Help with ribs, chicken, and brisket

Shrink will vary by the cut of meat you are cooking. Please post what cuts of meat you are interested in, and if any are similar or same to what I use, I will do a shinkage test for you. It's about time I did that again anyway!

Hi Mike,
As this thread was spreading out in two directions, I've narrowed it down to one.

When you speak of "acceptable margins" - are you referring to profit margins or portion weights?

Your subject heading mentions chicken, ribs and brisket. Of the three, brisket will shrink the most simply because of the higher fat content. The same would be true of Pork Butt (which you didn't mention). I haven't done any weight yields though I would guess that you'll find a 20% shrink on brisket and butt.

As for portion sizes, assuming a 3.5 lb (1.5 kilo) chicken - 4 portions are ample though not generous. What size are the ribs in S.A.?
Babybacks generally run around 1.5 lbs, St. Louis ribs go 2.5 - 3 lbs. Half a slab is ample. Brisket or Pork Butt...figure on about 5 ounces (140 grams)

Hope this helps. Let us know if you need more info.

With brisket and porkbutt the weight loss is closer to 40% in some case more.
Jim

I stand corrected, thanks Jim.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Venezuela:
Points of sale will be supplied with a small holding (lamp) display oven, prepackaged coleslaw, and sauces. Simply tear open the vacuum pack, put product in holding tray and wait for lunch time.

This concerns me a bit, Mike. It sounds as if you will be reheating the product under this lamp. Is this actually an oven or a heat lamp??

It is critical to reheat quickly. This keeps the potentially hazardous food out of the unsafe temperature zones. A heat lamp will reheat very slowly. Remember, bacteria becomes active above 40f and is not killed until 140f or above.

Just a friendly warning..

Carl

Try Danny Gauldens site .He cooks on CS ,as well as others and does a great job of detailing.

He is also gracious about answering emails.Danny's BBQ-Carlsbad

Tom,
Danny doesn't cook on a Cookshack, He cooks on a JR Model 700 at the Dairy Queen he owns, and a KingFisher out back for backup and a Klose pit at home. Unless he got a CookShack in the last year I don't think he has one. And your right he'll bend over backwards to help you no matter what you need. One Great Guy. As for the shrinkage thing I can almost get within a pound or two everytime. Brisket finished trimed cut and vaccum sealed you will lose 55-60%, that means your yield will be 45-40%; Ribs on a 3and down you will loose 30 - 40%,but I don't sell by the weight I sell by the bone, at prices now you will have to sell at$1.00 to $1.25 per bone to come out on top. As for sausage I loose 26-30%, of course this would depend on the fat content of the sausage you use, I use Royal Oak by Hillshire. As for whole chicken's, it's been a while, but I thing I use to figure them at 40 to 50%. And a little advice that I have learned over the years, I don't know what you are vaccum sealing with, but if you don't have at least 4mil or better watch the bones they'll knock a hole in the film real fast if you lay them together. I hope this will help.

Later
JR

Welcome,JR.

Great post and thanks.

I didn't mean to leave the impression that Danny's restaurant business was done on a Cookshack,only that he has cooked on it and would have a good understanding of the questions being asked by someone considering a CS for business.