Need Your Help/Opinion

[Leaky]

I'm having 9 guys up for an annual end of January get together. This started about 15 years ago staying in Large Fish Houses on Mille Lacs. We called it out annual Ice Fishing Trip.

As we got older, it moved to one of McQuoids nice 10 person Condos, where more eating, drinking and card playing occured than did fishing. It now became the anual Ice Drinking trip.

Now we have moved it to my place in Mora. I have alway been the one to do the cooking. In the past, I've done things like Sloppy Joes, Lasagna, Goulash. I need to make something that people can just grab whenever they want. So my question to you is: What, under these circumstances, would YOU like to eat? I'm starting with a big batch of Pasta Fagloi (I have Olive Garden's recipe), so Chili won't work. What should I make along with that?

[reinhard1]

i'm planning on making some pulled pork for a get together on a lake. i'm going to research the pulled pork thread again for the recipe of choice [there were so many good one's and i had my own favorite on there also] just so easy to make ahead at home. all you need is some good buns and some cole slaw to slap on top of the pulled pork if you want before putting the top of the bun on. paper plates, less mess.good luck.

[Chef]

A nice big pot of Chicken Wild Rice soup is really easy to make. Buy a cooked whole chicken at Cub or Costco and put that into 6-8 Qts. of canned stock with 2 diced onions, celery and cooked carrots, add a can of diced tomatos with the juice,can of corn and toss in a few crushed garlic cloves. cook 3 cups of wild rice and toss it in.

Otherwise, I make Minestroni soup with Italian sausage, potato, onion, carrots, diced tomato, beef stock and pasta.

[Leaky]

RH - I was really thinking pulled pork as well. I have an awesome rub in my hip pocket. If thats the way I go, how many pounds of pork butt should I be looking at?

Chef - Have always loved your input on this forum. You directed me once to the best beef barley soup I've ever make. But with soup already on the menu (If you haven't had Pasta Figoli - I'd say its kind of an Italian Chili) I need ya to dig deeper I'll bet you have some other tricks up your sleeve for 9 hungry dudes. Just stuck both of your soups in my back pocket. Looks great - love making soup!!

[stoneeyes317]

If you don't mind I'll put in a few ideas. I'm not as knowledgeable as Chef & Rienhart but I attend a similar event every year and one guy always makes fajitas and they are always a hit and something I'd think could be easily put together whenever someone wants to.

Next, since you already have soup on the menu Id suggest a casserole of some sort. Shepherds pie or Jambalaya are the 2 that come to my mind right away.

Lastly I'd think you'd want a roast of at least 8 lbs because you'll lose some weight in the cooking, and you will want about .5 lb. per guy minimum.

I hope these ideas help'

eyes317

[P_Norts]

How about Italian sausage and peppers in red sauce on hard rolls. I get some good italians, cut up some green peppers and add a jar of (or your homemade) red pasta sauce and put it in the crock pot on low for the day, Very yummy. Slaw, potato salad or whatever you want for sides.

Mama Norts

[Alagnak]

Yeah if you really want something that can be chowed on whenever the guys feel like it things that can stay warm in a crock on 'warm' or hotel warming pan are great. The pulled pork (especially from the smoker) with some slaw and sauce on the side is awesome, smoked rib tips (which can be bought by the 10# box cheap) or plain ribs can be nice to snack on here or there too and sits good in the crock on warm. Both are easy to do without much prep and can feed a bunch. Same can be said with a pre-cooked ham smoked up.

[OnAFly]

I'll throw my vote in for pulled pork. When I've been in charge of group meals, pulled pork always has gotten plenty of complements.

[reinhard1]

i think stoneeyes had the weight real close. you can find a whole one, for they run 7 to 9 pounds. slap some on a bun and put a dab of cole slaw on top and your good to go. paper plates, paper towels, and less mess. good luck.

[Leaky]

All great suggestions!!! Thank you!! Both Pulled Pork and Italian Sausages swimming in sauce in a crock pot would be the easiest way to feed this group. I wouldn't have thought about Fajitas. Keep your ideas coming. I'll then give the group a choice of items and let them decide.

[Jim Almquist]

This is a great beef recipe that you can serve up in a crock pot. When its ready to shred you should strain out the peppercorns.

Piquant French Dip

Makes 8 servings

3-lb Chuck Roast

2 cups water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 bay leaf

3-4 whole peppercorns

8 French rolls

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings.

2. Cover. Cook on High 5-6 hours, or until beef is tender.

3. Remove beef from broth. Shred with fork. Keep warm.

4. Strain broth. Skim fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls.

We like to add at least a dozen peppercorns. You need to add all the seasonings at the time when you are making it. I tried to put all the seasonings in a bag with plans on making it in two days and it did not have the right flavor.

[thirdeye]

I think everything so far sounds pretty good.... Ham and beans are always a good dish for feeding a lot of guys (I buy the storebought smoked shanks and put a second smoke on them to really jack up the flavor). However, 10 guys in a condo, drinking beer and eating beans might lead to trouble... Heheheee. On the other hand, these don't seem like the white wine and brie kind of boys either.

How about Mexican food? Having a bunch of stuff all prepped could allow you to do a taco bar, a nacho bar, or you could make a pan of enchiladas. And speaking of enchiladas, a guy I know from another forum makes "enchilasagna". It's just like your favorite lasagna, only he uses corn tortillas in place of the noodles. Dang, the subtle corn flavor is really tasty. (When you think about it, Italians have polenta, which is sort of a cornbread, and tortillas are in the same family too)

[reinhard1]

MAN those smoked hocks look awesome!!!!!!!!. i would take the baked beans and ham hocks any day. good luck.

[thirdeye]

MAN those smoked hocks look awesome!!!!!!!!. i would take the baked beans and ham hocks any day. good luck.

The additional smoke time really wakes up the flavor. I'm not sure how much they are per pound, but these are the ones you see over by the ham, and tripe and the marked down meats in the grocery store. I bet they are $2 or $3 a package and marked "smoked hocks", or "smoked shanks". Usually they have even been frozen. They have been cured and their minimal smoking is most likely helped along with some liquid smoke, so they have some flavor on their own. The second smoke I do is low and slow until they start to sweat some fat, and get some of that good color. A couple of hours for the small ones and maybe 2-1/2 or 3 for the larger shanks.

I've even braised them following smoking (to make them fall-off-the-bone tender and we'll have those as our main meat for dinner

[reinhard1]

that reminds me of many, many, years ago when i worked for small meat market. they would buy in "Wilson" brand whole hams already smoked and smoked them one more time and were a big hit at this market. i love fresh or smoked hocks along with smoked ham shanks as well. thanks for the reminder of the double smoking idea. good luck.

[Leaky]

Pulled Pork vs Shredded Beef! Good Choices.

Taco Bar with enchiladas on the side - Now that something that would work too.

I have a couple of meaty ham shanks in the freezer. But you are right, thirdeye. 9 guys, beer and beans - Might have to fumigate the house after.

[Chef]

Thanks Leaky--I'm still reeling from all the Christmas cheer I guess, and missed the Fagoli you're already making.

My "go-to" meal when we ice fish is a big pot of meat red sauce spaghetti. I pre-cook the noodles(rigatoni, Penne) so you can either heat them in a micro or just mix them into the meat sauce when you're heating itall up. I'm bringing this tomorrow for our Weds. night dinner after the night-bite is done tomorrow. They guys would kill me if I brought anything else.

[Leaky]

Nice! Were you able to get out on the ice? Fish biting?

[Chef]

Nice! Were you able to get out on the ice? Fish biting?

Oh Yeah, the fish were biting. We caught 9 nice Walleyes Weds. Nite. I haven't had as many lost fish in the past as I had this trip though--frustrating to loose half your fish reeling them up. Fun regardless, and Sooooooo much easier to do this without 3 feet of snow covering everything like last year. It was almost too easy

[Leaky]

Sweet! And I'm sure the pasta was a great hit!