Can I fix the lil'lady's problem...and get a new smoker?

[mobcounty]

I bet a few of you guys can identify... Did you ever take on that household chore just to get the 'tool' it takes to do the job?

.

Welllll, it turns out the lil'lady has to host a dinner for 50 or 60 folks some time in January. After she fished around a bit by 'looking' for someone to feed 50 I offered. Don't tell her, but ....this may be the perfect opportunity to sneak that smoker I wanted into my budget.

My two questions are.. Can I assemble, find, jimmyrig or buy a smoker big enough to feed 50 or 60 somewhere around the 500$ range? I have a utility trailer perfect for mounting said smoker. And, how many square inches of shelf space are needed to feed that many folks?

Any help is appreciated!!!


and shhhhhh.. this is between us okay?

 

[Dutch]

Well, M.C., it would help to know what the menu's going to be.

 

[mobcounty]

Ahh, my apologies.

Here are my first thoughts for the Menu. Since I am two months out, I still have some flexibility. I definately welcome insight on all of the dishes!

-Garlic Bread
-Ranch Beans
-Leaf Salad
-Maybe Corn
-Wine
-Soda
-Meat...

For meat, I was thinking about chicken but now I am wondering if a bigger cut like brisket or pork shoulder might be the way to go. I'll admit, I have a lot less experience doing those cuts.

One thing, the location for the dinner is about 20 minutes from my house. It would be possible to smoke here and transfer the meat to the location while it rests.

MC

 

[cowgirl]

AHA! So that's how it works. LOL Just kidding.

I'd go with the pork...it's so forgiving..IMO it's one of the easiest meats to smoke and it comes out great every time.

Also, the 20 minute travel should be no problem.
By the way, your menu looks great!

 

[capt dan]

You sly DOG!

If you are plannin on weezlin your way into a smoker to feed her guests, you better make it good.

Bang for the buck and forgiving wise, pork butts feed alot of folks, but they take a day to do, ribs are great, but to feed 50, your gonna need 12-14 racks and a bit of money.

I did my sons grad party food by myself, roasted a pig(it came with the roaster/part of the deal) roasted baked pototoes ina turkey roaster, grilled corn on the cob(in the husk) along with salads, and desserts/munchies. I did have the cake made.

The pig idea is very cost effective, and fairly inexpensive(we had about 65 guest), Butts are about the same pricewise, but more meat/less waste.

Good luck with your scheme!

I wish I could get my wife to buy that one.

 

[richtee]

Shoulders/butts and brisket feed ALOT of folks on minimal square footage of smoker. BUT time is the thing. 20 Min. is irrelevant, you need 8-10 hours for a big butt, and beyond for brisket. But you can do 'em at home and cooler/reheat either one quite easily. Do the sides there, have the meat ready. Don't be scared, SMF has yer back!

 

[walking dude]

i see you recipe has beans in it...........

you mite want to check this link out......

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=1540

best beans you will EVER make OR eat

d88de

 

[mobcounty]

Whew.. I am glad you guys are up to helping me out =). I must say, since I have been lurking around, I have improved drastically, I owe everyone here a great deal.

I like the idea of a little forgiveness in the pork butts. Coming up with 15 hours of pre cook time will not be a problem.

Sorry for not knowing this yet, but how many will a pork butt feed? Do you think a 60 gal horizontal smoker could feed 60 people pork butts in one shot? If not, what size would you suggest?

Again, thanks for all the help.

 

[mobcounty]

Haha, that recipe literally made my mouth water. I now have my bean recipe!! Thanks!

 

[richtee]

I OVER allow .5 Lb meat per person with sides. Butt'll run 8 lbs. 16 peeps. 3 butts and a brisket, and a few chicken halves and ya got leftovers. And non-pork eaters, non beef eaters, and only poultry eaters are full. Memeber the chicken needs higher temp. Is done fast in halves tho,,,could do that on-site

 

[walking dude]

i am sure you will pratice before the big day..........add some left over butt or brisket in those beans......and juice from a brisket also..........will be a winner of a dish

those are called Dutch's beans.........he is the one that came up with it

d88de

 

[deejaydebi]

MC -

What kind of dinner is this? Might sound strange but if it's a fancy group as opposed to casual dinner you might want to make sliced brisket instead of pulled pork.

That being said:

I go with a vertcal for large volumes of food like that. A GOSM big block or a Camp Chef Smoke Vault. Both are propane so get an extra bottle too. I get about 40 hours per tank on mine.

The Smoke Vault costs more but you don't have to do any mods or buy any other stuff - it works perfectly right out of the box! I would also suggest getting the optional 5th grate comes in handy for times like this. They also have a great cover well worth the price. BTW this is the only non comercial smoker sold in Chef supply stores. Tell the wife it's used by the best pro chef in the country!

Chef Source Ad
When Camp Chef developed the Smoke Vault, attention was focused on a high-quality product with excellent performance, at an excellent value. The Camp Chef Smoke Vault is excellent for all types of outdoor cooking. Not only great for smoking meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, the Smoke Vault also functions as a great baking oven, keeping the summer heat out of the kitchen. Features of the Smoke Vault include:
25,000 BTU/hr propane burner
Push button ignitor
4 removable smoking racks (5th optional)
Stainless water pan
Cast iron wood chip box

 

[minn.bill]

play that one to the hilt man,if i could convince my wife on that one i would already be in the store.

 

[mobcounty]

Debi,
You asked a great question. The function is for some of my wife's colleagues. Last year they had tri-tip and sides buffet style on plastic and paper. It was pretty rustic. However, I would love to make the dinner memorable for everyone. A good impression would go a long way for my wife who is the head organizer.

MC

 

[cowgirl]

You could go for a whole hog on a cinderblock pit, they are pretty memorable.....but then you wouldn't get your new toy.

 

[deejaydebi]

I'd do briskets and butts! Marinate the briskets in Italian dressing, garlic powder, onion, brown sugar and ginger (mild teriaki). Do the pork butts like normal. That way you'll have BBQ of two different styles. Should please and impress everyone. You can bake the rolls in the smoker too and that'll be really good!

 

[mobcounty]

Oh man, rolls in the smoker!! Outstanding!

Debi, I saw you liked the 24 smoke vault. In your opinion will that smoker hold 4 butts and 3 briskets if they were 8lbs each? People seem to hold the smoke vault in high regard. If it is big enough for my job, I'll try to get one as soon as possible to start practicing.

butts and and briskets for Thanksgiving anyone?!?!

 

[wavector]

I used the Smoky Okie method for a brisket last week and by seperating the point from the flat (I had to becasue of the size of my smoker), and after searing and three hours in the aluminum pan I was at 176°F using smoker temp of 275-300°F. Another roughly two hours and the brisket was done, 200 for the flat and 205+ for the point (not much of a smoke ring, but my rub recipe made everyone forget about the smoke ring and it had plenty of smoke flavor). That's five hours for 11.86 pounds untrimmed. Probably ended up with maybe 7-8 pounds of smoked meat (maybe less, I didn't weigh it) and au jus to boot seperate the grease from the au jus strain and simmer with maybe a cup of red wine and few peppercorns to makes an awesome au jus.

It seems to me the more fat and water content of the meat, the less of a smoke ring. My brisket point has virtually no ring, maybe a little, while my flat had 1/8" pronounced smoke ring. Regardless the flavor was excellent, I mean great. The best beef I have ever tasted next to tenderloin.

No Q-view it's almost gone. I made deliveries to family members fresh off the smoker. We finished off the point with au jus last night.

 

[walking dude]

now i am no expert......but can you get a smoke ring with those high of temps........i normally smoke my brisketts and butts at 225-250 and get a awesome smoke ring.........just a thought on my part.....yours is the first i have read smoking brisketts that high.......i have heard of it being done tho.......its called the high heat method.....used for when some folks dont have the time for a......lets see, yours weighed 11 lbs....17-18 hours......my 10 lbers take 14-16 hours.........like i said.....just a thought on my part..........
woudn''t surprise me if i am wrong on this......but i only have experience with low and slow..........
i am just throwing that out there

d88de

 

[teacup13]

i know all about doing "chores" to get "tools"...lol
thats how i am getting the material to build my new smoker

as for a menu.... i would go with briskets & pork butts like everybody has suggested.... throw in some homemade fatties or store bought ones....beans....rolls....and another side and u have a great meal...

thats basically what my menu is going to be for the church across the street when my smoker is complete