The picnic was last Sunday and overall it was a success, but not without it's trials and tribulations! Brining the chicken was the saving grace, it was moist and juicy, people commented on how tender it was.
I had 80 pounds of chicken quarters. The goal was to keep it simple by cooking them at home early Sunday morning and keeping them warm in cambros until it was time to serve. I pulled out the Trager and the Louisiana around 3:30 a.m.
Since it was brined, I did not put a dry rub on it like I normally would, because I did not want the extra salt. I figured I would just mop some BBQ sauce on it toward the end of the cook and call it good. Both grills had issues with flameouts, something I haven't really had to deal with unless the grill was out of pellets (not the case that day). I was able to get them going again OK, but it was two extra steps and extra time I did not anticipate dealing with. I had a tight schedule as it was. When it was time to mop, I could not find the jug of BBQ sauce. It disappeared, still have not found it. I did not have the time, patience, or energy to get more. I thought about using melted butter, but I had too many other irons in the fire and thinking about it was as far as it got.
I love using the cambros. The chicken was piping hot after pulling it at 8 am and serving it at noon. The skin was not crispy, but it had a nice color on it. At this point I think people have pandemic fatigue (no matter what their thoughts are one way or the other) and are just glad to be able to eat together in a group without worrying about masks! I am not sure it would have mattered what was served. The chicken was kind of bland, but it had a little smoke flavor and was hot and moist.
All together I think we served between 60-70 folks. I had baked beans, applesauce, and chips on the side. People brought a ton of different desserts.
My wife had my phone, so there are no pictures. All in all, a good day!