(I placed this in the Pork section as that was one of the dishes served and I didn't see a dedicated "catering" type of section)
A couple of times a year, I get asked to provide the main dish at a work party or similar event. This year was a 2 meat cook (pulled pork and sliced chicken breast) for a Christmas party for 20 people. The problem this time is that I live about 2 ½ hours from my "office" and so transporting food and freshness were concerns. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions and ponderings on improvements to be considered for next time are greatly appreciated.
Cook:
The entire cook was done the day before due to timing/logistics – this is probably not something I can avoid in the future. Used my reverse flow offset for both, though I finished the chicken in a convection oven to control the final temps better. Red oak split logs, started from a bed of Kingsford blue. Fire ranged from 245 F to 275 F using a maverick 4 probe thermometer throughout the cook.
Pork butts were separated at the connective tissue into halves (more bark), injected with apple juice concentrate, light coating of mustard and dusted with Kosmos’ Dirty Bird rub (this is my standard method on pork butts). Butts were foil wrapped at 160-165 F after about 4 hours of smoke, and then taken off the smoker after passing 203 F and probe tender. Each butt was then dropped into a gallon bag and submerged in an ice bath until the internal temp was down to around 100 F, then cooled the rest of the way in a large freezer to 40 F and put into the fridge overnight.
Chicken was rubbed with Oakridge BBQ Secret Weapon, smoked for about 40 minutes, then finished in the convection oven to 160 F, cooled and placed in the fridge overnight.
Reheat:
Up at 5AM the next morning, convection oven at 350 to reheat of all food. Food was reheated in half size aluminum pans, covered in foil and each pan was monitored on the Maverick. Pork was pulled with claws once it hit 120 F then stuck back in until 150 F for transport. I had no way to easily pull the pork on site. Chicken was reheated to 150 F and then sliced once on site.
Transport:
Faux Cambro (Coleman ice chest and lots of towels) with the Maverick watching each pan’s internal temp throughout the trip. Starting temps were 140-146 F at the beginning and ranged from 132 to 141 F at the end of the trip. To be on the safe side I was able to borrow a holding oven and reheat the pans back up above 140 before serving. Total time from my oven at the end of reheat was: 2.5 hours in Cambro, directly to holding oven for 30 minutes, then served 20 minutes after coming out of the holding oven.
Results:
Chicken was juicy, tender and slices pulled apart with a slight tug. The pork was a little less successful as one pan was very close to what I normally expect when I serve it at home, and the other came out decent, but much drier than what I would prefer to serve guests. The holding oven on site wasn’t something I knew would be available, my original plan would have been to have to nuke (blasphemous I know, but my options were limited) anything that I decided had been under 140 F for too long before serving.
Disaster averted by the skin of my teeth? Maybe, but I would prefer a more reliable way of delivering/serving none the less. Thoughts and comments from the pit are most welcome.
A couple of times a year, I get asked to provide the main dish at a work party or similar event. This year was a 2 meat cook (pulled pork and sliced chicken breast) for a Christmas party for 20 people. The problem this time is that I live about 2 ½ hours from my "office" and so transporting food and freshness were concerns. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions and ponderings on improvements to be considered for next time are greatly appreciated.
Cook:
The entire cook was done the day before due to timing/logistics – this is probably not something I can avoid in the future. Used my reverse flow offset for both, though I finished the chicken in a convection oven to control the final temps better. Red oak split logs, started from a bed of Kingsford blue. Fire ranged from 245 F to 275 F using a maverick 4 probe thermometer throughout the cook.
Pork butts were separated at the connective tissue into halves (more bark), injected with apple juice concentrate, light coating of mustard and dusted with Kosmos’ Dirty Bird rub (this is my standard method on pork butts). Butts were foil wrapped at 160-165 F after about 4 hours of smoke, and then taken off the smoker after passing 203 F and probe tender. Each butt was then dropped into a gallon bag and submerged in an ice bath until the internal temp was down to around 100 F, then cooled the rest of the way in a large freezer to 40 F and put into the fridge overnight.
Chicken was rubbed with Oakridge BBQ Secret Weapon, smoked for about 40 minutes, then finished in the convection oven to 160 F, cooled and placed in the fridge overnight.
Reheat:
Up at 5AM the next morning, convection oven at 350 to reheat of all food. Food was reheated in half size aluminum pans, covered in foil and each pan was monitored on the Maverick. Pork was pulled with claws once it hit 120 F then stuck back in until 150 F for transport. I had no way to easily pull the pork on site. Chicken was reheated to 150 F and then sliced once on site.
Transport:
Faux Cambro (Coleman ice chest and lots of towels) with the Maverick watching each pan’s internal temp throughout the trip. Starting temps were 140-146 F at the beginning and ranged from 132 to 141 F at the end of the trip. To be on the safe side I was able to borrow a holding oven and reheat the pans back up above 140 before serving. Total time from my oven at the end of reheat was: 2.5 hours in Cambro, directly to holding oven for 30 minutes, then served 20 minutes after coming out of the holding oven.
Results:
Chicken was juicy, tender and slices pulled apart with a slight tug. The pork was a little less successful as one pan was very close to what I normally expect when I serve it at home, and the other came out decent, but much drier than what I would prefer to serve guests. The holding oven on site wasn’t something I knew would be available, my original plan would have been to have to nuke (blasphemous I know, but my options were limited) anything that I decided had been under 140 F for too long before serving.
Disaster averted by the skin of my teeth? Maybe, but I would prefer a more reliable way of delivering/serving none the less. Thoughts and comments from the pit are most welcome.
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