Getting nervous - WEDDING wish me luck

[Heathrow_BBQ]

All the best!

And hope everything goes well! Weddings are high pressure events

[stretchie_]

Alright guys

Well that was definitely an eye opener. It was hard work but we both really enjoyed it and more importantly so did the customers. Our friends whose wedding it was had everyone telling them that the food was awesome, people kept coming back to me to ask me questions about it and telling me it was the best ribs / pork they ever had, one person said it was the best food they’d ever had so MASSIVE smiles for me and ‘er in doors. The missus was walking around listening to glowing reports which was great as she was in the back so most people didn’t know they were talking to one of the food people.

We figured out the other month that a 5kg, bone in, shoulder following cooking and bone removal would reduce to X kg and figured out that a portion of X size would give us about 20 servings on buns of X size per shoulder and we based the cook from that, as we get more experience we’ll revise the equation but it was a good starting point. The wedding was for 105 people and there is always people that don’t come. It went really well, there was a lot left over which we took around to our mates house and is now living in his freezer but I have a feeling it will all be gone quickly as he was speaking to people the next morning and they were all asking about the food and if he had any left so he has a lot of entertaining to do .

The venue was a village hall and the kitchen had a long stainless prep table, a massive sink, big enough to get the baking trays in which was amazing and a great 6 burner hob, each burner was the size of the biggest one on our home hob and the oven was about 30 inches wide inside and bloody deep, I NEED ONE.

The menu picked by my mate was:

- Pulled pork buns
- Ribs
- Pizzas
- Wedges

I spent the previous two days cooking as I only have the one drum smoker but did the four shoulders these were boned and rolled and were still a full 5.5 kgs of meat (minus the skin I had to trim) so we got plenty of meat from them and we did about 34 racks of ribs.

I could only do ribs in batches of 14, 7 racks per food rack on the drum, so once each was batch was done it was chilled and when cool we sliced them in to individual ribs, it’s much easier when cold, maybe it’s because we’ve got crap knives or cook the ribs too long but when we try to cut them while warm the knife seems to push them apart rather than cut them as the meat is that tender. Once sliced they were re-wrapped in the foil ready for reheating at the venue. The shoulders got cooked for 18 hours, rested for an hour or two then pulled, how we resisted eating any I have no idea, that was then put in food containers and chilled ready for reheating.

We went to the wedding, lovely ceremony by the way and they both looked great and very happy, then when we got to the venue there was a sit down sandwiches, pies and cakes and tea so we couldn’t get in to the kitchen for ages as the people doing the lunch needed to finish and clear up. When we got in to the kitchen we got the oven going and got as many of the ribs in as possible, they went for 30 mins and we took them out and unwrapped them, the plan was to glaze them, sprinkle rub on and get them back in the oven for 10-15 mins to firm up but we running behind as we couldn’t get in to the kitchen sooner so we unwrapped, glazed and put in a massive tray for the big electric ban marie they had and got them in there to keep at temperature. We got the pizza’s in the oven, these had to be done in batches too as they were 14” bases so could only do four at a time so we did one lot, then got the wedges in a mahooooosive tray at the bottom of the oven while we did another four pizzas and while they were going the pulled pork went in to more mahoooosive trays and on top of the hob a little water poured on and even bigger trays put on top to help them steam to get it to temperature and prevent it drying up, they went in to the ban marie, the pizzas were chopped up and the wedges put in the ban marie and we started.

I was nervous as hell but it was a hoot having a banter with everyone “Pulled pork bun? Been loving cooked by me by smoking it for 18 hours, how about some ribs? I recommend you get some of the coleslaw on top of the pulled pork then smother it in BBQ sauce, get the sauce on the ribs then down your shirt and your guaranteed to have a good time. You’ve got wedges there and the pizzas are pulled pork, the next ones are a spicy beef thinly sliced, the next is cheese and tomato and the last one is sundried tomato, mushroom and goats cheese” and answering questions. The pizzas went down a storm and the spicy beef one got great reviews from people, several people came up asking for that one specifically.

Not as many people went for the ribs as I thought, I thought that everyone would go for the ribs, but then ribs have always been my favourite food so I cannot understand a world where people say they don’t like ribs??? PERVERTS. ALL the people that did have ribs came back for seconds and thirds though.

All in all a very busy and stressful (me worrying about ruining my mates wedding) couple of days as I had to do all this as well as my day job but MASSIVLEY successful and rewarding.

[aris]

What a great experience. Well done.

[noxskuses]

Sounds like a result. Congrats mate

How can you not love ribs?? Maybe people thought they'd be too messy?

The Rib Man at Kings Cross strips the meat off the bone and puts it in a bun which is hugely popular.

Maybe for next time?

[Tiny]

Sir, a true hero, I remove my hat in your direction.

Sounds like an epic and with the better half as your sous chef to remain married at the end of the endeavour is no mean feat in itself.

Top work
Cheers
Tiny

[stretchie_]

Cheers guys, and good idea on the ribs. I've tried in the past taking the meat of the end of the ribs but it didn't seem the same, but I will deffo give this a go

[paulfire]

Congrats, a success and it seems like you had fun in the process. All your preparation and hard work paid off, on to the next catering job ???

[gazz_46]

I cannot understand a world where people say they don’t like ribs??? PERVERTS.

Ditto, bloody well done Sir....... and Maddam

[keith157]

Now your missus knows why you need all the gadgets, bells, whistles and courses so she can show off her hubby!!!! Well done mate far more than I could ever dream of doing!!!

[slatts]

Well done

It was my love of ribs that got me into this smoking lark and that man vs food, seeing the ribs in the bbq joints he went to.
I had ribs at my wedding, 6 years ago so commercially done in a kitchen and no smoke.

I'd love to cook Q for people as a job but no where near enough experience.

You must be proud of yourself to cook for that many people and as Keith said your other half will now understand why you need those gadgets etc............a new smoker for instance