For many, during a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying a BBQ with your loved ones is one of life’s many pleasures.
Over the course of the last decade or so, barbequing, grilling, and smoking have all enjoyed considerable growth. This is attributed to a number of factors, including post-Covid socializing and eating habits, the production of more advanced BBQ and smoking equipment, and the growth of BBQ across social media and popular streaming platforms.
Not only are more people grilling and smoking in their backyards during the weekend, but more people are taking an interest in competitive BBQ, as well as BBQ catering. When you consider some of the food items associated with these particular styles of cooking, you can certainly understand why that is. From juicy, hickory-smoked pulled pork and brisket to smash burgers and glazed ribs there is definitely a growing appetite for BBQ, and caterers are taking advantage of that.
While BBQ caterers have a wealth of tools at their disposal, there’s one item in particular that is often dubbed the unsung hero of the BBQ catering world – the aluminum tray. Here’s a look at why that is.
Great Thermal Conductivity
As people are finally realizing that BBQ is about so much more than overcooked burgers and sausages, the demand for quality BBQ catering is greater than ever.
Without question, one of aluminum tray’s most appealing features for BBQ catering is its thermal conductivity. Aluminum not only heats up quickly, but it also loses its heat quickly as well. To some, this may sound like a negative but for BBQ caterers it’s a huge plus as it allows them more control and lets them handle trays of cooked produce, fresh from the grill or smoker, with no risk of being burned.
Because of their structure, aluminum trays are perfect for a variety of different cooking methods commonly associated with the BBQ world. You can use them on super-hot grills over a bed of glowing charcoal embers exceeding 400F, or you can use them on a smoker best suited for low and slow cooking over the course of several hours.
Perfect for Resting and Hot Holding
After smoking up a juicy pork butt or beef brisket, the resting process is equally as important as the cooking process, if not more so.
During the resting process, protein and muscle fibers in the meat relax and the meat reabsorbs all of its juices. This process is essential for soft and juicy BBQ. If you don’t allow the meat to rest, it will be tough, chewy, and dry. This is precisely what you do NOT want.
For meats that need resting, they often require several hours before being served. This is where BBQ trays really prove their worth. Because of their thermal conductivity, they hold just enough heat to keep the meat nice and warm, without allowing it to continue cooking, or cool down too quickly.
If you’re catering a big BBQ party, aluminum trays will allow you to cook your meats in advance, rest them, and hot hold them for several hours before the function begins.
Ideal for Cool Produce
It isn’t just warm BBQ food that can benefit from aluminum trays either. It turns out that cold foods commonly enjoyed as part of a BBQ cookout can benefit equally as much.
You see, not only does aluminum help to retain heat, it is also great for staying cool and retaining cooler temperatures as well. This makes it perfect for BBQ dishes and sides that are served cold.
If you want to keep your cold side dishes nice and cool, protect them from the sun, and keep them at a safe temperature for health and hygiene reasons, aluminum trays are perfect. Whether you’re serving up a tray of potato salad, coleslaw, a Caesar salad, or a platter of sandwiches, aluminum trays will help to keep them nice and cool and maintain a safe temperature.
Aluminum Trays are Safe and Hygienic
For BBQ caterers and food prep in general, aluminum is one of the safest, most hygienic materials you could ever wish for.
Aluminum has fantastic preservative qualities and can be used for storing both cooked and raw foods and ingredients. It provides an excellent barrier against moisture, oxygen, sunlight, bacteria, and other contaminants which could affect the produce. Not only that, but it’s also hygienic when cooking.
Whether you’re grilling or smoking, using an aluminum tray helps to catch dripping grease and fats which can prevent grease from dripping onto the coals or elements and causing a grease fire or future bacteria buildup. As well as reducing the risk of fire, this can also prevent the release of carcinogenic compounds, making it one of the safest grilling materials you could wish for.
Convenient and Sustainable
Finally, aluminum trays are considered to be such staples in the world of BBQ catering because they’re both convenient and sustainable.
Aluminum is light weight and strong, which makes it easy to carry and store large amounts of cooked meats and other similar produce. The trays can also be used for catching drippings, which can make it much easier to keep your grill/smoker clean and reduce the risk of a grease fire.
Aluminum is also extremely sustainable when compared with plastic, which makes it much kinder to the environment. In fact, aluminum is literally one of the most commonly recycled materials in the world. It can also be recycled an infinite amount of times and requires far less energy to do so.
As more consumers are now prioritizing greener companies, making your BBQ catering business more sustainable is not only kinder for the planet, it’s also a smarter business choice as well.
