My Big fat Barbecue for Mom-looking for suggestions

[40 caliber]

OK, so mom (she's 72) has asked me to Make up baby backs and pulled pork for about 50 people. I am the proud owner of an SI2 and recently received 3D. (I will get rid of the 2 after the july cue- maybe 

so I am planning on smoking 2 (9-10lb) pork butts over night. i know they wont be at internal temp so i was going to transfer them to Mom's double dutch oven at 235 to finish the job. i assume the first 10 hours will give them the smoke and start the bark process.

I will then load the 3D and 2 with Baby backs no peek to be ready by 1pm or so. My assumption is that i can load 8-9 full racks in the 3D (bone down) and 4 racks (cut  in half ) in the 2. i have put more in the 2 before but have trouble maintaining temp. i know some of you don't and i will be making more in the 2 and keeping it away from the probe to see if that was my problem last time. Anyway this will give me 12-13 full rack of ribs. I will cut these to individual ribs

Questions.
1. with side dishes (pot luck) i believe i have more than enough meat. but open to suggestions

2. will switching the pork butts to the oven be ok?

3. what is the longest i can keep a warm pork butt in a cooler wrapped in towels to stay warm?

3. i have a rib rack but Tony has stated in other posts it's not as good. what does that mean? too dry? i don't think i need the rib rack based on what i am planning

4. what is the record for most ribs cooked in a 3D? trying to figure  out my limitations here.

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[Grampy]

Tony, are you sure you quoted the number of people eating correctly? 12-13 racks of ribs and 2 pork butts are WAY too much food for 5 people. I am a big guy (6'5" and 300 lbs) and I couldn't eat that much.

[40 caliber]

Tony, are you sure you quoted the number of people eating correctly? 12-13 racks of ribs and 2 pork butts are WAY too much food for 5 people. I am a big guy (6'5" and 300 lbs) and I couldn't eat that much.

you have not seen these 5 people!!! just kidding. I must have missed a Zero!!!
thanks for the catch!
I'm tom by the way,  Tony (DM) is the expert... I am just the learning newbie!

[DivotMaker]

Tom, I think your plan sounds pretty solid!  As long as you double-wrap the butts, and put towels on top and bottom in the cooler, you can rest for at least 4-5 hours (4's as long as I've done, but others say 6 or more).  It will stay above 140 (food safe temp) for quite awhile!  You can also put them, wrapped, in the oven set to 140 to hold them.

I don't like rib racks because they stand the ribs on edge.  When they are bone-side down, flat, they are "self-basting."  When on edge, all that great fat-rendering liquid goodness ends up in the drip pan.

I also think that should be plenty of meat for 50 (or 5 REALLY BIG people) .

[40 caliber]

Thanks Tony!
do you think I am ok to switch the butts over to an oven after 10-12 hours if needed (to get to IT?) ?
the butts should be smoked and pretty barked by then right?

need to make room for ribs!

[DivotMaker]

Thanks Tony!
do you think I am ok to switch the butts over to an oven after 10-12 hours if needed (to get to IT?) ?
the butts should be smoked and pretty barked by then right?

need to make room for ribs!

Sure!  At that point, they have absorbed all the smoke they're going to, and you're really just "slow cooking" anyways.  No harm at all.  Like I said - solid plan!

[Grampy]

you have not seen these 5 people!!! just kidding. I must have missed a Zero!!!
thanks for the catch! I'm tom by the way,  Tony (DM) is the expert... I am just the learning newbie!

Tom, that makes so much more sense now!  Evidently I need to get my eyes checked because I can't tell the difference between Tony and Tom. Sorry about the mix up. As TONY said, it looks like you got a good plan laid out.

[40 caliber]

Well, Mom has 50+ people that are going to be there. Last count is close to 60 and i don't trust it. i am getting nervous i won't have enough. ribs and pork butt are the main event (i.e. me). I told her my limitations and  not to invite too many. She couldn't control me as a child so i guess this is payback 

Here is my thought - i will be starting the day before with 2 10 lb butts and an 8lb butt. Originally, I was going to cook the ribs separate. now i am thinking i want to cook 4 additional racks to be sure. I would cook with the butts. i will be cooking 13 racks the next day (day of the cue) early in both smokers and putting the butts in mom's double dutch oven to finish.

I figure i will put one 10lb but in the SI2 and one 10lb in the 3D with 4 racks of ribs. After 4.5 -5 hours, i will pull the ribs out finish the butt smoking until morning when i will switch the butts out to the oven.

QUESTION: what do i do with the last butt? do I put it in the SI2 ? experience has shown that machine struggles with too much meat in it. 4 racks of ribs is the max it handles well in 5 hours (that's why i got the 3D).

is 4 racks, one 8lb and one 10lb butt too much to ask of the 3d?
My other option is putting the 8lb in at 8pm (after the ribs are done and let them smoke for 8 hours in the 3D with the 10lb butt. it will still have 16 hours (start to T- minus one hour) to finish- worse case

Option 2 seems safest... thoughts? i can't screw this up.


 i am taking Friday off and have to drive to  moms. starting more than 24 hours in advance really isn't an option. (other than cooking the ribs 3-4 days in advance at night. either way the early ribs are going in a crock pot to reheat so maybe that is a better option?- not sure they will be as good as the fresh batch)

come on guys my rep and Smokin-it rep is  on the line!

 

[DivotMaker]

Tom,

Would you be able to smoke the butts prior to going over?  They keep & reheat very well.  Then, you could smoke 13  racks on the day of the event?  The 2 and 3D should easily handle that many.

If I smoke butts for an event, I do everything as normal, but, instead of putting the wrapped butt in the cooler for a rest, I let it rest on the counter for an hour, and then seal the whole foil-wrapped butt in a FoodSaver bag.  I then immerse in a sink full of ice water to rapidly cool it, then put in the fridge.  To reheat, I place the foil-wrapped butt in a crock pot, and heat on low for 3-4 hours.  Unwrap, and pull onsite.  Works great, and tastes like the day you made it! 

So, if you could smoke/save the butts to reheat there, and then smoke the ribs there, it might work out.  At least, that's how I'd likely approach it.

[40 caliber]

Thanks Tony,
i have been thinking about this. i am more inclined to smoke 5 racks in advance. (this thursday  night) and throw them i the crock pot in the morning of.

i am off friday so i can throw the butts in the early  afternoon and pull in the am and into  mom's oven. this leaves a 21-24 hour window before they are needed 1pm saturday . I think that will cover me.

i have to work these next 4 days and dont have a way to leave the butts smoking while i am gone- or at least not comfortable with it. BTW- picking up the butts wednesday

wish me luck!

thanks for your thoughts

[DivotMaker]

With your work schedule, I think you have the plan that will work, Tom.  Good luck!

[Nimrod]

Tom,
  Haven't served that large a group but I often supplement my meat volume with some good ol smoked sausage for starters.  Folks tend to fill up on the sausage and stretch the main meat.  Gotta serve it up first though because if you throw it out with the ribs, they'll just load up on both....ohh and dont give them a plate that will carry much.

You got this planned so well, its gonna be a success for sure.

[40 caliber]

First of all, i want to say the barbcue was a hoot and an all out success. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and support. i could not have pulled it off without you. you gave me the confidence to know  i was on the right track.

Mom's count of people got as high as 60 and dropped down to 47 the day of.. we ended up with way too much food but people got to take a lot home and my neighbors made out well also with leftovers.

i panicked and changed from 2 pork butts to 3. had i stuck with 2 i would have not had a full butt left over (like that's a problem?  )

the rack count got a little crazy , i had read 3-4 ribs per person was a good count. i have found with all the food and pulled pork. 2-3 ribs per person was more than enough. everything else went well on target!!

I got through the party fine. at the end my cousin started asking about my smokers. I told him i loved both of them but was going to sell the #2 after the smoke and keep just the 3D. I didn't need 2 and it cluttered my deck. He asked how much, I told him, he bought it!. i didn't even have to transport it home.

some pictures of the grand event.
1. Me and my wife of 30 years with 13 racks of ribs.
2. My mom (right) and her friend Diane pulling one of the Butts.
3. the cue site before the whole crowd arrived. i was too busy to take picks later!

by the way, let me know if you can read the joke apron i was wearing. yea , a gift from my wife LOL...

[BedouinBob]

Tom, nicely done! It looks like you made your mom proud!

[DivotMaker]

Fantastic, Tom!  Thanks for sharing the results, and giving us a look at a great-looking bunch of folks!  That's what it's all about, brother!