Ambitious or what?

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

kiska95

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
May 2, 2015
468
22
Well I like to set myself a challenge but I do get carried away!!!

Next weekend I am having what may turn out to be an annual event for my friends. The inaugural "Bansko Bernie's BBQ" (Triple B) Butts, Brisket and Booze
yahoo.gif
or a train crash
th_crybaby2.gif


Been ages since I had a party and having worked abroad for the best part of 10 years till recently, I thought I would get my head out of my arxx and do something special for my friends and family, 26 in total if they all come

So built two UDS's one for hot one for cold smoke (Black/Blue and Black/ Red), Bought a Napoleon Rodeo Pro (like a Weber but posher) just out of the box and a GMG Daniel Boone which is now fixed (Hopefully)

So without much practice time and all of your tips and recipes whirling around in my head I have decided to go for broke with.......

The Triple B menu

Meats
  • Pulled Pork
  • Beef Ribs
  • Packer Cut Brisket (6KG) from Turner & George
  • Pork Belly Ribs from Turner & George
  • Pork Loin Ribs
  • Angel Gut Beef Links (inspired by those from Elgin Texas)
  • A Fattie (special for my mate Steve)
  • Cup Cake Chicken
  • Sausages and Burgers for the non believers (Loshy)
  • Beef Franks
  • Pork Dogs
  • Bratwurst
  • Hot smoked Salmon
  • Cold Smoked Salmon
  • Beef Jerky
Sides
  • BBQ Beans
  • Mac & Cheese
  • Potatoe Salad
  • Corn Bread
  • Possible biscuits
  • Possible Onion Loaf
What do you recon????? Eh?

All else fails I will put out some nuts and crisps and we will just get drunk!!!
banana_smiley.gif
 
Hi Brian - Wow quite a challenge. Luckily the meats can be split down into groups for cooking as this will help things flow.
  • Pulled Pork
Cook this the day before and pull it the next morning. The flavour will intensify when it is re-heated. You can pull into a roasting tray, cover with foil and then warm up at ~110-120 C in the overn until it reaches 74C
  • Packer Cut Brisket (6KG) from Turner & George
Cook this on the day in its own smoker. This will need TLC and does not like being disturbed
  • Beef Ribs
  • Pork Belly Ribs from Turner & George
  • Pork Loin Ribs
These can all be cooked together and are fairly forgiving
  • A Fattie (special for my mate Steve)
  • Cup Cake Chicken
Also very forgiving and can be cooked together on the day. You may even want to cook the fatty the day before and serve it cold
  • Angel Gut Beef Links (inspired by those from Elgin Texas)
  • Sausages and Burgers for the non believers (Loshy)
  • Beef Franks
  • Pork Dogs
  • Bratwurst
These will all be grilled on the day as required I expect.
  • Hot smoked Salmon
This can be included in with the Fatty/chicken towards the end

I hope you are not trying to be too ambitious. Get the main meats cooking and the others ready. Dont be afraid to leave some of the lesser items (some of the sausages, burgers) in the fridge if you feel things starting to get out of control.

You will certainly find that things will be less stressful if you can cook the pulled pork the day before.

Good luck and don't forget to post lots of photos 
icon14.gif
 
 
Well I like to set myself a challenge but I do get carried away!!!
You are not wrong about setting yourself a challenge,  all you are missing is a guy with a beard, a couple of loaves and some fish!!, but then again I think you have got the food covered for the 5000.  That's a lot of food for 26 people, but I totally admire your vision & determination.  What's your plan for the cook?
 
Wade you are a star! [emoji]128077[/emoji]I have been setting up a time table but your notes help enormously. it's like a military exercise!lol!
Fortunately a couple of the lads will handle the basics on the fast grill on the day and as you say if I can get some stuff (sides n pulled pork) done or preped the day before then I think I will have broke its back[emoji]128512[/emoji]
Just have to do an overnighter on Friday with the brisket
Thanks again
 
Fortunately me n Loshy are off work for a week so we can get stuck in[emoji]128512[/emoji]
I have a full belly curing now for the bacon and a pork loin curing as well. There was a deli in Berlin just round from potsdamplatz that use to carve a bacon loin and make sarnies that and a few other things will be done in the normal oven. There is only me that's experienced American bbq on a regular basis so this is to get them converted but there are some that won't like smoke so these are fall back meats.
Going to do the sides the day before as well as the pulled pork. The salmon is a doddle just the brisket n ribs to worry about. The Fattie is just that an not a real problem
The big issue is timing which wade has just helped with it was like a light bulb moment.
Far too much meat but I'm doggy bagging everyone and need to let them see the old Brian is back with my foodie parties of old
On top of the normal booze I'm doing a a couple of gallons of my Portuguese sangria. My son is a good cook so he will muck in on the day, hopefully[emoji]128521[/emoji]
 
My mother has been doing pasty n chips for all the family since my dad died 37 years ago[emoji]128549[/emoji] it was his birthday today. Happy 4th to my American cousins[emoji]128512[/emoji]
Anyway she is the only woman who can make 36 meat pasties out of a quarter of economy mince. We call them veggie pasties but she must have been on that same beach and learned the trick. She even makes them for the dogs and they have their initials on the top[emoji]128526[/emoji]
 
Hi Brian, nice story about your Mum, they sure can spread things!

Well what can I say! what a menu, and your cooking a Fatty just for me, but sorry I can not make it I have a catering job on Saturday Night!

Certainly is pushing the boat out, follow Wades guide and it will see you through, also remember, do not try a force the cooking by turning up the temperature, keep to your temperature settings, and if it's a hour late, so what they will be even more hungry!
 
Thanks for that! [emoji]128512[/emoji]you were welcome to come as I said mi casa su casa. Steve is a local builder mate! Lol!!! patience is what I have to learn I'm used to running at 100 miles an hour hence the crazy menus. Been promising too much as I do as I am so excited about this new adventure, so need a chill pill on this one. but as this is so new to the people up here they are excited too! so gona have to perform to get some smokey converts[emoji]128540[/emoji]
 
That's one ambitious cook!

You may need to have a look at the link below and buy something similar
yahoo.gif


http://www.bbqpits.com/largestmobiles.htm
The first smoker I brought back from the USA was a Klose, after I was shown around their manufacturing site just north of Houston by Dave. It was not quite as big as that one though - LOL

He also recommend to me one of the best BBQ shacks that I have ever had the pleasure of eating in. It was tucked away in the middle of nowhere but his advice was to get there early as it is very popular.
 
Last edited:
 
The first smoker I brought back from the USA was a Klose, after I was shown around their manufacturing site just north of Houston by Dave. It was not quite as big as that one though - LOL

He also recommend to me one of the best BBQ shacks that I have ever had the pleasure of eating in. It was tucked away in the middle of nowhere but his advice was to get there early as it is very popular.
You see!  Houston, as in Texas!  Need I say more??

Danny
 
Hi Wade

I am going to follow your advice and smoke the Pork Butts the day before.

But Just so that I am doing this correctly, when I take Butts off the smoker ( about 165f - 74c) do I let them get to room temp first, then chill whole pulling the next day? Also what's the best way to re-heat. I was thinking of either Vac bags and hot water or just add the Au Jus and in the oven, again bringing the temp to 74c??????

Regarding the brisket, on its own or could I put in a couple of beef ribs too? using the GMG DB for this

Thanks for any advice
 
Hi Brian

For pulling take the butts up to 80-85 C (175-185) or they will be difficult to pull. 74 C (165 F) would be fine if you wanted it sliced.

Once it is up to temperature wrap it in several layers of foil and allow it to stand for several hours. Once it is cool enough to handle without incurring 1st degree burns you can start to pull it. If mine finishes late at night I do sometimes wait until early the next morning before I pull it.

Don't forget to retain any of the liquid that is left in the foil.

When pulling, discard and big lumps of fat but leave in any small pieces (shredded small) as this will keep it moist and is where a lot of the flavour is.

Pull the meat into foil trays (or a baking tray) and try to mix the inner meat and the bark evenly.

Skim off as much fat as you can from the retained juices. If the bottom has started to gel then a quick blast in the microwave will liquify it again. Pour a little of the retained juices over the top of the pulled pork, cover in foil and then put in the fridge.

The next day warm the pulled pork in a moderate oven or BBQ until it has reached at least 74 C (165 F) and mix well before serving. Yes you could reheat in boiling water in vac pac bags but if you do, make sure that they are sous vide bags (rated to 120 C) or you may find that they soften and split in the boiling water.

If you have room in with the brisket then put in some ribs too. Just be careful not to disturb it too much when it is cooking. Brisket too benefits from an hour or so resting in foil once it has reached temperature. Try to time it so that it will be ready an hour or so before you plan to eat it. 
 
Last edited:
OK Guys

Just surfaced after a 5.00am finish from a 4.00pm start but I am pleased to say all went well and had a great day/night. After the cock-up with my cured bacon and loin (went in the bin) my confidence was a bit low but pressed on. Had a bit of a panic on the brisket's overnight cook with pellets not dropping into the augur (damp night) of the GMG DB. had a snooze and at 5.30 am saw from the remote that temp of CC had dropped to 27 from 115 and meat had gone from 71 to 67. I stuck the Brisket in the oven and rebooted the GMG DB then contacted Wade. Got great advice from Wade, foiled it and back in the GMG when up to temp. Monitored the pellet flow from then and pulled it off the smoker at 1.00pm (14hrs), popped into a cool box with a towel till serving. Heart was in my mouth but at 6.00pm it was still quite warm and carved beautifully, Phew!!!!!!! I hit my timings and every one grazed through out the night and took home doggy bags. very little left this morning just the mess. Lol!!!!

Best comment of the night, one of our friends sons said that he and his fiance had done a couple of BBQ restaurants and mine was a million times better as theirs were dry! for a first go on my own I almost wept!!!!!

So here's how it went........

The Triple B menu

Meats

Used my own recipe rub and it went down a storm
  • Pulled Pork - Done day before kept the Au Jus and used it on reheat - Great
  • Beef Ribs - Luscious
  • Packer Cut Brisket (6KG) from Turner & George - Brilliant juicy and succulent but point was almost none existent 
  • Chili (new addition) - Went well
  • Pork Belly RIB from Turner & George - Did well on the UDS very meaty and juicy
  • Pork Loin Ribs - Good but a little drier than I would have liked (didn't foil)
  • Angel Gut Beef Links (inspired by those from Elgin Texas) - Never got cooked too much food
  • A Fattie (special for my mate Steve) - Should have done 2  they loved it
  • Cup Cake Chicken - Never even got started 
  • Sausages and Burgers for the non believers (Loshy) - Didn't get opened
  • Beef Franks - Once opened and grilled on the Napoleon Pro everyone wanted one
  • Pork Dogs - Didn't get opened
  • Bratwurst - Didn't get opened
  • Hot smoked Salmon - Never happened
  • Cold Smoked Salmon - Cold smoked both sides and was brill my daughter took the last Piece home today
  • Beef Jerky - Done 2 ways, brisket and ground beef and my own spicy recipe, It all went quite sharpish as a pre-dinner snack that and home made pork scratchings
Sides
  • BBQ Beans - Copied Danny's recipe with a few more ingredients, they devoured the lot 
  • Mac & Cheese - Top Star gone without a trace!
  • Potato Salad - Neighbour made never got touched Lol!!
  • Corn Bread - Worst thing nobody liked it and to be honest it wasn't good very bland
  • Home made Slaw - Nice
  • Possible biscuits - Nope never happened
  • Possible Onion Loaf - Nope never happened.
Hopefully some Pics to follow
 
  • Like
Reactions: wade
Here are the Pictures from the BBQ not that many as I was soooo busy but other have took pictures so may get to post others 
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Clicky