[wuykats]

Set up on Saturday nite to start cooking 325 lbs. of pinto beans for our annual church pit  bar-b-q.  we start serving at 11:30 AM, so 3:30 AM is our start time.  6 stoves, 5  100qt. pots and 1  80 qt. pot are used.  Stoves fired up to begin heating water at 3:30.

I had 13 25lb. bags of these to cook

We use this perforated bucket to rinse 1 bag at a time and then pour them into a pot-- 50lbs. to each 100 quart pot.



Keep them covered with water, and stir often to keep the bottoms from scorching.  At 4 o'clock my sister arrived to help.Now there were myself, my wife and her.  Lots of work to do to get the pots all boiling by 5:30.
Two of these go in each pot.

Stir some more.

After the beans have softened, I add a couple of cups of dried chicken stock to the pot-stir some more.

About an hour before they are done, we add the seasonings. Stir, stir, stir.

When they are done, about 9:30 or so its time to transfer them to these thermal pots, they keep them hot all day.  By this time more help arrived.  The engine hoist is used to lift the full pots into a pick up for the trip to the church hall.


When this first batch is done there is still 50 lbs. to go, so we put 25 in each of two pots and start over, those are done by about 2:00PM.  Then clean-up commences, stoves are put away, pots washed and stored as they are returned, and by 7:00PM I'm done.  I inherited this job from my father, we have been cooking these beans for over 40 years for this event.  AZChoctaw has been over here to help one year, funny the volunteers don't come back!!
LOL  Oh well the beans turned out great, the beer was cold (no drinking took place before sunup) and another year is in the books.

[KidCurry]

"the engine hoist is used to lift the full pots"      That is AWESOME!!

[azchoctaw1]

what we okie's are not dumb!!!!

azchoctaw1

[wuykats]

Heck Jim, after sampling the beans for a few hours, you didn't need any gasoline to drive back to Phoenix.

[Mike (AZBarbeque)]

Very cool...

[Mark]

With a congregation loaded up on those great-lookin' beans, think of the money they save by not needing a pipe organ. Great job on an impressive cooking assignment.

[bbqphx.com]

325 lbs of beans?  How much BBQ did you guys cook, that must be a huge congregation!!

[jmcrig]

WOW, great job!

[wuykats]

We put 3780 lbs. of beef in the pit.  Served approx 2600 plates. Servings are huge, with most plates able to feed two. The leftover meat and beans are put in Chinese food take out boxes and sold after the serving lines are done.  We serve from 11:30 to 6:00.  I think this was the 78th annual Bar-B-Q and each parishioner is sent 10 tickets to sell.  Attendance was down about 200 this year, no surprise there, the most we have served is about 3150.  We load eucalyptus wood in the pit with a backhoe, fire it up Friday at 8 PM and load the meat, close the lid and seal the pit at about 6PM Sat. night.  The meat is boneless clods, rolled in seasoning, double wrapped in HD foil with about 3 roasts per wrap, and loaded into large expanded metal baskets which are lowered into the pit with a forklift.  The sauce is home made and is from a recipe from the 50's.  I'll try to post it up on the forum.  Also, we have salsa with the meal, your choice.  I'll try to remember to take some pictures of the pit and meat next year.

[azcolt45]

AWESOME job, but did you wear your AZBBQ T-shirt while doing it?

Colt

[wuykats]

Naw, I wore my PETA shirt. (people enjoying tasty animals)

[azcolt45]

You made us all proud!!

[Crash]

Eucalyptus???  That's a tough wood to cook on.  Was it seasoned?  Did it alter the taste of the meat in any way?

Sounds like you guys had a full day of work.....congrats on a great cook!

[wuykats]

Crash, it was a pit bar-b-q.  The wood is used just to build heat into the pit walls.  This pit is about 8' by 12' and 8' deep.  There is a ledge about 18" from the floor.  The wood ranged in size from 3' diameter down to 1 foot or so.  Most pieces were about 4 ' long.  We lower them into the pit with a backhoe, probably the equivalent of 2 to 3 pick-up loads.  The wood needs to be very dry, at least a year or two after being cut down..  It all burns down to coals, and needs to be below that ledge before we lower a 1/2 inch steel plate down.  Believe me, it is hot in that pit.  Then the meat, double wrapped in foil, and well seasoned is put in.  There is a hinged lid that is closed and wet gunny sacks placed around the edge.  Then damp dirt is shoveled over the lid until there is no more smoke escaping.  No air gets in or out, for all intents and purposes it is an anerobic process.  The heat in the walls of the pit is what cooks the meat, and after about 16 hrs. in there it is really cooked and easily shreds for serving. We have done just over 4100 lbs. before, but that is really pushing the capacity of the pit, and we cut back a little this year because ticket sales were down a little.  I promise to get some photos next year, and I'll check with the bar-b-q chairman, he might have some.

[azkitch]

Wow. And beyond that, I've got nuttin! That's a big hole...Can we fill it with water in the summer months?