Smoking a bunch o' food for a charity auction..

[squirtthecat]

Every year, my wife's (parochial, elementary) school has a big charity auction/dinner fundraiser..  People donate all kinds of good & services, including a few 'home cooked Italian' or 'Mexican Fiesta' dinners.  It's all good, and for a good cause.

Somehow, I was 'volunteered'  8) to make a "smoked meat package" for the auction.  Enough for 16 adults.

The other 'home cooked' dinners are usually for a group of 8 or so, and go for around $350 and up.  I figured I'd double up the quantity and hope it brings in some big money.


This is what I came up with last night.  Let me know if I'm waay off the mark or not.

(final cooked weight, vacsealed for 'heat & serve')

- 8 pounds pulled pork
- 6 pounds sliced brisket
- 2 racks loin-back ribs (the big meaty ones)
- ~4 pound turkey breast roast
- container each of homemade BBQ sauce, and Carolina Mustard sauce

I put the estimated value (raw materials, wood biscuits and adult beverages) at $150-$175

I figured that was a nice mix of food & flavors for those that might prefer white meat to red meat, or other dietary concerns.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
STC.

[mikecorn.1]

Sounds good, nice variety. That a type of spread that I would love to dig into.  ;D

[squirtthecat]

Sounds good, nice variety. That a type of spread that I would love to dig into.  ;D

I'm hoping others think the same, and maybe pony up $400 or so for it!

[Tenpoint5]

Only draw back I see is if you advertise it feeds 16, many might not want to buy it because it will be TOO much food for them.

[squirtthecat]

Only draw back I see is if you advertise it feeds 16, many might not want to buy it because it will be TOO much food for them.

Yeah, I thought about that..   But I'm trying to aim this directly at the 'World Series or Fall Block Party' or 'Super Bowl Party' crowd.  There is no solid date span it has to be used, so it might even be a 'Fourth of July' item.

But do the portions sound about right?

[Tenpoint5]

Close enough for me Some where around here there is a excel program that you plug in the number of people that your serving and it will tell you how much you need of each item. I think I have it somewhere I will look.

[KyNola]

STC,
Sounds good to me!  Good for you for contributing your time and talent.

KyNola

[Tenpoint5]

I found it on my computer it says to feed 16 you will need 5.33 slabs of ribs or 4 pounds ea for PP and Brisket. So with what your planning on it should be more than enough.

[squirtthecat]

Thanks 10.5.  I was trying to find that spreadsheet last night.   Can you email it to me?  I think I have my email visible in my profile..

Anyway, I'll split it all up into 2 pound portions.   Then they can heat up as much/little as they want.

[Caneyscud]

Hey squirt if you use the PP for sammies, you have enough meat to feed 65 to 68 people.  
Common serving size for cooked meat

1/4 pound for sammies
1/3 pound to 1/2 pound for sliced servings.  
Smallest rib serving I'd serve would be 4 ribs.

I fed 111 people a couple of weekends ago with approx 75 pounds of uncooked brisket.  Since brisket can lose up to 40% during cooking I was probably left with approx 46 to 47 pounds of cooked brisket.  That means they devoured .42 pounds per person.  Or they all ate 1/3 pound servings and a little or 1/4 or them had seconds.

I also had a 1/2 cob of corn, a goodly portion of baked beans, a side salad, and a slice of garlic bread.  

[squirtthecat]

Thanks, I think I might have to adjust things a bit..   I'll get with the 'winner' and let them decide what they really want..  (and wood flavor, etc.)

We just had to put something down for the official 'submission' last night.


Any leftovers after bagging it all up, go to the cook.  ;)

[classicrockgriller]

That's kewl of you to do that. Gives you a reason to do some smoke. I'm sure the recipient will be very happy.

[squirtthecat]

That's kewl of you to do that. Gives you a reason to do some smoke. I'm sure the recipient will be very happy.

Oh yes, any reason to play with meat, smoke, fire and beer.

My buddy and I do stuff like this (not this large scale, though) all the time.   
We call it 'Sport Cooking'.  Just cooking, for sport.  Then we eat some, and give the rest away. 

The guys at work get all excited when they see my carrying a cooler in.. (or even better, my big roaster)

[Caneyscud]

Squirt, wish there wasn't several hours between our home towns, I'd be honored to "sport cook" with you!  I've never called it "sport cooking" I usually just account for it as over indulgence on my part, but I love to cook for people.  A few times a year a few flyfishing buddies and fellow river rats get together for a weekend on the river - guess who cooks?  A big youth group gets together 2 times a year - guess who cooks?  To say thank you to the customers at the fly shop - there is a saturday cook out in back of the store a couple times a year- guess who cooks?  A couple of charity fundraisers - guess who gets to cook?  I get to pull a smoker up to one of our jobsites and who gets to cooks ribs for the whole crew?    My traeger is currently living (hiding from the wife in actuality) at the office - and guess what - they get smoked goodies frequently!   I love it.  But then who got offered a restaurant by his best friend - a floating restaurant - floating in a very pretty lake not 1 1/4 hours from Nashville at a popular and busy marina.  Did I say the restaurant is on the lake that below the dam is the river I most frequently fish!  Someplace to cook for people to my heart's desire and actually get paid for it and in a beautiful setting?  Who?  Yes me!  Who jumped at the opportunity?  Not me!  (in some ways still kicking myself!).  Unfortunately the opportunity came at a very bad time for me - Had my wife and daughter both in grad school at Vanderbilt.  Had to support them, so did not have cash or the time or the risk at the time. ----  dang, dang, dang, dang.    With the extra two days off a week given to me by the state of the economy, I've looked for a place (restaurant) that would allow me to smoke beside their restaurant and them sell the food - no luck yet!  No creativity here in Nashvegas.  A friend of mine lost his 40 year old family business when the landlord suddenly sold the building out from under him in a shady deal.  He's been looking for a place to reopen, and I gave him the idea to help attract business that we open up a BBQ restaurant for at least 2 or 3 days a week as part of his new operations, but he hasn't found a place inexpensive enough in an area he wants - plus he seems really down and not driven to get his business back up.  sigh!

[squirtthecat]

'Nashvegas' - that's great.

My buddy always calls overeating (eating when you are already full, but you really want to taste something new) 'sport eating', so it morphed into 'sport cooking'.

This is just fun for us, but it is good practice in case we need to fall back on it.  We're both IT supergeeks, and that economy/industry is quite shaky these days (as Arnie can attest to)....   So we practice a lot of new things, have been trying to put together a passable blog, etc.   

People might not need million dollar customized software, but they do have to eat!