# Party for 70



## flyboys (Jan 9, 2014)

I'm planning a surprise party for my bride next month at a fire hall that will have about 70 in attendance.  I can't afford to have it catered, so with the help from some foodies in my family, we're going to cater it.  

The appetizers are being handled by 4 people.  Another is handling the booze.  The cake will be ordered and purchased along with the beverages, plates etc, and decorations.  The menu will consist of pulled pork, pulled ham, meatballs, ziti, macaroni and cheese, and salad.  I'm responsible for the pulled ham and pulled pork.
I'm figuring on a 50% weight loss and planning for 1/3 lb per person.  That adds up to roughly 46 pounds of uncooked food.  I will be using slider rolls and ordering roughly 200 of them.
I purchased 5 bone in butt roasts yesterday for a total of appx 44 pounds.  The price was pretty good for my area at $1.58 per pound.  No local places had any sales going on, to my knowledge at least.  Add in the ziti and meatballs, and I think that should be more than enough with a decent amount of leftovers.
For the pulled ham, I took the two biggest roasts, over 9lbs each, and put them in my brine bucket with pops brine after injecting around the bone and at 1 inch intervals.  They will sit in my beer fridge for the next two weeks.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 9, 2014






I made up a large batch of a modified Pigs Worst Nightmare Rub.
6 tablespoons Apple Powder
1.5 tablespoons Honey Powder
1.5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Turbinado Sugar
3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 9, 2014






I plan on smoking the other 3 roasts on my UDS this weekend over apple wood.  I'll keep the temp around 275 and plan on foiling at 165 internal.  I'll bring it to around 202 and after letting it rest, pull it and let it cool down.  I'll vacuum pack it in its juices and freeze it.  To reheat, my plan is to put the bags in boiling water, then add Soflaquers finishing sauce to it.  I'll keep it warm at the party with sternos.  Here is my fridge as of now.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 9, 2014






I'll keep this updated as I go along.  Please comment with any advice or point out any mistakes, as I am always open to doing things better.  Thanks!


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## jarjarchef (Jan 9, 2014)

Sounds like a plan.

I will usually reheat mine in a saute pan or the oven. But hot water in a bag works too. Just need to make sure you go from <40 to >165 in under 2 hrs.

Also when you freeze the product. Make sure you have nothing acidic like wine, vinegar or some fruit juices with it in the bag. It will break the meat down and turn it mushy.


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Thank you Jar Jar.  Quick question, if I have apple juice or something like that in the foiling juice when I foil at 165, will that make it mushy when I add the juices back to it to freeze it?


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## jarjarchef (Jan 11, 2014)

Apple juice or another non acidic fruit juice no. However Apple cider or apple cider vinegar will.


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Great, thanks Jar Jar!


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## foamheart (Jan 11, 2014)

I completely asked a stupid question you had already answered. I'll get another cup of coffee and read it again....LOL


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## disco (Jan 11, 2014)

Would you consider adopting a fat old Canadian and inviting him? It sounds like good food and good times.

Disco


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Got started on the three butt roasts on this stormy, windy, and rainy day.  The temps are upwards of 60, so I wanted to take advantage of it.  I trimmed them up, slathered with yellow mustard and covered with the run.












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__ Jan 11, 2014


















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Here they are in the uds, cruising around 280.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 11, 2014


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## woodcutter (Jan 11, 2014)

You going to make 70 people HAPPY--HAPPY--HAPPY!


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks Woodcutter, I hope so!


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

6 hours in and at 165.  I foiled with apple juice and captain Morgans and decided to finish in the oven at 300.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 11, 2014


















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__ flyboys
__ Jan 11, 2014


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> I completely asked a stupid question you had already answered. I'll get another cup of coffee and read it again....LOL



I missed the question Foam, I think I'll join you with that coffee!



Disco said:


> Would you consider adopting a fat old Canadian and inviting him? It sounds like good food and good times.
> 
> Disco




Absolutely Disco!  The more the merrier, eh?!


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## disco (Jan 11, 2014)

Flyboys said:


> I missed the question Foam, I think I'll join you with that coffee!
> Absolutely Disco! The more the merrier, eh?!


Cool, I'll bring my tuque and we'll give 'er!

Disco


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## jarjarchef (Jan 11, 2014)

Looks great!


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## bdskelly (Jan 11, 2014)

Flyboys said:


> 6 hours in and at 165. I foiled with apple juice and captain Morgans and decided to finish in the oven at 300.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gorgeous!


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## foamheart (Jan 11, 2014)

Flyboys said:


> 6 hours in and at 165. I foiled with apple juice and captain Morgans and decided to finish in the oven at 300.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Apple juice & Capt. Morgan's foiling sauce for pork.......... I think I like that. Do the rum's spices come out in the pork? Hmmmmm........ maybe with pineapple juice.

I like the way you think.


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

Disco said:


> Cool, I'll bring my tuque and we'll give 'er!
> 
> Disco



Hahahaha!



jarjarchef said:


> Looks great!



Thanks Jar Jar!



BDSkelly said:


> Gorgeous!



Thanks BDS!



Foamheart said:


> Apple juice & Capt. Morgan's foiling sauce for pork.......... I think I like that. Do the rum's spices come out in the pork? Hmmmmm........ maybe with pineapple juice.
> 
> I like the way you think.



Thanks Foam!  I've done it that way before and to be honest, I really don't think it makes a big difference, but it sounds cool!  
As far as pineapple juice, I've done that with pulled ham and loved it, I think I'll try that next time.


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## flyboys (Jan 11, 2014)

This is the first time that I made pulled pork at a higher temp and finished it in the oven.  I have to say it turned out really tender and still with a nice smoke flavor.  I honestly couldn't tell the difference.  Within 12 hours, I had it cooked, rested, pulled, vacuum packed, and placed in the freezer.  I will definitely be doing it this way again. 
 Here's the finished pics with some bear view.  Now I just have to wait about 2 more weeks for the ham to cure and I'm all set!  I'll update this when I smoke the hams.












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## foamheart (Jan 11, 2014)

Flyboys said:


> Thanks Foam! I've done it that way before and to be honest, I really don't think it makes a big difference, but it sounds cool!
> As far as pineapple juice, I've done that with pulled ham and loved it, I think I'll try that next time.


Maybe its more a timing problem. I was thinking foiling, maybe we should be thinking more of a finishing sauce? Pineapple & Capt. Morgan's could make it more a Jamaican jerk pulled pork. Just thinking out loud here.

I am liking the way this thought is filling out. Maybe add some garlic, thyme, salt and scotch bonnet pepper juice. Since I am not a huge fan of HOT peppers like my friend in DFW, I wonder if I could chop up and add some minis like from Sams: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/one-sweet-pepper-1-5lb/prod5250245.ip?navAction= Maybe I could use vodka and dry their flavors our by maceration and then use that flavor in the finishing sauce! Add a couple of scotch bonnets just for the flavor bump.

Flyboy! I think you've got it! Damn you're smart!

And I say Why Not? Wish I was a real chef and knew more about what is and isn't possible in cooking.


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## jarjarchef (Jan 12, 2014)

Looks like a very successful cook!!!

To Foamheart's point....doing different flavors are great and actually very fun. We will use a base smoked pork and just by finishing with a different flavored sauce you can change the region the dish is from.

Be careful with some of the tropical fruits. If you use them fresh, some have a natural meat tenderizer in them that is activated by heat and will turn your product too a nasty mushy texture very quickly. A couple are papaya and pineapple.

And I say Why Not? Wish I was a real chef and knew more about what is and isn't possible in cooking.

Well Foam the only way to find new things is to try them. You will usually get a little of both results of good and bad, but no matter what you learn something. That is how it has been done for years. A lot of the great "new" things are just modifications of what has been done before. That is why I love doing what I do. Trying to take what is the norm and making a little tweak here and there, and the Poof, you have something new...... People get to scared or intimidated by food. It is just that "food", have fun with it....... Mom was wrong. You should play with your food......


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## flyboys (Jan 13, 2014)

That is so true Foam and Jar Jar.  There is nothing better than experimenting and coming up with something that people really enjoy.  There's times I wish I could go back and be a real chef too, but I'm happy with the backyard for now and having my family as my customers.


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## flyboys (Jan 25, 2014)

I pulled the last two buts out of Pops brine last night, rinsed, let soak in fresh water for about an hour that was changed halfway through, then let sit uncovered in the fridge to form the pellicle.  I also did a fry test, and it was not salty at all.
Woke up this morning to a balmy 19 degrees, which is better than the 10 degree temps we've been having.  We already have about a foot of snow on the ground, and they're calling for some more today, but I have no choice but to smoke this today.
I put the roasts in front of a fan to help a little more with the pellicle and fired up the UDS.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 25, 2014






I filled the basket with charcoal and lump and filled the chimney up about 3/4 of the way to help combat the cold temps.  I usually only put about 15 briquettes in the chimney.  While the temp was dialing in, I seasoned the hams with cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cloves.  Once the temps were hovering at 275, I put it on the UDS over apple and cherry wood.












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 25, 2014






As with the pulled pork, my plan is to smoke it at 275 until it reached an internal of 165, then foil and finish in a 300 oven.


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## foamheart (Jan 25, 2014)

Pulled pork ham? or sliced, either way gonna make some happy folks. This the last of your smokes for the party? Make a pan fulla biscuits I'll bring the coffee!


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## flyboys (Jan 25, 2014)

Sorry Foam, I forgot to add that.  Pulled pork ham, I'm going to take it to 203.  And yes, this is my final smoke, finally!  I will never turn down good coffee!


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## flyboys (Jan 25, 2014)

Tis a perfect day for the UDS!












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__ flyboys
__ Jan 25, 2014


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## foamheart (Jan 25, 2014)

Sitting here with Sweet potato pie, Community dark roast coffee w/ Tia Maria ..... Cold? Who said that?


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## flyboys (Jan 25, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> Sitting here with Sweet potato pie, Community dark roast coffee w/ Tia Maria ..... Cold? Who said that?


Now that sounds tasty!


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## Bearcarver (Feb 17, 2014)

Wow, Flyboys!!!

I can't believe I missed this whole Thread !!!

Everything up to this point looks Great !!!

How did everybody like the Pulled Butt Ham??

Bear


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