Is it possible to be a free-lance pit master?

Hi folks,

I'm relatively new around here and haven't really gotten to know you guys yet. So I hope you don't mind me picking your brains for advice before I've taken the time to help anyone else out.

I'm planning/hoping to retire early in a few years (well, technically it will be called "quitting" since I won't be old enough to officially retire). I've run the numbers quite a bit, and I think I could do it without having any earned income. But I'll only be about 50, so it's a little scary to think of living solely off of investment returns for the 12-15 years before Social Security and my piddling pension kick in.

You probably know where this is going - I'm an avid backyard pit master, and my friends and relatives all rave about the tastiness of my Q. I'd like nothing better than to take up part-time barbecuing once I leave the rat race.

I have zero interest in the restaurant business and full-service catering business. Those two avenues involve a lot of stuff that I don't care for, such as making food that isn't barbecue, working 80 hrs a week, cleaning public bathrooms, and hiring/firing/yelling at employees. I'm also thinking that competition Q is out; it looks like a good way to make a small fortune out of a large one.

So here's my question to you: is it possible to be a free-lance pit master? Maybe sub-contract to a caterer on an as-needed basis? Or hire out to private parties where the hosts take care of everything but the Q? Do any of you do anything similar to this?

Or would it be possible to run a scaled-down version of a food truck or a walk-up stand without hiring employees? And would I be able to make any money at this just doing it on a part-time/when I feel like it basis?

I know I'm not asking for much. :roll: Thanks in advance.

I hadn't really thought of it from the standpoint of working for an hourly wage. I agree, working for line cook wages probably wouldn't be worth it. At the current minimum wage of $7.25, working 20 hrs/wk would gross about $7,500/yr, and that's assuming there is work available every week of the year. I'd probably need to net at least 10 grand a year to make it worthwhile.

I was thinking more of working on a fixed price contract basis. If I supplied the meat and sauce, would that require me to have access to a commercial kitchen? I realize that probably varies by locality; I'm just looking for opinions based on your experience.

Thanks, guys.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Although I'm several years out yet, it's never too early to start planning. Sounds like the first thing I need to do is to start getting to know some caterers in the area.

A couple of you mentioned that the quality of the Q must be top-rate. This is something I've been thinking about a lot. Not to brag, but in my opinion, my BBQ is the best I've ever eaten. And I've eaten in a lot of BBQ restaurants in my time. There are two other BBQ caterers/vendors in town, and I think mine is easily better than theirs (one typically serves his re-heated, and the other has some kind of funny flavor in his seasoning). BUT -- I've never cooked for more than about 25 people at a time. I'm careful to maintain a reasonably steady low/slow pit temp (no small feat with my current COS), I always pull the meat at the optimal internal temp for balance between moisture and tenderness, I don't pick or slice until we're ready to eat, I serve the meat promptly while it's still hot, and I minimize exposure to air after the meat is picked/sliced. I'm a bit apprehensive about whether I'll be able to maintain such quality control when cooking for a much larger crowd. I guess the only way to know is to practice on large crowds.

landarc said:

Cooking meat for clients is different than cooking meat for yourself. For one, you get to choose what you are eating and you paid for it, cooked it, tasted it etc...it is tailored to you. I happen to love my pulled pork product, but, I have had several people tell me it sucks. I taste it, it's fine...what's the problem? I don't sauce it right, or I chopped it, which means it is tough, or it's too smoky...every crowd is different. Beyond that, even in catering, you have to cook on the day you have to cook, so it rains, so it's freezing, so the charcoal doesn't light right...you promised 120 pounds of brisket on Saturday at 11:00am, well, you get it done. And that is what I mean, top notch BBQ, you get it done, you cook it consistently, you cater to your clients...it can be rewarding.

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Thanks, landarc. This is exactly what I need to get a handle on - how to cook top quality meat in a production setting. I hope I didn't sound too smug when I talked about how good mine is. I do realize that everyone thinks their Q is the best, and that as incredible as it might seem, someone else may not think that mine is the best. I've eaten a lot of O.K. Q in production settings, so I think anyone who can figure out how to maintain good backyard quality while cooking/selling large quantities will have an edge.