How do BBQ restaurants get food ready in time for lunch?


 
B

Bryan B

TVWBB Fan
This is a serious question and is something I just started thinking about. I know that we can all do overnighters with our WSM's, so the capability is there for a restaurant as well.

Just curious if most restaurants smoke overnight and if so, do they leave their cookers unattended while they sleep at home?

Not sure if there are any restauratt owners on this forum, or if there are any people who might know.

As I'm sure some of you also have, I sometimes fantasize about opening up my own restaurant. My preferred type of restaurant is BBQ, but I worry about how you prepare it and still also get sleep.

Is it even considered legal to operate your restaurant unattended? Seems like a potential fire hazard.

I guess I wouldn't be surprised if some restaurants serve day-old BBQ at lunch, but I'd really prefer not to do that. Gotta keep your food quality up above all else.
 
Have you seen any of the Aaron Franklin videos on You Tube? Does he look like a man who gets a lot of sleep? I think not. If you own your restaurant, don't plan on much sleep. There's only so much you would want to leave to others, at least until you got established. The quickest way to go broke is to open a business and let somebody else run it.
 
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Sometimes BBQ places are making the que during the hours that they are open. They use foodsaver or similar packaging to
hold the que until ready for use. It is then heated in the bags and is next to impossible to tell when it was finished on the smoker.
The smoking during the day helps to draw in customers from the wonderful smells of bbq, and the proprietor gets to sleep at night
as well. It really works out well.
 
There's a pretty popular place in Philly that smokes all night long. The next day they sell it for lunches. I would imagine that someone stays and tends the pits each night.
 
Dave/G said:
Have you seen any of the Aaron Franklin videos on You Tube? Does he look like a man who gets a lot of sleep? I think not. If you own your restaurant, don't plan on much sleep. There's only so much you would want to leave to others, at least until you got established. The quickest way to go broke is to open a business and let somebody else run it.
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That's a good point. I just watched most of his videos after you posted this. I also found this article http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2011/07/aaron-franklin-barbecue-best-restaurant-in-america#intro

Sounds like his day starts at 3:30 AM.

I don't completely understand the part about smoking brisket for 18 hours. I've heard of anyone else doing it that long. Also, it says he starts the meat at 9:00AM Day 1 and finishes at 3:00 AM day 2. So does that mean he holds the finished brisket for 8+ hours before serving?? That seems like an awfully long time to hold finished meat.
 
Bob H. said:
Sometimes BBQ places are making the que during the hours that they are open. They use foodsaver or similar packaging to
hold the que until ready for use. It is then heated in the bags and is next to impossible to tell when it was finished on the smoker.
The smoking during the day helps to draw in customers from the wonderful smells of bbq, and the proprietor gets to sleep at night
as well. It really works out well.
Click to expand...

I have to say I like the sound of this idea. While I would certainly prefer to serve the food as fresh as possible, I can't fathom a viable way to do this with pulled pork and still get a decent amount of sleep. I will have to play around with those foodsaver bags at home and see if I can notice much of a difference.
 
Bryan B said:
I don't completely understand the part about smoking brisket for 18 hours. I've heard of anyone else doing it that long...
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My last brisket took 17 hours. It was a 12 lb packer but I trimmed A LOT of fat from it so I estimate it was around 9 lbs. I was planning to cook for 18 hrs but it got done sooner. I did this after reading in several magazines and books about how some of the old timers do it. I tried it and it works very well -- very tender and juicy.

Here's how Snow's does it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lryHCMyNwE
 
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Dwain Pannell said:
My last brisket took 17 hours. It was a 12 lb packer but I trimmed A LOT of fat from it so I estimate it was around 9 lbs. I was planning to cook for 18 hrs but it got done sooner. I did this after reading in several magazines and books about how some of the old timers do it. I tried it and it works very well -- very tender and juicy.

Here's how Snow's does it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lryHCMyNwE
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Dwain, any thoughts on the part about him finishing the meat at 3:00 AM and then serving from 11:00 to 1:00. Can brisket be held that long?
 
Bryan B said:
Dwain, any thoughts on the part about him finishing the meat at 3:00 AM and then serving from 11:00 to 1:00. Can brisket be held that long?
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I didn't hear that. I heard her say she starts at 1:00. ..and I saw him load it into a hot box.

Black's says their brisket takes 20 to 24 hours. I saw them hold it in a hot box wrapped in butcher paper.
 
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Snow's ought to be called Tootsie's. She makes the big stuff look so easy, while the
most of us run a WSM or two, looks like most of us could learn by watching her.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
I didn't hear that. I heard her say she starts at 1:00. ..and I saw him load it into a hot box.

Black's says their brisket takes 20 to 24 hours. I saw them hold it in a hot box wrapped in butcher paper.
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I was talking about what Aaron Franklin does per that article I linked earlier.

I just watched the Snow's video and you're right that they start at 1:00.

Just trying to understand Franklins process. Any joint that can have a long line and sell out every single day is a place I would like to model myself after.
 
Bryan B said:
I was talking about what Aaron Franklin does per that article I linked earlier.

I just watched the Snow's video and you're right that they start at 1:00.

Just trying to understand Franklins process. Any joint that can have a long line and sell out every single day is a place I would like to model myself after.
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Ah - I gotcha now.

Franklin uses a simple business model by creating demand thru limited supply. It seems Snow's uses the same model: Only have X supply and Y demand goes thru the roof.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
Ah - I gotcha now.

Franklin uses a simple business model by creating demand thru limited supply. It seems Snow's uses the same model: Only have X supply and Y demand goes thru the roof.
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It's pretty ingenious in my opinion. With all the competition in today's restaurant world, people get tired of good places all the time and start going elsewhere. Seems so many good restaurants go out of business b/c of this. I think sometimes the restaurants expand too large and increase their fixed costs too much, then demand drops off, and its a gradual decline from there. Limiting supply from the get go keeps demand up, and it turns into a cultural event "tailgating for BBQ".
 
Bryan B said:
It's pretty ingenious in my opinion. With all the competition in today's restaurant world, people get tired of good places all the time and start going elsewhere. Seems so many good restaurants go out of business b/c of this. I think sometimes the restaurants expand too large and increase their fixed costs too much, then demand drops off, and its a gradual decline from there. Limiting supply from the get go keeps demand up, and it turns into a cultural event "tailgating for BBQ".
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Spot on. That's why you see all the lines in Central Tx.
 
Bryan B said:
Dwain, any thoughts on the part about him finishing the meat at 3:00 AM and then serving from 11:00 to 1:00. Can brisket be held that long?
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I imagine so. My last brisket was better marbled than anything I'd done before. It was supposed to finish mid-afternoon to be ready for dinner. It was done at 7am. I kept it in a 170F oven for 2 hours, then foiled and rested it in a cooler with towels for another 3.5 hours.

I don't see why the brisket couldn't have been held longer as long as it was above 140F for food safety. Considering that Aaron Franklin sells out of brisket so early, I imagine he's doing just that. Giving himself extra time if he needs it, and holding the briskets that are done until it's time to cut and serve.
 
Can't say nothing about you Southern Folk but up here in the North East they usually steam the bejesus out of it, slap sauce on it and pass it over the flame pit. That's their BBQ. We have a Kinsfolk here in the City and I recently broke down and tried it. Very disappointing. Another place, (by the way, they both boast "award winning" BBQ) we went to, I tried the ribs. No smoke ring very faint smoke flavor (i'm thinking liquid smoke and not enough of it), covered in sauce and very bland. Both places obviously steam their ribs. every one I've talked to claims these places have the best Q. Unfortunately, most Yankees are ignorant when it comes to real good bbq. Thank god I'm a redneck at heart. :)
 
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