How would you do this butt cook?

[Rob B.]

To raise $$ for my school's pit project (see this thread) , I'm going to sell BBQ by the pound on Friday afternoons to teachers for take-home suppers. Ribs and chickens I will cook totally at school with my WSM. But the butt, which is scheduled on this Friday's menu, I'll need to start at home.

Here's my dilemma: I want them to receive the freshest, best tasting product I can give them. Does that mean that I need to begin the ~12 hour cook at 2AM (school's out at 3PM), take it off and let it rest for an hour, pull it and hand out at 3? Or start at midnight to allow some flex time, wrap and rest it till 3, or what? What if I cook from 7pm - 7am, rest for a few hours, pull, package and refridgerate?
How would you more experienced folks do it? /infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif TIA...

 

[Sam Goller]

Given that there are so many things that can go wrong (from bad weather to stubborn meat that just won't cook on your timetable /infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif ) I wouldn't leave anything to chance. I'd do it all several days before, pre-package it and keep the packages in the fridge until the sale day. Then, put them in a cooler to take up to the school.

However, I'd also set-up a smoker to give the appearance of a "live performance". Maybe throw some sausage on there for those who want a quick bite before heading home or to cut up and give as samples to encourage a purchase. Or a pre-cooked butt that you can just reheat in the smoker and pull off pieces to hand out. If in store sampling works at Sam's Club, why not at the school.

You also mentioned that you wanted to give them the best product ... considering the number of posts I've read that say Q taste better the next day, your best product may be one that sits in the fridge for a day or two.

Good luck and hope you have a lot of $ucce$$ raising money.
sam

 

[BrockinFLA]

How much are you talking about here. # of butts? Total lbs of pulled pork?

Since your selling this I will assume your going to cook a few butts and upwards of 10-15lbs. If this is the case then here is what I would do.

Cook them all at home a day or two before you intend to sell at school on Friday. Pull enough pork put in a hotel pan or other square pan. The rest pull sauce and package in 1 lbs bags. Refrigerate. When you go to school to sell, take 1 lbs packages in cooler keep cool. Take the WSM and the hotel pan or aluminum pan of pulled pork and extra sauce.

At school set up the WSM and fire up a load of coals no smoke. Reheat the pulled pork in the pan on the WSM. Maybe a little smoke to draw some attention. The pulled pork you reheat, give away to the teachers on paper plates to let them sample. Have some plastic forks and extra sauce for this. Dont give them too much just enough that they can get a good taste or two.

When they all start to pee their pants and the frenzy starts, you open up that cooler with the prepackaged pulled pork. Get your wallet ready.

 

[Guest]

Good advise above. Only thing I can add is do a bunch of slabs of ribs. My team mates and I did 96 slabs as a competition fund raiser (on 3 WSM's)for superbowl watchers and they sold like... Well hot yummy slabs. It was a huge project though!!!

 

[Rob B.]

Thanks for the tips. Looks like a pre-cook is in order. I have 4 butts totalling about 30lbs (bone in). I have 13lbs already sold. If my yield is half, that gives me 2 extra pounds to use for samples or a last minute sale.

Ribs are next Friday. Not nearly the profit margin as butt, but they'll be popular. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Thanks again!

 

[Matt Goin]

how much per pound...

 

[Rob B.]

Paid $.99/pound, charging $8.00/pound. I'm guessing after factoring in weight loss to cooking, buying spices, charcoal, and other supplies, I figure it's costing me around $2.50/pound.