equipment

while ago, I wrote about a prototype pork puller that I created based on a product that I’d seen on the web. My DIY pork puller worked okay, but the materials weren’t all that substation. I used a rotissiere rod and clamp from a Weber gas grill inserted into a cordless drill. While that worked fine for light use at home, it just didn’t hold up over time.

This is my DIY version

I considered building another one on my own but considering the investment had already made and the cost to do it again, I decided that I’d just spring for the product that my design was based on, the Ro-Man Pork Puller.

To clarify, Santa Claus brought me the Pork Puller and I’ve used it all spring. Now that I’ve had a chance to evaluate it extensively, I thought I’d document my observations.

The significantly more substantial Ro-Man Pork Puller

In short, this thing is WAY better than my DIY model. The stainless stell tines and the disk that they are welded too are significantly sturdier than my rotissiere based model. The shaft that is inserted into a cordless drill is also substantial, and it’s long enough to easily reach to the bottom of a large stock pot.

Is it worth $68.95? Well, I’ll answer that a couple of ways. If you cook a lot of pulled pork and have to pull more than 2 at a time, then absolutley. Secondly, you’re talking to a guy that spent $90 on a quick read thermometer. I’ve spent this much money on lesser products, that’s for sure. For me, it as well worth the investment and believe that I’ve gotten my money’s worth just using it for the graduation parties that I cooked for this spring.

Check out the videos and links over at http://www.porkpuller.com and pick one up for yourself.

Cheers,
Braddog

I’ve written before about holding hot food for significant periods of time before serving. You don’t have to purchase special equipment to acomplish this, while ensuring that your product is safe to serve.

However, there are products targeted at the catering and food service business that make this simple and they’ve beome quite popular among competition BBQ teams. Now I don’t compete, nor do I cater. But I do find myself cooking large quantities for a variety of charitable functions.

It was this activity (and my insatiable need to acquire new gear) that led me to acquire a couple of Cambro Food Carriers . I’d priced these through a variety of restaurant supply websites and stores, but couldn’t bring myself to spend the money for a new one. Enter, Craigslist. I kept a eye out for awhile and finally my patience was rewarded. I was able to acquire 2 slightly used Cambro’s for the the cost of one new one.

The cool thing about these warming cabinets is that they have rails along the sides that will support food pans. The disposable aluminum pans that I typiclally use fit just fine also, although the lip of the disposable pans won’t support much weight if you overload them. The cabinets are polythylene (that’s a fancy word for plastic) and insulated to keep heat loss to just a couple of degrees/hr. The doors are gasketed and the latches ensure a tight seal.

I’ve been very happy with these and use them quite often. I’ve held pork butt for 4+ hours, and transported BBQ all over the midwest. So, if you’re looking for a way to hold and transport hot food you can’t go wrong with a Cambro Food Carriers

Cheers,
Braddog

Review: Ro-Man Pork Puller

Review: Cambro Food Carrier