Festival & Equipment

Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 08 2009 Post subject: Festival & Equipment

I know most caters don't like to do festivals. However, we have a yearly festival that jams every year and no one does BBQin. So I'm gonna do it, but my question is with low and slow cooking how do we keep the production of ribs coming out hot and fresh.

So... what type of equipment would you say will work.
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sseige · Posted: Feb 08 2009 Post subject:

list what equipment you have to work with and the amount of product you think will be needed.
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Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

I'm just starting out and lets say I have no equipment for catering large festivals.

This year I am planning on jumping into comps with some small catering on the side and some R&D for plans on next year opening a BBQ deli style business.

With this thread, I'm just tring to get a feel for how the pros are handling larger events. Mainly, are they pre-cooking quanties and keeping the product warm in warmers or what?
Also, what kinds of equipment are being used with their methods of madness?
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Pit Boss · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

If you have no equipment to cook on site, then I'd suggest you start a few days in advance. Cook what you can and wrap tight in foil. Refrigerate and take to the festival cold. Much easier to hold that way.

Get you one of those long, open grills...you typically see them like 18-24" deep and 4-5' wide. Charcoal would be nice, but gas would work fine as you should already have your smoke flavor built in...plus with gas you can tune your heat "on the fly" whereas charcoal would be harder to adjust (especially at a busy festival).

You can reheat the ribs on the grill just like they do at many of the restaurants that serve ribs. Grill, add some sauce, grill, add a bit more sauce, continue to grill until hot (165 degrees to be exact).

If you cook on site, you could stagger the cook times...or you could get them all done at the same time and hold in a variety of ways.

I will say that if you go with the refrigerated and grilled to reheat ribs, you might want to have a small grill or other type of pit going in your booth with some good smelling smoke coming from it. You'll want the visual appeal of the smoke coming from a grill, and that smell will draw them from a ways off.
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Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

Thanks, I wasn't sure if caters doing such an event were cooking far in advance, but I guess you have to stay one day ahead on having your product ready.

I was thinking you need one area puttin on a show, cooking the ribs in a nice lookin cooker, like maybe a Backwoods Boss Hog
ttp://backwoods-smoker.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=93[url]
This product feeds your refrigerator

Then maybe another area pullin from the frig, grilling it and puttin on the glaze ... then keeping the food warmer cabinet stocked.

And finally, your front line pullin from the warmer and feedin the people.

The festivals that I'm talking about are very large and very successful. I can assume I'd be servicing 1000 in one night.
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marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

If you are planning to serve 1000 people in one day....I am doubtful (really, really doubtful) that the Backwoods Party smoker you have on the way (if that is the one you are planning to use) would cut it....just would not be able to keep up....even if you did (or were able) to start the day before.

Steve (sseige) might be able to help here....but when I attended the Reno Rib Cookoff (put on every Labor Day weekend), the cooks would start their ribs for the days feast at about 3-4 AM to be ready to start serving at 11 AM and then cook all day. AND...there were like 18 different booths (teams) doing the exact same thing....all serving ribs.

Most were using Ole Hickory Pits, and/or other pits built like them all of which will hold 1000 lbs of meat at one time. MOST had more than one of these huge pits.

If I were going to do one of these huge events like this, I would consider working for a "team" a few times (events) to see just what, when, where, how things are done to be able to pull off such a venture....ESPECIALLY having NEVER done vending before.

Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

Marvsbbq, thanks, that is some good advice. I have worked for caters and as a head cook for years in a restaurant, so I have some good experience behind although the experience isn't BBQ.

I would never even dream of doing such an event with the Backwoods Party model, that's baby is for my personal use and R & D. I would most likely invest in the Backwoods Boss Hog model.

But still, you have some good advice and I here ya, and as long as this type of advice keeps rollin in on this thread, I sure I'll have al the info I need to do this event, maybe not this year, but perhaps the next.
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sseige · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

At this point BBQMAN jumps in with a list of related topics on vending, equipment, and such that you can look over first and then ask some questions and then the topic dies.

So maybe we can run with this and list some things that could help?

Pick a point state what you use, how it works ,and whats next.

Lets start with Cookers/smokers/pits.

If you want to keep this in Catering thats cool but we should be in Commercial so I'm going to reply in Commercial Forum.
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Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

You may be right, perhaps it belongs in Commercial forum.
Puffff........ I'm out of here and winging it over to Commercial. Besides I knew one day I'd going commercial.

And if anyone can help me get my avar pic small ... please help.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Feb 09 2009 Post subject:

Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 10 2009 Post subject:

BBQMAN, you've aways given me good advice in the past, so no need to put your head in the sand around me.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Feb 10 2009 Post subject:

Most of the really big gigs use the equipment Marv mentioned.

We use a standard offset ( it's BIG) and I also have an oven for hot holding (or for use as an oven). My racks are the same size for both units (I built it with that in mind).

That being said, I'm not a big fan of pulling meat out of a cooler, but many on the "circuit" do just that, then toss and sauce on a grill like Cape mentioned.

Festivals are also a crap shoot even if they are huge (and yes there are a lot of threads here addressing festivals and how to handle them, do a search and take a look- if you can't find them shoot me a PM so Steve don't get mad).

Back to "what equipment do I need".

The direct answer is something big enough to feed "X" sized crowd. Most of us don't own big mobile rotisseries like Marv and Steve.

I prefer to cook enough ribs that I can comfortably sell (fresh) and supplement with pulled pork (which holds better).

We cook a case of 9 slabs of ribs for our market, and two cases (roughly 60-70 pounds of finished meat) of PP. The PP is foiled as part of my cooking practice which keeps it from drying out, and holds well.

Left over PP also freezes well due to it's high fat content, and usually re-heats as good as fresh.

At the end of our market day, I discount the ribs so they all go, and cook fresh for next time.

Another option for a larger event is to find some rental equipment to add to your arsenal, or network with other pros in your area that would lend a hand and some equipment (I know a few in my area that I could call in to help).

I don't do large high dollar entry fee festivals due to poor personal experience. But some of the questions to ask are:

Is this a 1st annual event? (in other words nobody knows about it, and there are no prior attendance figures)

How many BBQ vendors will be there?

How many total food vendors will there be?

Where will my spot be located in relation to the beer truck and the entertainment?

Good luck with it!
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Forkin Pork · Posted: Feb 12 2009 Post subject:

I have to say that's some pretty good advice BBQMAN, especially the part about, where is my booth in relation to entertainment and the beer vender. (usually those are great spots) Thanks
I'd have to add, that the festivals I talking about are well established (at least for the past 20yrs).
Great events and they pack in a crowd. As for BBQ vending, there is no one and as far as I can remember, There never has been amyone.
I fact the whole City of Stamford, CT and the general surrounding area does not have a good BBQ joint. But that's another subject in it's self.
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