menu planning

[easy now andy]

thought i'd get one last bbq in before the end of the summer. should be around 20 adults and a few kids so i'm wondering what to prepare. i'll grill a few home made burgers and some chicken kebabs and for the smoker i've got 3 racks of ribs, some home made keilbasa, a lump of belly pork or a shoulder and some armadillo eggs. this will be the first full smoke where other people will be eating the results so i'm after some advice on how to make it all run smoothly.

cooking order, biggest in first i suppose? pork joint followed by ribs, sausages and then the pork mince balls in last.

i've got a twin charcoal grill, is it worth keeping one on a low-ish fire with a large roasting tin and lid on the rack to keep things warm?

sides and sauces?

cheers all.

[RobinC]

When cooking for larger numbers the thing I try to do is to keep grilling to an absolute minimum or even not do it at all, this really helps keep the stress levels down and helps avoid the last minute rush to get everything cooked and coming off the grill at the same time. If you've got to grill see if you can get someone to do the sausages whilst you concentrate on the other items.

Pork shoulder is great as you can time this so that it is finished before your guests arrive with it resting in a cooler. Sides: I like doing Mac & Cheese as well as BBQ beans, both can be done on the smoker. Salad and coleslaw can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

In terms of making things run smoothly - for bigger cooks I always map out the cook on a spreadsheet. I include time for prep, when I need to light the charcoal, what grills/smokers I'm using along with approx timings of each item. I always find this pre planning worthwhile as occasionally it throws up a few issues and I can solve them on paper rather than winging it during the cook.

[keith157]

i've got a twin charcoal grill, is it worth keeping one on a low-ish fire with a large roasting tin and lid on the rack to keep things warm?

sides and sauces?

cheers all.

If you can spare the space yes, IMO it looks better having everything on bbqs rather then running into the kitchen to pull stuff out of the oven. As to sides, there are some good recipes for bbq beans and slaw on here and don't forget the good old baked potato slices.
We have one of those food warmers you get in Chinese restaurants heated with tealights. Yoo can cobble a makeshift version with roasting tins and trays.