Just researching the idea of a BBQ place.

I am currently under the impression that meat is smoked over night, taken out before opening, and hanging out in a holding drawer or heated cabinet waiting to be served.

Is this assumption correct? Do some places stagger there input of meat into the smoker inorder to stagger when meat comes out?

I spent the last hour trying to find a thread on this subject and couldn't, so I appologize if this has been gone over before.    Thanks

I cook my Brisket and Pork Shoulders in my Smoker until done and then Pull the Shoulders into chunks (which is very easy, they fall appart) and put them into freezer bags. I chop my brisket and do the same.

When I need pork or beef I just dump a bag into a steam table pan and let it warm up. They both hold well during service hours and retain their smoke and taste.

On ribs I actually under cook them by 10% and cut them into ½ slabs and wrap them in tinfoil with the meat side down. Then reheat as needed, again in a drawer or steam table pan. 90% of my customers want fall off the bone ribs, (not my favorite) and the longer they are in the drawer the more tender they become. 

Ribs are more difficult to hold than any other smoked item, and how often you cook them or how you hold them depends on your area taste and customers preference.

I’m a Kansas City BBQ Society Judge and if I came across Ribs in a contest like I HAVE to Serve, I’d give them a zero. They taste great but they are way to tender for a BBQ contest entry.

The Doctor of BBQ
www.DrofBBQ.com
Jack@DrofBBQ.com

Everywhere I've ever worked that ribs were on the menu we'd parcook them, chill them, then finish on a grill to sell.  Some places we'd parcook to what I thought was already damn near done, paint 'em with sauce and sell 'em.

We've tried a holding drawer, but that really just continued to cook them.  It was fine for people like me, (heresy, I'm sure to some) who do NOT like sauce on their ribs.  I'd pull it out of the drawer, plate it, and it was sold.

Ciao,

Give 'em what they want. Just make it better than they expected. 

When your briskets and butts are finished, wrap them in foil, put in an alto-shaam and they will last all day.