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Looking to improve my cooking and transport methods for small catering cooks

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    Looking to improve my cooking and transport methods for small catering cooks

    (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.


    #2
    Get yourself some steam table pans and Cambro's for your transport issue. I also have a portable 3 bay steam table that I use on site. I put the rewarmed food in a pre heated steam table and good to go from there.

    Otherwise roasting pans are another option for on site holding and serving or my least favorite is buffet pans with the Sterno fuel cans.

    Comment


    • Nightrayne
      Nightrayne commented
      Editing a comment
      I like the cambro idea, but the catering I do isn’t really for profit and so I have a hard time justifying the $300 on a real cambro for the occasional cook. May have to save up for a bit

    • Nightrayne
      Nightrayne commented
      Editing a comment
      Maybe at some point I can convince my wife that the catering part "might make some money" and see if I can get some better equipment. Thanks for the ideas

    #3
    Also add unsalted butter as needed to the pork. It does wonders

    Comment


    • PaulstheRibList
      PaulstheRibList commented
      Editing a comment
      I've never tried adding butter. I'll experiment!

    • Nuke em
      Nuke em commented
      Editing a comment
      Sorry. Add butter right after you pull it. For 8lbs I slice up about a half stick into tablespoon sizes and give it a good toss while it’s still hot so it melts it down and coats all of it. To me it helps retain moisture

    • ClayJones
      ClayJones commented
      Editing a comment
      Mind blown. Now I wanna cook a butt just to try this! Only for pork?

      "Insert a buttered butt joke here or nah?"

    #4
    Portable induction. Cook chicken breast to 155° let it rest up a minute and shock. Other than that always do whatever Frozen Smoke says.

    Im not understanding why one pan of pork was different than the other pan. That had to be in the cook some how. Always lube your pork too before ah shocking.

    If your intent was to take if to 40° ASAP than do that immediately rather than stages in massive ice bath in the largest bag possible. 2 gallon bags give you more surface area to cool faster.

    thats all I got, sounds like your nailed it!

    nice work brother.
    Last edited by HouseHomey; December 17, 2018, 05:29 PM. Reason: I'm a duffass

    Comment


    • Nightrayne
      Nightrayne commented
      Editing a comment
      This was the first time I tried an ice bath. Next time I may go buy 20 lbs of ice and dump it in an icechest instead of using the largest bowl I had in the kitchen. Thanks

    #5
    Nightrayne keep and eye on you local Craigslist or Facebook garage sales you can sometimes find Cambro's and other catering gear cheap. I found my 2 Cambro's and the dolly with casters they sit on for $150

    Comment


    • Nightrayne
      Nightrayne commented
      Editing a comment
      Good idea. have to remember craigslist for stuff like this.

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