Birthday BBQ for 70
Discussion
I get home from a work trip away on a Wednesday, two days before my wife's birthday (on Friday) and we are hosting a BBQ at home early evening on Sunday. At the moment the count is around 70, will perhaps go up. I want to try and keep the day for myself cooking at the BBQ itself for as short as possible as the last time we did something similar for my daughters birthday party I was at it for the entire day and quite a bit of the evening.
Burgers, hot dogs, pizza's in the Ooni, chicken, steak etc. I don't want to be doing that again so I'm planning the following, hopefully quite a bit of it can be done in advance.
Pulled pork I'm guessing 5kg of shoulder, to be done the day before, warmed in the oven and then served in a chafing dish.
Leg of lamb - really slow roast with rosemary and garlic, then a sauce with the juices, chopped capers, mint and red wine vinegar and some bisto to thicken up. all mixed together and in another chafing dish.
Both of these will have buns available if a bap style eating is preferred, salad, coleslaw and potato salad.
Smashed burgers - I will probably prepare these the day before, smash them down, separate with paper and then freeze to just be chucked on with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and then flipped, cheese and covered. 100 patties I think as these will usually be a double stack. Sliced tomatoes, lettuce and some homemade burger sauce. This will probably be served ready to eat straight from the BBQ.
Sausages - I make my own, I will probably make 5kg of sausages, pre-roast half of those to mostly cooked, chill and then finish on the weber before heading to a chafing dish. Hot dog buns, Caramelized onions, plastic cheese.
The wife will organise some local food (we're in Indonesia), probably something spicy and yellow rice.
Beer - I will get in 5 crates of 500ml cans (I prefer 330ml bottles but not as easy to dispose of), people will bring crates with them.
Bloody Mary - a couple of litres brought by a friend.
Frozen Margarita, I can borrow either a Ninja machine or a commercial one from my local pub - 4 bottles of cheap tequila (Jose Cuervo, 2 bottles of triple sec and then fresh lime juice and simple syrup as needed).
Wine - probably 2 cases each red and white.
I have plenty of ice boxes, ice will be delivered in the morning.
BBQ - I have a three burner gas unit with a hob on the side and a medium Weber.
Weber will be for finishing off the hot dogs (maybe) and the gas BBQ for the smashed burgers.
Just before sunset my wife wants a gender reveal (she will be 5 months at this point) so I have to be looking fresh for that (she has a make-up artist coming for her and a photographer).
Clean-up won't be too challenging, we have a live-in maid and a nanny and will get two more maids to help out on the day.
Temperature will be around 30-32 most of the day.
I have some stainless steel tables in my sausage making kitchen and a 3 unit stainless counter fridge that I will probably move outside to become my outdoor kitchen with the BBQ's, cooler boxes and bin all in the vicinity. Probably bring a regular 6' fridge outside too.
Can I make my life easier or the victuals more interesting? Any tips?
Burgers, hot dogs, pizza's in the Ooni, chicken, steak etc. I don't want to be doing that again so I'm planning the following, hopefully quite a bit of it can be done in advance.
Pulled pork I'm guessing 5kg of shoulder, to be done the day before, warmed in the oven and then served in a chafing dish.
Leg of lamb - really slow roast with rosemary and garlic, then a sauce with the juices, chopped capers, mint and red wine vinegar and some bisto to thicken up. all mixed together and in another chafing dish.
Both of these will have buns available if a bap style eating is preferred, salad, coleslaw and potato salad.
Smashed burgers - I will probably prepare these the day before, smash them down, separate with paper and then freeze to just be chucked on with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and then flipped, cheese and covered. 100 patties I think as these will usually be a double stack. Sliced tomatoes, lettuce and some homemade burger sauce. This will probably be served ready to eat straight from the BBQ.
Sausages - I make my own, I will probably make 5kg of sausages, pre-roast half of those to mostly cooked, chill and then finish on the weber before heading to a chafing dish. Hot dog buns, Caramelized onions, plastic cheese.
The wife will organise some local food (we're in Indonesia), probably something spicy and yellow rice.
Beer - I will get in 5 crates of 500ml cans (I prefer 330ml bottles but not as easy to dispose of), people will bring crates with them.
Bloody Mary - a couple of litres brought by a friend.
Frozen Margarita, I can borrow either a Ninja machine or a commercial one from my local pub - 4 bottles of cheap tequila (Jose Cuervo, 2 bottles of triple sec and then fresh lime juice and simple syrup as needed).
Wine - probably 2 cases each red and white.
I have plenty of ice boxes, ice will be delivered in the morning.
BBQ - I have a three burner gas unit with a hob on the side and a medium Weber.
Weber will be for finishing off the hot dogs (maybe) and the gas BBQ for the smashed burgers.
Just before sunset my wife wants a gender reveal (she will be 5 months at this point) so I have to be looking fresh for that (she has a make-up artist coming for her and a photographer).
Clean-up won't be too challenging, we have a live-in maid and a nanny and will get two more maids to help out on the day.
Temperature will be around 30-32 most of the day.
I have some stainless steel tables in my sausage making kitchen and a 3 unit stainless counter fridge that I will probably move outside to become my outdoor kitchen with the BBQ's, cooler boxes and bin all in the vicinity. Probably bring a regular 6' fridge outside too.
Can I make my life easier or the victuals more interesting? Any tips?
Pixel Pusher said:
I've got to say, that is pretty awesome!unzippy said:
I'd swap out the leg of lamb for a couple of shoulders - made for cooking slow and pulling.
Not sure how frozen smash burgers would work - I'd want to practice them to make sure you can get good contact/crust from the hard patty.
Will change to shoulder, I've had great success before with leg, but if this turns out better then I'm all for it. Not sure how frozen smash burgers would work - I'd want to practice them to make sure you can get good contact/crust from the hard patty.
I don't think frozen smashed will work to be honest, but at the end of the day, smashing them takes but a second if I've already protioned them out the day before.
Mobile Chicane said:
If not a chef, I would absolutely get someone in to serve drinks.
Probably not needed, beers will be in the esky, wine in the garden fridge, Frozen margarita on a table somehwere nearby and the bloody mary will be in a large cooler with a spout. Most will just help themselves I hope.
We will have 3 or 4 minions at the house for cleanup as we go along, paper plates, napkins, empty glasses etc.
I could understand a DIY buffet for 70 but I can't conceive of how a home set up could safely and effectively cook and serve food for that number.
Surely this is a job for pros. If it were the UK, I'd be thinking hog roast, pizza van that kind of thing.
Even managing glassware, plates, cutlery and waste will be a job for at least one helper.
Surely this is a job for pros. If it were the UK, I'd be thinking hog roast, pizza van that kind of thing.
Even managing glassware, plates, cutlery and waste will be a job for at least one helper.
I catered for my wedding using 2 bbqs. Don't have numbers, but about 150ish. Was a very informal 'festival' type weekend.
Don't do any grilling. It's a massive time sink.
I prepped five different versions of Jailhouse Chilli (to cover different food intolerances/preferences), then sous vide to reheat on the day. 200 jacket potatoes in a cabinet smoker. Cheese and beans, coleslaw, etc.
Pulled pork - absolutely. Do double what you're thinking.
I then, towards the end of the night, did homemade doner kebab. I did 10kg (and a fair few had left by this point) - but didn't get to have any as it was inhaled whilst I was serving the individual 'logs'!
But yeah, no grilling! Or pizzas!
Don't do any grilling. It's a massive time sink.
I prepped five different versions of Jailhouse Chilli (to cover different food intolerances/preferences), then sous vide to reheat on the day. 200 jacket potatoes in a cabinet smoker. Cheese and beans, coleslaw, etc.
Pulled pork - absolutely. Do double what you're thinking.
I then, towards the end of the night, did homemade doner kebab. I did 10kg (and a fair few had left by this point) - but didn't get to have any as it was inhaled whilst I was serving the individual 'logs'!
But yeah, no grilling! Or pizzas!
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