The Menu (Monkeys make good sounding boards)

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Thunder5Ranch, Jun 18, 2018.


  1. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    if you are getting feeback 100/50 then you are probably too low, if everything is paying for itself .......

    Having said that, you are low by about $2 per item for my area but it won't hurt to raise it $1 per item given that you feedback it 2-1 for too low.

    A business shouldn't be about making a killing but about making a profit... most margins for food range 30-40%. Manufactured items run 50-80%. Don't answer here, but answer for yourself are you in that ball park?

    Gratz on your hit. You really know your markets!
     
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  2. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    While many packages have arrived here unmolested, I have lost some things - primarily electrical / electronic parts that were shipped here.
     
  3. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    I wouldn't mind comparing recipes with ya,, I don't have specific quantities for the sauce ,,, but I'm still able to make my Grandpa's hot pepper vinegar sauce from memory. My grandpaw taught me to cook the whole hog split open on a pit in the ground , over nothin but the coals. It was a slow 8-12 hour process , with a few shots , plenty of beer , and a bushel or 2 of roasted oysters with crackers and hot sauce , from dusk till dawn ,,some of my best memories growin up right there,,,,,
     
  4. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    My father had a recipe that, I assume passed with him. He could bar-b-que Boston Butts like no other I ever tasted. Some vinegar based sauce, I assume? Unfortunately, I never had the desire to cook like he did - until this very day. In fact, I stay as far away from a grill or kitchen, as is humanly possible.

    The Boss, however, should be a chef. She can make anything taste as though I am dining at the finest restaurants in the world. I thank God above, for her. She's the best, hands down.

    @Witch Doctor 01, I know I didn't specifically state it, but, I am definitely interested in your offer, if we can sort it out.

    @SB21, pork in this part of the world would rival any in the US. Of course, it is all in how it is prepared, like @Thunder5Ranch is doing, I am sure.
     
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  5. runswithdogs

    runswithdogs Monkey+++

    General rule, if a certain % of people arnt bitching about the price... your to cheap :D
    Honestly you could give stuff away and some people would still say your to exspensive,,,,”you should be paying for them to eat at your place”. (I just tell them their price went up.....:whistle:....nobody elses, just theirs....)

    Been a while since I was in the States and obviously where you are matters, but id say your prices are quite low for what your offering.
     
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  6. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Between getting the commercial kitchen up and running, basically a second commercial kitchen in the trailer up and running and trying to keep the gardens weeded.... I have been cutting and welding on a old 500 gallon steel fuel tank. For my next trick in that project I have a old haybine with a 5 bar pick up that should make a good rotisserie. Next trick will be to get the bars cut down and figure out a good way to extend single drive bar out enough to get the sealed bearing out and away from the heat and still be stable. thinking about welding a 1/4" steel piece with a L shape and mounting the bearing onto it out about 18" or I could just switch it a bushing and keep it greased. Still need to find a electric motor for it and then figure out which sprockets I need to put on the motor shaft to get 1-3-6 RPMs in the chamber. Going to use baskets in it instead spitting the shoulders. And at the rate I am going I might have it done and approved by the health department by this time next year LOL

    The one I am using now is a Oklahoma Joe dual wood/charcoal on one side gas on the other. I can do four 20 pound shoulders on the left side and two more on the gas side, once it starts dripping on gas side, even only running one of the 4 burners it is a pain to keep it from flaming up. On the other hand the gas side is great for doing the chicken breast, brats and dogs on. I do like Oklahoma Joe grills and smokers though and am probably going to order another one that is just like that one except straight wood/charcoal and not divided. They are heavy at 250 pounds but wheel right up the trailer ramp.......... Gets a little wild when Billy wheels it down the ramp though guy only weighs like 150 pounds and the ramp is kind of steep, so it often overshoots the stop point coming off and down :)

    DSC00440.JPG
     
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  7. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Longhorn Offset Smoker | Oklahoma Joe's® Will most likely get that one to work with the longhorn combo that I have. Where OK Joe's fail is that burner on the right, that piece is flimsy and cheap and I ripped it off and redid the gasline not long after putting it on. The rest of the unit is rock solid heavy bit not so much that it can't be loaded and unloaded.
     
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  8. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    The one I use is pulled behind a truck will hold a large split hog or almost 100 pieces of chicken....it can use oak or any hard wood or propane.. I have 2 additional burners that I can place if I need to heat other fixins...
     
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  9. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Wish I could use a pull behind. I will try and remember to take some pics of the truck and trailer loaded. Had to take the trailer to the shop Saturday to get a few minor things repaired and a strip of E track that was supposed to be installed when it was built put down one wall and the hot water heater crapped out Friday, guess there was a defect in that batch of hw heaters and the manufacturer had already sent a new one to my dealer/shop and the guy I work with there on my trailers forgot to call me over the winter and tell me the HW heater was recalled. Anyway they had the replacement heater waiting. No big deal since it took a crap the last half hour of the market. It will all be right by 4pm today.

    The truck holds the generator, (12) 8 foot tables, (4) 6' tables, 72 chairs, (3) 10x10 tents (4) 12x24 tents (3) 90 pound gas cylinders (6) 20 pound Cylinders, fire wood, charcoal, and the electric box with all of the extension cords and spare parts. And the water hose barrel with 300' of hose and 4 ceiling fans and 2 ground fan, And all covered with a heavy olive drab canvas covered wagon. The market truck has the same side and front boards as the truck in the generator pic that extend the bed up 3'

    The Trailer holds the Oklahoma Joe, two flat top grills, 2 cajun injector fish fryers, 2 dorm refrigerators, 1 upright 28 cu foot refrigerator, (1) 24 cu foot chest freezer 30 cases of canned soda (getting a 6 hole fountain from Pepsi in a few weeks and the syrup boxes take up a lot less space than cases of cans) the igloo drink coolers with tea, sweat tea, lemonade and ice water, the 5crates with the condiments, table cloths, pretty crap, and screen walls for the tents. and two big 200QT coolers already filled with iced down soda and bottled water. And all of the dishes both washable and disposable.

    By Friday the three of us had setting all that crap up down to 90 minutes. A bit more practice and we might get down 75 minutes. Add a 4th person and we could get under a hour. I can't get around having to drag a second commercial kitchen behind me for what I do and can't avoid packing it so tight a popcorn fart could not find room to hang out in the truck or trailer at this point. Just easier to smoke everything here poly bag it and empty the bags in warmers as needed, that to drag a big pull behind and have to put a second or 3rd truck on the road.

    I did advertise catering parties and events last week for the fall and winter and am starting to book work for October and November and picked up a 10am- 10pm event for the 4th of July with a lot of traffic. Right now I do shows Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and take Sunday totally off and spend Monday and Tuesday smoking and doing the sides. I hate peeling potatoes so of course scalloped potatoes are the most popular side dish! I hath found a way to cheat though. I dug my applemate apple peeler out yesterday and started spinning potatoes through it! It peels and slices them all in one shot and makes a real good spiral cut fried tater and the cores I think I shall call barrel fries! But a cut to either side of the potato after going through makes just about perfect taters for scalloped potatoes. And you can zing through a 100 pounds of potatoes real fast like about 30 minutes.......... Beats the hell out of KP days style.

    Doing pesto rolled rolled pork bellies for this weeks special and they are very slow roaster/smokers so I obviously have too much time on my hands to ramble on and on this morning as they cook :)

    The second truck is set up to pull the second trailer that is nothing but dry storage and only going to roll out for bigger shows
     
  10. Lancer

    Lancer TANSTAFL! Site Supporter+++

    You requested said abuse..... :)

    Two butts - 24 hours over hickory lump charcoal @ 190 deg F.
    whole grain mustard rub, and a container of beer under it to add some moisture.
    Beef baby backs for an appetizer...

    Don't know why the double, but won't let me delete it. Drool 2x i guess...
    IMG-20130526-00085.


    IMG-20140706-00195.

    IMG-20130526-00085.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
  11. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    Cruel and inhumane are the words that come to mind. :D :D

    I'm sure it is completely intentional, on your part. LOL
     
  12. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I am happy with the profit margins :) Converted it to $100 bills for a pic of the first weeks profits. It is all safely in the bank now ;) I do think in the future I am going to open the trailer safe more than once per week and deposit the cash in the bank during or after each show since I have a bank branch close by each market. If I had realized there was that much cash in the safe it would have been deposited long before it was. LOL I just kept cooking stuff and passing the containers to the serving table......... had No idea Billy and Mrs T5R had crammed the safe full of money and were using a spatula to force more in!


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    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
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  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

     
  14. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    Me love you long time, soldier boy.
     
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  15. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    You ain't striking me as a Drinky Girl :)
     
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  16. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Some of this weeks menu just went in the smoker and the oven :) A pair of 16 pound pork bellies to replace the two I just took off and forgot to take a pic of :( And Ranch beans that are almost Chili but not quite.

    DSC00279.JPG DSC00280.JPG
     
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  17. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    love the new BBQ, the smell alone will draw people in.

    Hope you are posting all the PC signs, e.g. farm raised, non GMO, organic etc. =), (sorry couldn't resist given you have 'investor customers' [LMAO]
     
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  18. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I am pretty well known locally as are my practices in raising and growing. But yeah I still put up the obligatory info so that someone can read it and then ask me if I really raise all the animals and grow all the vegetables. No matter how much signage you put up there is a certain group of people that still have to ask all of the questions that were answered in the reading. I have thought about recording all the answers and just pushing play when they ask LOL After 20 years of repeating the same things over and over I sometimes wake myself or Mrs T5R up in the middle of the night repeating them in my sleep! One of the hardest things and I still slip into is using Military time and have to go back and change it to Civ time when when I post when I will be some place. Seriously why can't everyone just operate on a 24 hour clock instead of this am and pm nonsense! 1430hrs-1900hrs makes much more sense to me :)
     
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  19. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

  20. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    I can smell it cookin
     
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