Smoking Brisket at Burning Man
The homies tending the grill while guests look on
Peek inside the Caja China's we used to use
Tried doing rotisserie lamb roasts for a couple years - pain in the ass but it looks really cool lol
Folks hide in whatever shade they can find!
TLDR; I want to cook 12-16 hours before serving. How do I keep 200lbs of brisket safe to serve for that long out in the middle of the desert?
Every year I cook/smoke ~400lbs of brisket out in the desert at Burning Man. We host two big ol' BBQs and feed a couple thousand folks. Hell of a good time!
Been doing Burning Man for 12 years and the brisket for 7-8 years, started with Caja China's and wood chips, last year we graduated up to a 250 gal offset trailer smoker.
Last Year's Schedule:
Day 1 8pm we trim then salt for 24hrs
Day 2 smoke/cook overnight for ~20hrs starting at 8pm
Day 3 pull them at ~12 Noon to rest, start serving at 4pm BBQ. So, a 3 day process that we do twice over the week.
Problems:
- We're never done on time, they never reach 200-205. The elements, the fact that we only use wood (hickory), the craziness of Burning Man - I'm lucky if any of them get to 190 even after 20hrs. I'm always gracious but I'm also tired of serving brisket that's just "good enough" regardless if everyone still loves it.
- I don't want to be up all night anymore. Smoking all night isn't a problem, but going straight into running an all-day 1000 person BBQ on no sleep - I just want to have better energy for the serving.
Considerations:
We like/try to do Texas/dry style - fat cap up, SPG only, wrap at stall (~6-8hrs/165-175). . Spray ACV once pre-wrap, soak butcher paper with ACV before wrapping
Part of the slow cook issue is the size - wholesale is the only way to afford this and they're generally all 20lbs+
Ideally I want to cook the day before, and then serve the next day. Timing of the BBQ is our choice, but it's F'ing hot out mid day hence why we've done it at 4
That would mean 12-16 hours resting though, and I'm super concerned with the health and safety implications of anything dropping below 140. We get a Nevada Health Permit every year and strictly adhere to all the rules even though it's really hard to out in the middle of nowhere.
So what's a timing/schedule/plan that:
- Allows for a good chunk of sleep prior to serving
- Allows for 4+ extra hours when things invariably take longer than planned
- Keeps the briskets over 140 until served the next day (EDIT: I guess it doesn't have to stay over 140, it just has to stay safe to serve and keeping it over 140 is the only way I know how to do that, other suggestions welcome!)
Have access to whatever fridges, freezers, coolers as needed.