Help me sell BBQ sandwiches..

[George C]

Hi all.
Thanks for having me.
I currently own a decent sized meat market/deli with a large summertime outdoor food trailer. We’ve been doing burgers, hot dogs, sausage sandwiches and curly fries for years
I want to add in smoked beef sandwiches, along with beans and slaw. I thought I would learn as much as I can before purchasing equipment, and making sure we are buying the right stuff.

I would like to start simple by adding a single sandwich to our menu, possibly using eye of round and slicing it inside our deli. . I want to be able to cook the product the day before, and refrigerate. I would like to bring back the meat to temp, possibly by using a Cvap. I don’t want to sink in a ton of cash because it’s going to be a 3-4 month operation, but I’m not afraid to spend what it takes to produce quality. I would like to get comfortable with daily prep, and then add in pork/chicken/fresh Italian sausage which we carry fresh in our store.
I am open to all suggestions on how to get started on the right foot.
Thanks again.

 

[AllAces]

Will your customers pay for a hand crafted sandwich?
Stick with a proven recipe rather than a custom recipe that is difficult to reproduce consistently.
What happens if you are not there to cook and prep?

 

[atomicsmoke]

Will your customers pay for a hand crafted sandwich?
Stick with a proven recipe rather than a custom recipe that is difficult to reproduce consistently.
What happens if you are not there to cook and prep?

What's a handcrafted sandwich?

 

[Paul wilson]

Pulled pork sandwiches, any beef fully cooked and warmed the next day will be to dry for me

 

[gmc2003]

Shredded beef or pork can be done beforehand, vacuum sealed then reheated in a pot of simmering water to bring back up to serving temp. It doesn't really lose any of it's flavor or smoke taste. I've also done this with brisket. Vacuum seal the whole smoked flat - reheat in a pot of water and slice after. Try it at home to see if you get the results your looking for. The brisket and pulled pork were done this way for both my children's wedding receptions and were a big hit.

Chris.

 

[petehalsted]

What they said. What part of the country are you in? I would say you have 2 choices.

Safe road, do what is popular local. Pulled pork in SE, Brisket in TX, etc.

or take a chance and do a sandwich not common to your area. Cubans in the middle of the midwest etc.

If you take a chance and they catch on you will be able to "create a buzz"

 

[buffalobbqpete]

You could always partner up with someone in your area. Learn as you go, cut them a part of the sales from those sandwiches. That might be more economical. I don't know what area of the country you're from, but I'm sure there are many folks on here that wouldn't mind helping you out.

 

[SonnyE]

We have a local meat market Bob's Country Meats that is very popular for lunch and generally better meats.
They do BBQ right there, and you can get sammies made from what's cookin on the grill.
Or from inside where they have vast arrays of Boars Head Meat Products cut to order.
So maybe you could scour some ideas for your thoughts on expansion from their success? Worth a look-see. ;)

 

[AllAces]

What's a handcrafted sandwich?

IMO, a handcrafted sandwich is one where all the ingredients are made from scratch in your kitchen as opposed to one made from ingredients brought in by your food supplier.

 

[atomicsmoke]

IMO, a handcrafted sandwich is one where all the ingredients are made from scratch in your kitchen as opposed to one made from ingredients brought in by your food supplier.

Thank you for explaining.
These days words like "crafted", "handcrafted", "artisan" are thrown around to justify an inflated price.

One of the supermarkets i shop at sells "artisan" bread for twice the price of regular bread. What is artisan bread you ask?
Is bread made with flour, water, yeast and salt. And nothing else (except seeds, olives or other ingrediens you actually want in your bread). So is not factory bread.That's it.

A deli meats place i sometimes visit for lunch charges 1-2$ more for sandwiches with hand carved meats (the meats are all made in-house).

 

[LanceR]

Hello George

You didn't mention what market you are from in this thread but I spotted your "Hello From Buffalo" thread so I'm guessing Buffalo, NY and not one of the several other Buffaloes. I grew up in Amherst and my wife is from Elma so we know the market well although we live in NC now. What is the name of your market?

Buffalo has a great beef sandwich tradition in beef on weck. I've had great success with smoking eye round but like all lean beef it needs careful attention to prevent overcooking or drying it out.

My first thought would be that starting with good pulled pork might be best. Pork butt is far more forgiving to cook, lends itself more readily to other menu items (mac 'n cheese, beans, etc) and it's easier to reheat without risking overcooking it or drying it out. An added bonus is that pork butt is much less expensive than any beef cut so he margins are a whole lot better too.....which doesn't suck.......

What kind of volume do you think you would be starting with? And growing into if all goes well?

 

[ghostguy6]

For camping trips Ive done pulled beef from bottom round. We put in small portions like a burger on a cast iron pan over the fire to reheat it, once warm we would throw a piece of cheddar on top to melt. Once the fat from the cheese melted it the meat was nice and moist. Throw that on a toasted pretzel bun with some mayo, pickle or even horseradish.

I really need to stop visiting this forum on days I skip lunch :(

 

[SonnyE]

IMO, a handcrafted sandwich is one where all the ingredients are made from scratch in your kitchen as opposed to one made from ingredients brought in by your food supplier.

To what degree?
Hand made Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickles, Home made bread?
To me that sounds like a ton of work, and a recipe for disaster.
IMO.

 

[pops6927]

First, contact your friendly local Federal Meat Inspection Office for any and all advice on regulations concerning your commercial endeavor. This website does not portend to be any authority whatsoever on State/Federal regulations; it is strictly a site for smoking enthusiasts and amateur endeavors sharing ideas, tips, recipes and 'how-to's of smoking meats for personal enjoyment.
Second, find out, through them, what requirements are for commercial equipment, specifications, operation, procedures, etc.
Third, what regulations are necessary for the meats chosen to cook outdoors or in an inspected kitchen or facility - do they have to have a Federal Grading Stamp on them like USDA Select, Choice, Prime, or is No Roll acceptable? These are all rules and regulations that must be met and adhered to.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to read and learn about your quest and accomplishments! The above has to be stated to avoid our website in being complicit with advice on commercial operation endeavors.

 

[AllAces]

To what degree?
Hand made Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickles, Home made bread?
To me that sounds like a ton of work, and a recipe for disaster.
IMO.

IMO, handcrafted means exactly what I said, all ingredients are scratch made. Yes, it can be a disaster, but some have mastered it and gained a loyal following, while many have tried and failed. You have to know your customer base and how much they are willing to spend. Many an owner has gone belly up because he thought everyone would pay top $$$ for grandma's mediocre meatloaf, and refused to take it off the menu.

 

[George C]

Thanks for the responses.
First, we are a decent sized meat market. We cut fresh meat all day long, so I am well versed on each cut of meat, and it’s positive/negatives. We have 9 meat sliders inside, so we have everything we need...except the basic knowledge of making and preserving BBQ. It has to be moist and delicious all day long. I like the idea of eyes because they are lean, little waste and I can slice them up easily. I do understand that the leanness is an issue if I don’t have the right equipment such as a C/Vap.

We own a 53’ custom food trailer once owned by Penske racing, and have been selling dogs, burgers, specialty sandwiches in the summertime for 8 years.
I’m looking to add a twist, and something no one else has in our area. As far as potential sales, I think everyone loves a smoked meat sandwich..

 

[AllAces]

IMO, given your current operation, brisket would be a good choice for sliced meat sandwiches. Lots of tried and tested ways of doing brisket, good smoke and beef flavor, good options for sit down or take out, easy prep, repeatable, little or no waste, holds well, easy to portion. And it's an up sell from your current menu.