Planning fo eggfest menu

MasterC

My local dealer is having their 15th eggfest soon. This will be my fourth year cooking and Mrs.C's second. We are planning on adding street tacos to our menu this year. Mrs.C thinks cheese is required. I'm thinking meat in a tortilla dressed with Pico de Gallo or a tomatillo salsa. If that was the only thing we would be making yes melted cheese sandwiched between 2 tortillas would be added. So this got me thinking and yes sometimes this gets me in trouble.

Should I keep making a variety of cooks that fewer people tastes or just two or three that more can taste?

We aren't in a competition with anyone, we're all about egging, having fun and helping to make this event great and hopefully add some new eggheads. We get a good attendance, over a thousand 2022, and there are 40+ eggheads grilling. Gates open at 9am and close at 3pm

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks 

Gulfcoastguy

Cook the pineapple salsa from the thread. That and pickled onions. Miniature tacos should do just fine.

MasterC

Planning on 3 inch tortillas 

MasterC

That pineapple salsa....Ross in Ventura pork chops an pineapple salsa recipe looks awesome 

Gulfcoastguy

Check your wall for something that I was saving for an Eggfest.

lousubcap

I would just default to the relative effort you both want to expend.  You have some history with the fest, more offerings equates to more effort in plan, prep, cook and deliver.  
With your skill set anything you produce will be top notch.  
As you will, have fun.  

Jstroke

My advice, do less items. Street tacos will be a massive hit, no melting cheese. Warm the shells on a pizza stone. Meat, salsa, maybe squirt of fresh lime or cilantro. My bet it will take two people just to keep up. Keep meat warm in chaffing dish. Hammer down. 

loco_engr

take some time to wonder around and take some pics
Pretty sure we would all appreciate this

Gulfcoastguy

Pork tenderloin tacos. Marinated with that rub that I mentioned. I used sweet pickled jalapeños to save making salsa. 

TechsasJim

Street tacos are always a go-to for us down here.   I do street tacos for my family 1-2x/mth.    Finely chopped, well marinated, beef, pico de gallo, tons of finely chopped cilantro, finely sliced (mandolin) radishes (can be pickled) and queso fresco with a lime squeezer to finish.    Salsa(s) are always eater's choice.

Oh, corn tortillas, depending on how prepared, I always plan on 2 per taco.

That's my thought but, as always, to each their own.

Good luck, please share results!

Eggdicted_Dawgfan

@MasterC where and when is this fest? May be worth the drive after seeing your past cooks. 

Photo Egg

yes, please tell us more about your local eggfest. I don't see it listed on the BGE homepage list. 

MasterC

That looks delicious Golfcoastguy. 
Here's information about the Eggfest 


I posted pictures of last year but I don't know how to post a link so this is the title;
Some pictures of 14th eggfest in New Haven

Canugghead

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1230113/some-pictures-of-14th-eggfest-in-new-haven

caliking

Jstroke said:

My advice, do less items. Street tacos will be a massive hit, no melting cheese. Warm the shells on a pizza stone. Meat, salsa, maybe squirt of fresh lime or cilantro. My bet it will take two people just to keep up. Keep meat warm in chaffing dish. Hammer down. 

This. Add the lime, cilantro to the salsa, to cut down assembly steps. If you have that many folks attending, and want to make more than one item, simplify the process as much as possible. 

You also have the option of SV'ing the protein at home, then throwing it on the egg at the fest to catch a hint of smoke/flavor. 

And, yes, please post pics! 

MasterC

caliking said:

You also have the option of SV'ing the protein at home, then throwing it on the egg at the fest to catch a hint of smoke/flavor. 

I did this last year with my chuck roast and it was a hit

abpgwolf

Street tacos sound great! I always try to do something fun and interesting, and something that people can see themselves doing on their new egg. I usually do a kicked up sweet corn, smoked salmon (both quick and easy) and for the past couple years, I would sous vide a beef tenderloin and then sear it on the egg. I would sit the sous vide up on my serving table to create interest and questions. 

Above all have fun!

Photo Egg

Will be visiting Peru IN the middle of next month. Missed it by a couple weeks.
Thanks for posting info.

Florida Grillin Girl

After cooking at the Chain of Lakes Eggfest on April 1 of this year, I can give my opinion.  We had not cooked at an eggfest for years and forgot abunch of stuff that we should have remembered.

#1 - Cook one thing all day and do it well. We had way too many items on the menu to cook and wished we just stuck with one thing. Yep, go all out on the one thing, but remember, towards the end of the fest, people are getting full, so 1/2 portions will work then.

#2 - Prep in advance. We prepped most everything the day before,  which is always a great idea if you can do it. We watched as everyone around us prepped stuff from scratch and we were so happy our stuff was ready to go.

#3 - Take pictures! I only took 4 pictures the whole day.

#4 - Take a walk around. I missed going to the well stocked store they had on site, and wished I took advantage of the specials they had. I needed some things and missed out because I never took that walk around the fest.

Go and have fun. Let us know how it was and post pics. I miss Eggfests pics!

MasterC

Florida Grillin Girl thank you, great advice. Thanks that's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

MasterC

Circus city USA have fun Photoegg

Canugghead

Apology to OP for thread jacking, just want to share some pics from Niagara Eggfest.

RRP

So many GREAT recommendations  have already been added…but here is my combination of several of them. After 14 years of eggfests I became known/recognized for several items, but the most popular 2 items were my chili and my triple chocolate & Kuhula cake!  

Due to the time and effort involved making both I made my big pot of chili in a Dutch oven the day before and just reheated it. Also with my cake I egged one the day before and then made and baked the second one at the Eggfest the next day… most people do like something sweet and “chocolatity” after a day of BBQ so beware! 

caliking

I'll add one thing, in the vein of what @RRP posted above - 

At one Space City Eggfest in Houston, when it was hot and humid AF, @Photo Egg pulled a watermelon out of his cooler at the end of the day. Mostly for the cooks, not egged, but it was one of the best bites of that day. 

Langner91

I always feel guilty cooking protein in someone's brand-new egg at Eggfest.  So, one year, I only baked in the egg.  I took cookie dough, brownie mixes, and pound cake.  It was fun and the egg went home just as clean as when we started.

I have also done a Papa Murphy's pizza a time or two!

Canugghead

Langner91 said:

I always feel guilty cooking protein in someone's brand-new egg at Eggfest.  So, one year, I only baked in the egg.  I took cookie dough, brownie mixes, and pound cake.  It was fun and the egg went home just as clean as when we started.

I have also done a Papa Murphy's pizza a time or two!

At some of the eggfests we used our own cooking grid, Conveggtor, grid lifter and ash tool. The new owners' surprise and appreciation at pickup is worth it.

Grilled pineapples and Ghirardelli brownies are two of our favourite dishes, super easy and popular with folks suffering meat coma before the fest is halfway through.

RRP

Langner91 said:

I always feel guilty cooking protein in someone's brand-new egg at Eggfest.  So, one year, I only baked in the egg.  I took cookie dough, brownie mixes, and pound cake.  It was fun and the egg went home just as clean as when we started.

I have also done a Papa Murphy's pizza a time or two!

I hear you and felt the same way. Several times I contacted the new owners to be who had already prepaid and told them if they wanted to come early I would let them fill their egg with the lump and light it. I had 4 people do that and stay with me, watch me cook during the eggfest and even help serve the hungry masses!!! That made me some lifelong friends who I probably would have never even met! 

nolaegghead

A few crumbles of cotija cheese is a great topping and only takes a second to throw on top (don't melt it).  As an option.

alaskanassasin

nolaegghead said:

A few crumbles of cotija cheese is a great topping and only takes a second to throw on top (don't melt it).  As an option.

Does it melt? 

Florida Grillin Girl

Thanks, Gary @Cunugghead. I haven't seen those pics in a long time. That was a fun fest, and I got to cook next to Little Steven, the MASTER!

Photo Egg

caliking said:

I'll add one thing, in the vein of what @RRP posted above - 

At one Space City Eggfest in Houston, when it was hot and humid AF, @Photo Egg pulled a watermelon out of his cooler at the end of the day. Mostly for the cooks, not egged, but it was one of the best bites of that day. 

You and your family were a cooking machine at that fest. I don’t know how you did it. Damn, it was miserably hot that day. Went through 2 melons as fast as I could cut them into pieces.
At one of the Athens Texas Eggfests we did cobbler and brownies topped with ice cream. That was another winner.