Daughters wedding for 200...pulled pork, plan good?

[tucson bbq fan]

Congratulations on a successful wedding and feast!  Sounds like it all came together and you still got to enjoy your daughter's wedding.

 

[mneeley490]

Sounds like everything turned out great, congrats!

Don't worry about the lack of pics. I had no time for cameras when my daughter was married last year. But you will find that plenty of other people took pics and will email or post them somewhere soon.

 

[mamarenee]

Daughter wants me to cook pulled pork for her wedding in Sept. Should be approx. 200 people there eating, buffet style.

There will be jambalaya and white beans, meatballs and other assorted finger foods and such.

With that said... here is my plan.

I'm thinking about 100#'s of raw meat, going by the 1/2 #/person model. I think that will be way too much, considering all the other items people will be chowing down on. But I'm okay with that.

Usually our butts around here are in the 7-8# range. So that's approx. 13 butts. I'm thinking that will take about 16 -17hours or so and hoping that I can fit all on the MB XL smoker. If they don't all fit, I was thinking of doing 3 or 4 the day before and using them as the last resort butts and reheating them in the oven at the wedding hall, maybe adding a finishing sauce to them for moistness.

When smoking this many, do I need to add extra wood for smoking, more than I would for doing 1 or 2 butts? I'm using applewood and considering a mix of apple and hickory or pecan.

Will they hold for 4-5 hours in ice chest, wrapped with foil/towels, can I stack them in the ice chest? I have to be there 2 hours before the wedding and am hoping that will be my rest time, but I wouldn't mind getting them done a few hours earlier to be "safe" so I don't show up smelling all smokey. lol.

My plan is to use a chafing tray or two to keep the meat warm while serving, and have a couple trays already pulled and sitting in the oven at 150* (should it be higher like 180*?) to keep them warm and ready to switch out trays once one is getting to the empty mark. Then once I'm down to the last 2 trays, start pulling 2 more butts and keeping them warm.

I'll be using squeeze bottles to put 2 different BBQ sauces in for "users choice", one a carolina type and the other, probably KC Masterpiece or Sweet Baby James Q sauce, just for simplicity's sake, plus..I love KC Masterpiece.

Also considering putting slaw on the side for those that want to use it, but wondering how to keep it on the cool/fresh side in the hot weather.

And.. for the buns... I like CWB's...but it's a wedding. Trying to decide if CWB's are fine or need something fancier, like Kaiser or maybe Kings Hawaiin buns, or some other choice??

I've only just started smoking and have a few butts under me, doing some more trial runs before wedding to hopefully get everything smoothed out, nervous as can be right now.

Comments/suggestions/answers needed please.

 

[mummel]

I like the Sweet Baby Rays in that pic.  Love that stuff.

 

[adfrosty]

Just me but I would recommend smoking and pulling everything several days in advance and then reheating the day of the wedding. Trust me it will cut down the stress on an already stressful day!

I always pre-cook my pulled pork for gatherings. I pull it and apply my finishing sauce then into foil pans and the fridge. To reheat put in 200* oven.

I always use cheap buns, makes the best sandwee.

If you do go ahead with the cook the day of you can put as many butts in one cooler as you can.

I have been reading through this thread as I am also considering making pulled pork for my daughter's wedding. This line caught my eye:

"I always use cheap buns, makes the best sandwee."

What do you consider a cheap bun? Whether I make my own pulled pork or buy some from a local meat shop, I would still like to know what bun is the best.

Thanks in advance!