Holding meats in a BBQ restaurant

[skay99]

I am opening a BBQ restaurant. What is the best equipment setup for holding meat(pork, brisket, chicken, ribs, etc.) once they have been taken out of the smoker? More specifically is it better to have two smokers(one for smoking and one from holding) or can I utilize a single smoker and a few hot holding cabinets? Is the heat in a hot holding cabinet going to dry out the meats any faster then a smoker would? Hot holding cabinets are much less expensive so thats why I am seeing if I can take that route. Unfortunatly I can't use just one smoker for both cooking and holding because as the lunch meats come out of the smoker the dinner meats need to go right in.

Edited June 24, 2010 by skay99 (log)

[Matt Furtsy]

I can't think of any reason to hold meat in a smoker...an Altoshaam or similar hot holding cabinet would probably provide the most even and controllable environment. Most smokers that I know of have a simple on/off crude uninsulated heating element. How long are you trying to hold the cooked meats before service?

[skay99]

Thanks for the response. You confirmed what I had assumed but wanted someone to reassure me on.

The whole reason I ask is because the bbq joint I worked at as a teenager only did a single smoke(overnight) and then served that stuff right out of the smoker all day and into the evening. Even as a teenager I realized that any meat that had sat for 10 hours after it was done was not a quality product. I felt sorry for the customers that ate at the restaurant after 6pm because the meat was just not as good as it was at 2pm.

So my goal is to do two main smoking sessions for my longer cooking items like pork butt and brisket(one for lunch and one for dinner) and have the meats holding no longer then 5 hours. Any meat leftover gets put into beans and brunswick stew. So I'll pull from the smoker at approximatly 10am and 4pm.

[brucesw]

I'm not a bbq professional but I thought I'd throw this in. One local place, Pierson's, which is rated by many the best in Houston right now, holds their meat wrapped in cellophane.

Here's the story by Robb Walsh of 'Legends of Texas Barbecue' fame.

[skay99]

That was a very interesting article. I will certainly experiment with the cellophane while holding in a hot holding cabinet. I don't know how I feel about losing the crispy bark on the outside but having juicy/tender meat might be worth the tradeoff. I appreciate your response.

[manwith8ovens]

If the business is so busy that you can not meet demands, there is no reason to hold.

The best way is not to hold.

This is how we do it:

1. After smoking the meats, vacuum pack them. (You can cut down smoking time with SV).

2. Sous vide in water bath to pasteurize and tenderize.

3. Hold them in water bath at 131F if you think you can use them within 4 hours.

or

4. Chill them for future use.

When you get an order, just woodfire grill them before serving.

Edited January 13, 2011 by manwith8ovens (log)