Question for the guys who do catering jobs- do you short your cook times or aim for a lower temp to compensate for something sitting in a warmer for hours? If so, about how much?

Thinking about smoking a fatty or two saturday morning early, then grabbing it and running down to ratter's herf with it(them).

If I use a 3-2-1 cook, then grab it between the 2 and 1, but then it's going to sit for a few hours in a cooler before being eaten. I guess being foil wrapped at that point, I could just put it back on his grill to heat up.

Probably a bad idea to pull it between the 3 and 2 and run with it - that would be 30 minutes between being pulled off the smoker, wrapped in foil and then transported, then finally back on to a grill down at his house. Probably not safe to do that, you think?
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Whether it is for a catering job or for at home I usually shoot for being done about 2 hours before serving time. Them I put whatever it is in a cooler, take up the spare space with old towels, and then let it rest. I will do maybe 5 degrees less on the finishing temp if I am going to hold it 4-6 hours, but other than that I just take it off as I normally would. Believe me... as long as you kind of match the size cooler to what you are holding, it will be nearly as hot as when you put it in. No need to worry about safety.
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Awesome. Thank you, that's what I needed to know.
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I got a 10lb pork belly I need to get curing other wise I will be smoking bacon in the rain or cold...
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I do one of each every Thanksgiving. I have converted several of the regular attendees, but the wife still has to have a roasted bird. I have to admit, I do love the leftovers from the roasted bird. I just finished the last bag out of the freezer last week.

If you want some help with the smoked bird I will be glad to help as time draws near.
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Gotta agree with your wife on this one Brent....I roast a big bird every year....sit down Thanksgiving for 25+....While I've smoked some turkey breasts, for me nothing beats a roasted bird with its crispy skin !
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I usually roast about a 20lber and smoke a 12-14lber. That way everyone gets what they like. As a said though... for leftover turkey sandwiches I go roasted on white bread with LOTS of mayo. It don't get no better!!!:-)
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I like smoked turkey, but only fresh and at that moment it comes off. A day later, meh.

On the rare occasion that I'll do a whole turkey, I just use a weber kettle w/ the weber indirect cook charcoal baskets (or just pile the charcoal on two sides) with Lazzari mesquite charcoal (or KF and smoke wood) and bird rubbed down with spices then packed, and I mean seriously packed, with rosemary and other aromatics.

Best of both worlds to me - the indirect grilling is more like an oven roast for the skin and meat texture and the mesquite charcoal or smoke wood adds a smokey flavor.
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I took the day off to do some work around the house and have a brisket flat with mesquite smoking right now. Got a couple racks of baby backs and a bunch of ABTs with some cherry wood ready to go on a bit later for supper.
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Sounds tasty Chris.....
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Boy this is going to be a great weekend to tend fires!!!
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Salmon going on the Smoker this weekend. Fresh caught from the Trinity River only days ago.
Will post pics later.
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Not getting crazy this weekend... but I do think some Smokin Gator Hot Wings will have to be done for the game tomorrow!!!
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Just rolled two fatties for the herf tomorrow (pics in Brad's Super Fattie Contest thread).

They'll go on at about 6 - 6:30 am tomorrow (I hope), so they should be done by 11am to take to the herf.
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Since they are in the smoker now, I can continue the photo series linked in my previous post here...


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Going into the bbq at zero-dark-and-early this morning...

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Quick peek before checking the meat temperature and rotating the tray 180 because of the hot spot by the fire.


Probably another hour or hour and a half to go, then wrap 'em up in foil and head to the herf.
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This is a lesson to all of you...take two or three pics of everything, because you are not HALF
the photographer you think you are, lol. I failed to follow this maxim and you must suffer the
blurry consequences. But one advantage you get is actually seeing it on the pit. Taking a
picture inside, on foil is just crap. And of course, that's all I ever do. That's when I remember
though. But at least the closeup is in focus. This is a rack of baby backs and some trimmins'
from a few racks of spares I smoked earlier in the summer.
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From earlier - almost forgot to take these photos...


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Sliced up at Ratter's house

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Smoked up a batch of fresh King Salmon I caught last weekend.
Soaked 18hrs in my Aunts special brine receipe.
Smoked for 2hrs over Apple(80%) Alder(10%) and Hickory (10%) at 210*

Cracked pepper on the batch in the top photo and Nutmeg on the batch in the lower pic.



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Fantastic looking stuff there guys!
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I can't find any d*mn charcoal anymore, any suggestions?
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