grill to finish / crisp up the skin / tack up the bbq sauce at serving time. To your guests, it looks easy and they get a kick@ss meal.

(Bonus to this idea for you - a Pit Barrel Cooker can do the up front, initial cook of 4 whole chickens to near temp in a little better than an hour. If you go with this idea, you’re probably looking at 2 hours ahead of time cooking to feed your crowd, probably with leftovers for the big eaters. If you (or your company) splurge for TWO barrels, that’s cut to one hour - and with the cooking capacity of the barrels, your logistical problems for feeding a crowd this size or smaller whatever you want are pretty much eliminated for future cooks.)

3) Hot dog or brat-a-palooza! 😃 Don’t be basic about it of course, folks can get burgers and dogs anywhere. But there are a ton of unique recipes here that people will award you the title of Brat or Dog MASTER for... cheese inside, secured by cored jalapeños, and wrapped in bacon was one I saw on here and tried recently and OH BABY were they good!!!

Good luck, HAVE FUN WITH IT, and please remember to bring back pics for us no matter what you wind up going with. 😇🙏

[HouseHomey]

For a first timer I hate to say this and discourage you. But......

Brisket is a terrible idea. Sure it can be a grand slam but you need a successful event as a whole.

Stay with stuff you can reheat/hold easily and use in crock pots. Etc

The thoughts above are customary. You can also cook ribs, slice and reheat and or hold in the crockpot.

[Steve R.]

Agree. If I'm feeding a large work crowd, the food isn't going to be the centerpiece no matter how much I want it to be, more of a team building/networking event and I don't want to be tied up with some labor intensive meat, so pulled pork it is. For a smaller group of guests at my place, that's when I will try to blow their socks off with something like brisket.

[Guttenberg]

Fair enough - I think you’re right

[jumbo7676]

If you are trying to avoid pork, perhaps the Italian Beef sandwiches from the free site? I haven't made it myself, but it seems to have a few benefits for a large cook. It can all be cooked ahead of time at home on the Rec Tec and transported in a cooler. Heat up the pans of juice on the gasser at work, dip the sliced beef to warm as needed, serve up some sandwiches. Can have some fixins (peppers, giardiniera, onions, etc...) that people can add themselves to their taste. Plus adding the bread and fixins by doing sandwiches adds some substance (aka less meat needed per person to fill them up).

[PBCDad]

I know a little about that...

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/651366-italian-beef-feeding-of-the-250

[gdsim1]

jumbo7676 for the win! 😃🙌

[Guttenberg]

Awesome idea

[Guttenberg]

Ok ok ok you’ve all convinced me and I feel better about it already. I’m gonna pick up boneless pork shoulders and do the right thing. Those Costco 2 packs - I think 2 packs of them should do it

[mountainsmoker]

Maybe add in burgers for the wife and the non-pork eaters. A couple dozen would not be much trouble.