Burgers - More added- Brisket, Brats Hot Dogs...

[2bears]

Who has tried regular old burgers on a RF smoker?

I was asked to cook a ton of burgers for a work "picnic" and am wondering if they can be done on the RF smoker.

They said there will be about 600 people attending (a lot of kids) and they want burgers and brats. I know I will have enough  cooking space on the 500 gallon smoker but wonder how they will turn out if I smoked them like I do ribs or brisket and butts.

I could build inserts that would sit on the reverse flow plate below the cook grate that would allow me to run charcoal below the cooking grates to actually grill the meats like you would on a normal charcoal grill. This would be easy and I could still cook using the fire box to "enhance" with wood flavor.

What do you guy think?

 

[SmokinAl]

They turn out great smoked, they just take longer to cook.

 

[thestealth]

I've smoked a bunch of burgers.  If at home, I won't eat them any other way now.  In my experience, a 6-7oz burger takes a bit over an hour to smoke @ 250*,  1/4 pounders take about 45 minutes or so.  If I'm using my offset, I'll shuffle them around and flip them about halfway through. Add cheese the last 15 minutes.

The only caveat is the smoke ring.  People unaccustomed to smoked meat will not think it's cooked completely.  However irrational it is, even seeing pink on the outside makes them wonder.

Here's my little Smoke 'n Pit full of burgers.

 

[rbranstner]

Smoked burgers are awesome but if you are cooking for that many people you may have issues since they take much longer to cook. Unless you can do a bunch ahead of time and keep them warm or something. It would really suck to  run out and need more burgers done ASAP and have to tell them well its going to be 30-60 minutes before they are done. Unless you can get your smoker up over 350 or so then you could maybe  pump out the burgers pretty fast.

 

[adiochiro3]

sounds like you're going for the best of both worlds: direct heat for regular-style grilling along with the smoke from the SFB.  This will work just fine; the smoke flavor will just be mild (and you probably won't have that beautiful smoke ring).  I have done similar things like this in a pinch when we want a little smokey goodness but decided too late for a full smoke (usually on burgers, steaks & pork chops).  Just keep the smoke going and the lid closed as much as possible and cook the meats just as you would on your grill.

Cheers!

 

[2bears]

Now my work wants me to do the whole catering - cook. Before they had someone to do most of the food except the burgers and hot dogs which I was to do because the caterer couldn't grill the burgers and dogs, they wanted to pre cook them and bring to the event and re-heat them.  Now they want me to cook the brisket for this group that now totals at 700 people !

One good thing that will make the job easier will be that the brisket is coming to us cooked and shreaded from one of our other plants ( work for a large meat processing company) and all I have to do is heat and serve (and of course add my smoke flavor and some seasoning).

This is going to be a challange to cook the burgers, brats and hot dogs along with heating the brisket, what do you think?

 

[Bearcarver]

Wow!-----700 people!!!!

Best of luck to you---I'm exhausted, just thinking of that!

But then I'm only 1Bear,  

Bear

 

[rbranstner]

That's a lot of people. Whats the most you've cooked for in the past?

 

[rdknb]

how much help do you have, 700 hungry people is a lot

 

[2bears]

75

I will have help which will do all of the serving and a couple helping with the burgers and brats ( I am just cooking and drinking....:)

Over a third attending will be kids.

Keep in mind that the brisket is pre-cooked and will be probably be the easiest thing to deal with, the burgers on the other hand will be the challenge. But rest assured I will have plent of beer along....to make things smooth over easy.

 

[porked]

Cooking for 700 can't be easy, best of luck. I think I'll have a BUD thinking about it.