Mutiple meat mutiple day Wedding smoke

[pineywoods]

Awhile back another forum member (BamaFan) and I were asked to smoke for a Wedding for free of course lol. They said 210-250 guests. We said we would but it would be a pain getting our smokers down there. Down there was about 250 miles for me and well over 300 for BamaFan so we talked about it and decided we'd load both smokers on my gooseneck trailer then take my Polaris Ranger to unload and reload them. Well about a month ago I went down to check out the venue and see what we had to work with. The place had a long winding narrow driveway and the lady renting the venue for the owner kept saying no driving or parking on the grass so trying to get the gooseneck trailer in there without driving on the grass was not happening so time for a new plan. The Bride and Groom said they could get a couple large trailer mounted smokers of course we had concerns about using smokers we don't know and asked that they send pics of the smokers before we agreed to smoke on them. Well they sent a couple pics of a decent sized side fire box smoker of course not pics of the whole thing so I ask does it have two levels of grates and was told yes. Then was told they had another like the first one but no pics. We talk about it and decide other than reheating some stuff all we had to do day of was chicken and beans so between three trailer mounted smokers we should be fine even tho we've never actually seen them. Fast forward to ten days before the wedding I get a call hold everything the venue they had rented was foreclosed on and they don't have a venue. They call the next afternoon to say they have found another venue and send me pictures of the kitchen we have to work with only thing is that we were going to get access to the facilities at the foreclosed place on Thursday and we can't get access to this one till Friday. After several texts to find and change access time (no I can't get access at 4 and serve dinner that needs smoked at 6) we finally get access arranged. The request for Rehearsal Dinner Friday was smoked meatloaf and mac n cheese and green beans. For Reception Dinner the request was Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Dutch's Beans, and potato salad made by someone else. Then they added a garden salad again done by someone else. Tim and I decide to smoke the 6 briskets and 8 butts ahead of time and do the chicken and beans day of. Sorry this is so long of a post but wanted to give the background and at the end lessons learned. Remember we were only asked to cook.
Getting some slightly modified Jeff's Recipe Rub made the only change I make is Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw) instead of Brown Sugar because it doesn't clump as bad and has a higher burn temperature.

Yes that's a lot but I don't want to run short at 250 miles away and I can vacuum seal some when I get back for use later.

BamaFan/Tim arrived Tuesday shortly after I finished the rub. We needed to cut and split more pecan wood that has been down awhile so that took awhile. As we split it we stacked it on one of my other trailers. Then we prepped the meat for a Wednesday smoke.

Briskets weren't huge but couldn't find any flats at a decent price so got what I could get. Didn't get pics of the butts wasn't anything special just slather with mustard and apply rub.
After getting that done and having some dinner I started on some BBQ sauces. I did some of Jeff's Recipe and some of a mustard based sauce I had a recipe for.

Going to continue this in next post

 

[pineywoods]

So morning of smoke here at my place using my Lang

Briskets ready to foil

Getting closer

Will continue in next post

 

[pineywoods]

We got everything put away and started getting things ready to load and go down on Thursday. We were getting our granddaughters after the wedding to bring back and spend their spring break with us so we had to take two trucks and one trailer. Thursday morning we loaded everything up for the trip south. Stopped and got ice in the coolers and off we went. Dropped the truck and trailer off where we knew they'd be safe overnight instead of it sitting in a hotel parking lot where someone might decide they wanted my coolers or food out of it or other stuff in that truck and trailer. Tim climbs in with us and we head for the hotel and trip to Walmart and dinner. Back up Friday morning and get a quick breakfast on the way to get the truck and trailer. We get to the Wedding venue about 9:30 and start putting everything into the kitchen and commercial fridge while waiting on smokers to be put where we are told we will smoking at. We get a look at the smokers we are to use yikes. None of them have two levels of grates, none have any air intakes on the fireboxes, no rack in any of the fireboxes to build the fire so the ash can fall below, one has a 5 or 6" x about 12" hole in the bottom of the firebox. As we are standing there looking at them we are like we should have brought ours but hey we only have to do meatloaf and mac n cheese for 40 tonight and chicken and beans tomorrow because they have a warming cabinet inside we can use to reheat the other stuff. Next thing we figure out is we forgot a probe type thermometer for checking smoker temp but they all have commercial type thermometers. We had at least 7 instant read thermos but not one wired one. Since we are doing this cook for free I had given them a list of stuff they needed to pick up. I had of course picked up the stuff I needed to prepare things ahead of time. So I start asking about the ground chuck for the meatloaf and the stuff for making the mac n cheese. After looking around a bit and a phone call or two they have everything needed for today and part of tomorrow the rest will be here later they assure me. So Tim goes to fire up the smoker we'll only need one today. My wife and I start prepping. We're figuring give the meatloaf plenty of time we can always hold it in the warming cabinet if needed and then start the mac n cheese later.

It's going

Mac n Cheese ready for smoker

Tim is fighting with the smoker with no intakes on the firebox he is having to open and close the door to get temps up but he's got her up to 225-250 he's just working hard to maintain it.

Continued in next post

 

[pineywoods]

Cut the sides of the pans down to get more smoke

Now we have figured out the thermometer has got to be way off the meatloaf should have a higher internal temp and the mac n cheese should be boiling out some of the liquids so we need the smoker hotter. While Tim is trying to get it hotter I turn the oven on we have time but really need to start getting this stuff closer to done. I'm also prepping the green beans to go on the stove adding pre cooked ham. Tim fights the smoker I take two pans of the mac n cheese and put into oven it has been in the smoker long enough to get smoke now we need it to loose the liquid. Tim now has the smoker up to 325 according to the thermometer on it and the pan of beans there is starting to loose the liquid and the meatloaf temps are coming up. Mac n Cheese in oven is done and going into warming cabinet.

Meatloaf is done

Everything into warming cabinet because they are running late. Green beans are done and just keeping warm on stove. Rehearsal done and rush to get all food out didn't get anymore pics sorry. We were told to cook for 60 and with venue change many of the wedding party didn't bring the entire family as the cancelled venue had housing for all of them and us to for that matter so the 60 was more like 30-35 good thing I told Bride to bring a vacuum sealer or have her parents bring one. We had leftover everything so we put it all away for the night and got out of there to go eat lol we fed everybody but ourselves. Decided I'd go by Walmart again this time to get a thermometer to check smoker temps yea yea never mind I have a brand new Inkbird 6 probe thermo at home and a fireboard and who knows how many older thermos with probes. So the chicken showed up just before rehearsal started and it's not the 100 leg quarters as I was told it would be it's a little over 100 pieces of whole cut up birds. Would be nice if I had been told before now I would have brought or bought the stuff to brine it. Fast forward to Saturday and we decide since it's a 6:15 dinner time we don't have to start until late morning. Talk to the Bride and it's decided I'll reheat the mac n cheese leftover from last night 1 full tray and about 3/4 of another tray and we'll serve tonight since it was so well liked. Meatloaf won't be reheated it will be vacuum sealed for Bride's mother to take home and freeze for them. I need to run back to the hotel and get something I'm gone like 35 minutes and come back to people taking over the kitchen and the 3/4 tray of mac n cheese and the left over beans in the oven being reheated to go with the fried chicken for lunch. Say what, what chicken and that's not what I was told an hour ago and who the hell has taken over the kitchen I need to prep in. Don't know who arranged the lunch but some lady came in telling me we can serve the lunch outside at the picnic tables that did not go over well and I informed her we were there to cook not serve and maybe they better get some people to do that as we have to prep for the dinner right now.
Find out the invaders are icing the cake and some cup cakes and have to make salad. I inform them they are not taking over the whole kitchen as we have prep work to do for dinner. We get trays into the warming cabinet then start prepping the Dutch's beans we had already cooked the bacon, onions, green peppers, and jalapenos so that made it easier 5 pans of beans 3 not spicy and 2 spicy. Tim was firing up the smokers and I called my brother in law who doesn't live that far away for more help. The beans all go into smokers and we decide we don't have the room to spread out the chicken and apply rub like we normally do. Can't get one smoker up to temp so wife and Tim load all the chicken they can get into the smokers and apply rub as they are doing it. While they are doing that I'm checking temps on the stuff in the warming cabinet and it's not coming up. We figure out there's to much in the warming cabinet for it to bring it up to 140 without it taking way to much time. So I turn the oven on again and put to trays in when it gets hot. About that time somebody else comes in to tell me they are all done with lunch and we can go out and clean it up grrr again inform them we're the cooks not the serving or cleaning crew. Get the now warm trays out of the oven and into the warming cabinet and two more into the oven. Some guy walks in with the trays from lunch and asks what I want to do with the leftovers well since it has sat out there for 3-4 hours I'm not doing anything with it throw it away. Trays of beans are getting done and chicken is getting done we are getting them into the warming cabinet and I've gotten the trays that were in there heated back up so now everything in there is at 140 or above. Brother in law has gotten the third smoker up to 275 and more chicken goes in. People are walking in the kitchen saying the tea is out the water is gone etc. and I'm like I have no idea who is handling that but it's not us. I go out and look and see all the rented chaffing dishes set up but nothing to serve with no utensils at all. Now I'm figuring out they never got anyone to take care of the drinks or serve food it's gonna be serve yourself and I guess we're gonna be the ones who have to keep the serving dishes full again not what I signed up for. We found we had brought almost enough utensils and we found a couple more serving spoons and we got it all done and everybody ate. Needless to say I didn't get any pics Saturday none at all it was that kind of day all four of us were wore out and hurting. Again we cooked for 210-250 and had a lot less but at least we didn't have to deal with all the leftovers just leave them in the warming cabinet or fridge for parents to take care of. After a nice long break we managed to get things cleaned up and get our stuff loaded up. We got lots of compliments on the food and several people wanting us to cook for them so we did something right.
Lessons learned
Never believe somebody about a smoker go see it yourself or take your own.
Work out all the details before you even begin even the little things.
Make sure of your working area and make sure nobody else is coming into it and getting in your way.
Double check all the things you pack to take then double check the double check.
Pros
If you try hard enough you can make things come out great even when you have sorry stuff to work with.

Sorry this thread was so long.

For those saying the Admins and Mods never post any smokes guess we do sometimes

 

[chilerelleno]

Mind bending... I don't think I'd ever BBQ another person's event... EVER.

Huge kudos to y'all for going for it and making it happen.
An incredible feat under huge handicaps.
Respect.

 

[Jabiru]

WOW, what a story. sounds like a living nightmare, and yet you pulled it off. The meatloaf looks damn tasty!

"When the going gets tough" is an understatement for your cook.

 

[daveomak]

Wow Gerald, You got tested to the limit.... Great success in my opinion....

 

[DanMcG]

LOL great post Piney, Some relative owes you big time!!

 

[gmc2003]

Holy smokes, I don't think I'd be as patient as you guys. Way to overcome.

Chris

 

[texomakid]

I'm so impressed. That's a LOT of food in a logistics nightmare! Just this last weekend I cooked for around 20. The majority raved about the meat and many asked If I had ever considered cooking professionally............... No - No way. Then it turns into a real job and I already got one of those. You guys did an amazing job.

 

[fivetricks]

No good deed goes unpunished....

Good job. Catering sucks lol. It's a thankless business

 

[SmokinAl]

Wow Jerry!
That sounds like a nightmare marathon cook!
Great job hanging in there with all the adversity!
Looks like you put out a heck of a spread for those folks!!
Great thread!!
Al

 

[SunnyDC]

Youch, I feel your pain! I've done quite a lot of on-site catering and it always seems to be a logistical nightmare! Great job getting it all handled, though... hope you were able to put your feet up for a day or two afterward!

 

[pineywoods]

Youch, I feel your pain! I've done quite a lot of on-site catering and it always seems to be a logistical nightmare! Great job getting it all handled, though... hope you were able to put your feet up for a day or two afterward!

Funny you should say that I woke up on the 14th with pain in my leg hurt every step went to ER and they said DVT in leg injections and prescription and a list of risks and cautions. While down there swelling got worse figured a day or two of rest would help but it didn't and found bruising that was another warning sign. Back to the ER this morning and it got bigger so surgery tomorrow. Should be short and sweet hopefully home tomorrow night then more rest.

 

[SunnyDC]

Funny you should say that...

Goodness! So glad you're getting that taken care of. Nothing to play around with. Hope all goes well and you're feeling better soon!

 

[chopsaw]

Piney , Looks good bud . Nice work for all the hoops you had to jump thru .
Good luck with the surgery .

 

[KrisUpInSmoke]

Funny you should say that I woke up on the 14th with pain in my leg hurt every step went to ER and they said DVT in leg injections and prescription and a list of risks and cautions. While down there swelling got worse figured a day or two of rest would help but it didn't and found bruising that was another warning sign. Back to the ER this morning and it got bigger so surgery tomorrow. Should be short and sweet hopefully home tomorrow night then more rest.

After all of that, I hope your procedure and recovery are flawless.

 

[banderson7474]

Did you at least get a tip?

 

[dougmays]

I've been on this forum many years and this MIGHT be my favorite post so far!! That brisket is super juicy!

Do you have your meatloaf recipe on here somewhere? I've tried pan smoking meatloaf a few times and the burger grease accumulates and makes it soggy and falls apart

that must have been a great wedding, i would have not left the table!

 

[Jeff Wright]

Wow, what an adventure. You preparing for the 5 year anniversary dinner? Everyone will get a good laugh about it years from now. Meantime, nice job doing on the fly. The pictures you did get look very tasty!