Feeding a crowd

[Kouign Aman]

Oh, they will. They will indeed.

Its a good thing you are doing. Staying around for training during intersession bites. Good food helps!

[MelissaH]

It's the day before. Here's where we are:

*We shopped yesterday.

*I'm about to start the second batch of brownies; I already have the first batch waiting in the freezer along with all the balls of cookie dough.

*The brownies need to get in and out of the oven this morning, so the oven will be available for the pork all afternoon.

*We still need to get cabbage for cole slaw, apples to go with dessert, and onions because we only have two left in the house.

*Grapes aren't gonna happen, at $4/lb this week.

*This afternoon, we'll be sorting dried beans and then getting them in to soak.

*We're serving water to drink. When the team asked what they could bring, we said that if they wanted anything to drink other than water, bring that. (Water was the only option at a team dinner this weekend, so we don't feel bad in offering only water.)

*We may carbonate a keg of water, so seltzer will also be available.

*We had a tough time finding good limes, but once we're done with prep, we'll see if we have enough limes left to make at least a little bit of syrup for limonatas.

Now, time to start chopping chocolate for those brownies!

MelissaH

[MelissaH]

The pig is cooked. (It made it into the oven before I started the brownie batter.) We started with about 21 lbs of raw pork shoulder (that's about 9.5 kg) on the bone, which we slow-roasted. After cooking, we have about 4 kg of shredded meat, which works out to be about 130 g per serving for 30 servings. (That's a little more than 1/4 lb cooked weight per serving, for those of you who prefer stupid American units.)

Rice krispy treats are made but not yet cut. Second batch of brownies will get baked tonight, cooled overnight, and cut in the morning; one batch is a 9 by 13 inch pan. (We ate some of the first batch just after I baked them, so we'll actually wind up with more like 1.5 batches of brownies. I cut the first batch into 2-inch squares, but I think I'll cut those in half or possibly even in quarters before serving them tomorrow.

On the savory side, 4 lbs of dried black beans have been sorted and are now soaking. Dip will get put together tonight also. Still need to get out to buy cabbage and apples and onions. And the rest we'll finish up tomorrow. (And there's a fire in the woodstove downstairs. The floor down there is cold!)

MelissaH

[Shalmanese]

We started with about 21 lbs of raw pork shoulder (that's about 9.5 kg) on the bone, which we slow-roasted. After cooking, we have about 4 kg of shredded meat, which works out to be about 130 g per serving for 30 servings. (That's a little more than 1/4 lb cooked weight per serving, for those of you who prefer stupid American units.)

You only got 40% yield from your shoulders? That doesn't sound right.

[KarenDW]

We started with about 21 lbs of raw pork shoulder (that's about 9.5 kg) on the bone, which we slow-roasted. After cooking, we have about 4 kg of shredded meat, which works out to be about 130 g per serving for 30 servings. (That's a little more than 1/4 lb cooked weight per serving, for those of you who prefer stupid American units.)

You only got 40% yield from your shoulders? That doesn't sound right.

40-50% yield from bone-in is similar to my experience.

[KarenDW]

Everything sounded so good. I hope the team had a great time, and that you are happy with how everything turned out.

[MelissaH]

Yep, the yield is about right, and about what we figured on. We had three pieces, each 6-7 lbs, with bone and skin. We also rendered out a lot of lard...some of which will get used to fry up mole paste later today.

MelissaH

[Okanagancook]

So, Melissa, tell us how much you made of everything and whether you were in the "hockey rink" of what they ate.

[MelissaH]

Dinner went over very well. The first comment from most of the girls: "It's not pasta and chicken!" That's apparently most of the repertoire of the one residence hall dining hall that's open during break, for both lunch and dinner.

The entire team minus the one player who's taking an intersession course and the one who's running with the Olympic torch for a few weeks still, both head and assistant coaches, and an advisor who frequently travels with the team and is a friend of ours too, came over. That's a total of 28 people. The team had an afternoon practice, but after that, probably half a dozen of the more kitchen-inclined headed over immediately afterward and helped prep, which was an immense help.

*We found 6-inch tortillas, and bought 11 packages of 8 tortillas each. We heated 8 of those packages, and had one lonely tortilla left.

*We wound up with probably half a dozen servings of pork left over, from what we cooked. They're vacuum-sealed and waiting in the walk-out until we get around to them.

*We made two rice cookers full. We probably could have gotten away with just one rice cooker of rice, but it was getting down to almost nothing by the time people were slowing down.

*I made a double batch of =Mark's BBQ sauce. One batch would not have been enough.

*Casey made a huge batch of mole. Lots left over, but there's not a whole lot more work involved in making a big batch than making a small batch, so we always make a big batch.

*We probably would have been fine with just two pounds of black beans, but the leftovers will freeze just fine, or go into black bean soup, or can get made into refried black beans, or other dishes, so again I don't mind having them around.

*We now know that most of the team adores mangos. We'd had a couple left over from another event, so we showed the earlycomers how to deal with them, and put a bowlful of cubes out on the table with everything else. They were the first thing to vanish.

*Ditto on the guac. We bought pre-made stuff, but doctored it up with fresh avocado and cilantro. It went fast, too.

*We ran through about a pound of shredded cheese, maybe a little more. We have lots left over, because we'd gotten 4 pounds. I think we might need to make a point of acquiring a bag of chips, so we can have chips, refried black beans, and cheese for dinner one of these nights.

*We went through nearly an entire squirt bottle of low-fat sour cream, which we thinned with a touch of cream for easier squirting. It's great for easy application and portion control.

*We only needed about a head of lettuce. Lots left over for salads this week.

*I made a batch of Rick Bayless's quick pickled red onion. Those who liked them, loved them.

*Lots of cole slaw left over. Had I known how well the mangos would go, I might have skipped this in favor of more mango.

*Carrots are a more popular vegetable with sour cream/salsa/cilantro dip than either celery or red pepper.

*I got apples (Braeburn) and pears (Bosc) from the orchard store up the hill, and we totally spaced putting them out. I do have a baggie of crumble topping in the freezer, so I'll probably bake up a small crumble for us tonight. The rest will go down in the walk-in.

*Some of the choc chip cookies and brownies went, but the big hit of the desserts was the rice krispy treats, especially the batch I made with a higher proportion of marshmallow goop. I'll probably freeze most of the rest of the cookies and brownies. Some will go to the kind folks who sharpen my skates, when I see them on Sunday night. Some I may send into the office. And some will sit there for a while, chilling out.

*Washing and drying dishes, and packaging up leftovers, goes really quickly when you have a dozen volunteers helping!

All in all, it was a great evening, if a somewhat tiring day for us. We'd be happy to feed the team again next year, if the timing works out for everyone. And judging from the responses we got, they'd be thrilled with a repeat of this year's menu.

MelissaH

[MelissaH]

All in all, it was a great evening, if a somewhat tiring day for us. We'd be happy to feed the team again next year, if the timing works out for everyone. And judging from the responses we got, they'd be thrilled with a repeat of this year's menu.

MelissaH

Time to revive this thread as, in about a week, we'll be doing it again.

We're again anticipating about 30 people coming over. Nobody's running with the torch this year, I don't know about intersession classes, but we invited another professor friend who's a big women's hockey fan and has been to most of the games but doesn't yet know many of the team or the coaches.

Based on what happened last year, I'm going to put the following on my list, in no particular order:

• Pork: 20-24 lbs of raw shoulder, to be cooked and shredded in advance
  
• Black beans: 2-3 lbs dry, to be cooked ahead of time
  
• Double batch of =Mark's sauce
  
• Mole, to be made by Casey in a large batch
  
• Sour cream, once again in a squirt bottle
  
• Guacamole: was on sale this week, with an expiration date after the team dinner. Got two pouches; will adulterate with fresh avocado and cilantro
  
• Dip, variety to be determined; possibly the spinach/artichoke dip this year
  
• Veg to go with dip, probably heavy on the carrots
  
• Tortillas: 6-inchers, 64-72
  
• Shredded cheese, already purchased, leftovers will easily find a good use
  
• Rice, probably 1.5 or 2 cookers worth (15-20 rice cooker cups)
  
• Lettuce, shredded, one head should be sufficient
  
• Cole slaw is up for debate because it didn't go well last year but I feel like we need some sort of vegetable or salad to go with BBQ or mole pork wrapped up in tortillas. Maybe a corn salsa or salad instead, made with frozen corn?
  
• Mangoes, if they're reasonably priced, which would make the girls very happy
  
• Other fruit, which we'll try to remember to put out this year!
  
• Rice krispy treats, probably three batches because they flew off the table last year
  
• Chocolate chip cookies, one batch
  

Once again, we've told the girls that anyone who is interested can come over early, and help with the prep or just relax somewhere that isn't on campus.

We're also thinking of getting a batch of hummus ingredients, to show the girls how to make that, and serve it as a dip. I know that the available food on campus, especially the Late Night (post-dinner) offerings, is heavily tilted towards things that can come out of a fryer, and it can sometimes be tough to find on-the-go foods that are decent sources of protein. We thought hummus might fit the bill, especially since it can easily be made in a blender. One thing that's changed since last year is the opening of the campus townhomes, meaning that some of the team live with access to their own kitchen.

I'll be near a Wegmans on Friday, and plan to do most of the shopping then. We'll be near another Wegmans on Sunday, to fill in any gaps and get whatever we forgot. Dinner's Tuesday.

MelissaH

[Calw]

Lisa,

We did the burrito bar for my son's varsity high school football team - 34 boys and 6 coaches. We EASILY went through 20#'s of tri-tip - and could have done more if we did not step in to control the meat flow. We had to switch over to quesadillas for the final fill-up.

The conventional wisdom is 4 to 5 oz cooked per person for a caterer, with athletes, I'd think about 1.5x or more per person. We also took the step of mixing the rice and beans together - went through 2 large trays. If you use the large burrito wrappers they add to the filling and make it easier to eat - so people can sit anywhere and not have to balance plates too much.

One other consideration is for you to serve the meat yourself - let them do the initial build and then you portion the meat so you know you have enough. Tell them to come back for seconds. It slowed down the flow and surprisingly few came back.

[MelissaH]

Another meal has come and gone. We cooked about the same amount of pork this year as we did last year, and only had about half of it go. The big difference: we had more munchies out when people got here. We had a double batch of the spinach-artichoke dip, served with pita chips and vegetables. We made a white bean dip. We had more mangoes on hand this year. And we went through only 47 tortillas. Cooked three pounds of black beans, and had a ton left over. Also needed less rice this year: one pot of 8 rice cooker cups would have been more than enough. We'll have leftovers to freeze and eat later. This is a very good thing.

The best part: lots of help doing the dishes!

MelissaH

[MelissaH]

Bumping this up because we're continuing the tradition of feeding the women's hockey season during their winter break, for the sixth year running, but with a twist.

 

Since the beginning, we've based our meal around pork shoulders, slow-cooked in the oven and then pulled, served in small flour tortillas with either =Mark's BBQ sauce or my husband's mole, as the girls wish, and also black beans, rice, cheese, and other fixings. Mangos if they're cheap and available, because the girls love them and don't get them in the dorms. Veg and dip for before (the more veg the girls eat, the less meat they need later); rice krispy treats, cut into 1" cubes, for dessert. But this year, we know we'll have a couple of non-pork eaters around (one who doesn't care for the taste and the other who has a pet teacup pig), so we're planning to do beef brisket instead. Our plan is to put the brisket into a roasting pan with some kind of flavorful liquid, cover tightly with foil, and put in the oven till it's done. I was thinking really low and slow, but my butcher tells me that it shouldn't take more than about 4 hours at 350 ºF. We'd like to be able to cook the brisket a day or three in advance, slice or chop or pull or shred it, and then just rewarm it the day of the team meal. I don't have a crockpot or sous-vide system large enough, but could use the stovetop if you think that would be a better option. I also have a Weber Bullet smoker, but don't want to plan around it during snow season.

 

Black beans get cooked ahead of time, and reheated for service. Rice happens in the 10-cup rice cooker. Both of those stay on the menu because they're readily available, easy for us, and add protein (especially for the girls who prefer not to eat a lot of meat). We will have lots of prep help for everything else that gets done right before we eat.

 

All the other caveats apply: nothing too weird, and a spicy option is OK but must be something that individuals add to their own plates, not something that is done in bulk.

 

Assuming about 30 eaters, how much raw brisket do you think I'd need, for everyone to be able to fill two small tortillas? The butcher thinks 20 pounds would be more than enough.

What kind of liquid would be good with brisket? I've seen everything from Coke to jarred salsa verde to broth. The key here is not spicy, not weird. If you have a favorite recipe, please share it.

What about sauces? Would the South Carolina mustard BBQ sauce be out of place with beef? (Mole goes with everything, as far as we're concerned, so we'll do that for sure.)

Is there anything special that would traditionally be served with a beef brisket taco? Over the years, we've learned that the girls prefer their vegetables with dip beforehand, rather than added to the tacos (although we make sure we have lettuce and green onions available as toppings, and they go). I'm also wondering about a corn salsa or salad, made with frozen corn.

 

Any other not spicy, not weird suggestions?

 

MelissaH

[Deryn]

I think the following estimation process should work. Brisket can decrease in weight by as much as half as it cooks (so 20 lbs. precooked = ~10 lbs. cooked) and each serving (i.e. per taco) will be 2-3 ounces (5-8 servings per lb.).. therefore you can probably count on 20 lbs. (pre-cooked) providing 50-80 servings - so 20 lbs. should be sufficient - maybe even excessive (especially for filling small taco/tortillas) but leftovers are good too.

Toppings - cilantro, salsa and avocado slices would be nice.

If you don't have a large enough slow cooker (or several slow cookers), maybe you can use foil covered roasting pans in the oven?

A simple, non-spicy recipe is to use a couple of bay leaves, 2-4 ounces of liquid smoke and 1- 12 ounce beer for each 2-4 pounds of brisket (with the fat trimmed off), and salt/pepper. Cook low and slow, covered, for 8-10 hours (in a slow cooker - may want to adjust that timing if you use the oven). Remove from the liquid when cooked, and shred.

Edited December 5, 2014 by Deryn (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Calabacitas as a hot vegetable side dish? It doesn't really need to be cooked, just warmed in a big dish in the oven. (substitute mild frozen green chile that comes in a tub for the green chile that recipe recommends, or, substitute diced red bell pepper -the cheese does reduce the heat significantly)

[MelissaH]

Deryn: leftovers are always welcome, especially when the leftovers are things that are easy to repurpose as an ingredient for another meal, rather than just rehash the same old same old. I'd rather make have leftovers than run short, assuming I can get 20 lbs of brisket into the oven at one time.

 

Avocados: we love to be able to do them, but getting enough of them ripe on the day we need them can be an issue. We've had better luck going with packaged guacamole, which we then doctor with a few fresh avocados, cilantro, and tomatoes.

 

Lisa: Love the calabacitas idea, but history has shown us that hot vegetable sides don't go over well, possibly because they remind the girls of what they get all too often in the dining halls. They definitely eat vegetables, but show a strong preference for them raw, with dip, before the meal.