Whole Lamb Roast Event Purveyors

In celebration of leaving the 'burbs for the city, my daughter, my friends and I are looking to host a party involving a backyard lamb or pig roast. Quite frankly, my buddies are challenged in the kitchen arts, and I don't want to attempt to manage the rotisserie, given my own challenges in tasks requiring good spatial visualization. Does anyone on the board know of a local purveyor who will bring the lamb, the rotisserie, and tend it, as well as handle the clean-up?

Note: (The only place I have found so far was in Wilmette and they wanted $25 a head for the meat alone. That is well above affordable for us, though we haven't really worked out a budget at this point.)

Any creative ideas would be most appreciated.

I did a fair bit of research looking for a lamb for our wedding picnic. One option is a number of greek restaurants will do a baby lamb for you, but they do not roast on location. (same with La Unica for pig, see this thread)

We ended up having a roast lamb prepared by Farmer Smith (a pig farmer from Plano IL) and his family. They have roasted pigs for the Chicago Beer Society events in the past and did a lamb for us. The receipt from july 03 shows a charge of 160 for one roasting lamb (53 pounds dressed), 395 for cooking and equipment, 25 for travel and 25 for generator rental, for a total of 595 for the lamb.

Griffin will correct me if I am wrong (or maybe any other CBS member who is lurking) but I think they roasted a pig for a neighbor once, and word spread from there. This was years ago. By the time of our wedding they were routinely doing CBS events and were booked with atleast one roasting each weekend all summer.

Farmer Harold has passed away I think but I think the family is still in the roasting business. I think they still did our pig on the CBS beer (brews & blues) cruise last year, and it was actually a son in law (Bob) who came out and roasted our lamb.

Bob used lemons and a very nice mediterranian rub -- it was his first lamb and all agreed it was wonderful. We even knocked a vegetarian off the wagon with a little lamb organ meat!

The number for Smith Farms is 630 552 8452.

I was at the Blues annd Brews Cruise last summer, and I can vouch for the great pig that was served. Based on that, I'd expect them to do an equally outstanding job with lamb.

(I contribute a little on LTH, I mostly lurk on CBS these days.)

HI,

While I can appreciate the romance of cooking the beast in the backyard. You can pick up the pig or lamb already roasted and ready to serve for a lot less than $25 a head.

In the Humboldt Park area, T & C does whole lambs and whole pigs in a variety of styles. The owner Peter once gave several of us a tour of his operation. He has a number of pizza ovens in the rear.

On Argyle you can go to Sun Wah or the other Chinese BBQ east of the CTA tracks (cannot recall the name) to buy whole roasted pigs priced by the pound.

On Montrose, I really like Cuenca's Bakery which roasts pigs on weekends whose skin has a glassy texture.

La Unica will roast whole pigs according to Gary.

You could also consult this thread on BBQ Caterers or this thread on whole roasted pig.

Closed early June, 2010:
Captain Porky's Inc
39210 N Sheridan Rd
Zion, IL
Phone: (847) 872-4460

Open June, 2010:
Captain Porky's - established 1984
US 41 & Wadsworth Road
38995 Route 41
Wadworth, IL
Phone: 847/360-7460
Fax: 847/360-7461
http://www.CaptainPorky.com

Cuenca's Bakery
4229 West Montrose
Chicago, IL 60647
Tel: 773/588-0771
Daily: 5 AM - 9 PM

La Unica
1515 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL
773.274.7788

Sun Wah BBQ (Chinese)
1134 W. Argyle
773-769-1254
Close to the Argyle Red Line stop.

T&C Meat Market (Greek-Puerto Rican)
2812 West North Avenue
Chicago 60647
773/276-2220
(T&C also does whole lamb)

Regards,

"25 for generator rental"

That doesn't sound like a positive.

HI,

A few years ago, T&C told us a whole roasted lamb would be around $150. You could have at least 3 if not 4 lambs for the cost of having one done in the backyard for $595. I glanced earlier and now I read the particulars, ouch!

Regards,

Wow, griffin's wife, thanks so much for looking up the particulars. it sounds like your wedding was a wonderful event. If I were putting on a wedding feast, I'd be pleased to part with that kind of sum, but given that I still hope to be able to afford to move to the city, I'm beginning to see the wisdom of the take-out approach. Cathy2, thanks for the sources. Although after Beefathon VI, I'm feeling like I'll be preferring lentils and tofu for awhile, my inner glutton also likes the idea of being able to serve both pork and lamb at the party.

Josephine wrote:In celebration of leaving the 'burbs for the city, my daughter, my friends and I are looking to host a party involving a backyard lamb or pig roast. Quite frankly, my buddies are challenged in the kitchen arts, and I don't want to attempt to manage the rotisserie, given my own challenges in tasks requiring good spatial visualization. Does anyone on the board know of a local purveyor who will bring the lamb, the rotisserie, and tend it, as well as handle the clean-up?

Note: (The only place I have found so far was in Wilmette and they wanted $25 a head for the meat alone. That is well above affordable for us, though we haven't really worked out a budget at this point.)

Any creative ideas would be most appreciated.

for how many people? I do a few lambs a year and have a professional rotisserrie. 25 bucks a head is not bad considering the expense it would be to drag the rotiss to your location . Lamb is not a cheap cut of meat either. Plus you want party cleanup as well? I doubt you will find anyone willing to do all this for less.

Right you are, deke rivers. I'm not disputing the price, but this is not a wedding or exactly a pull-out-all-the-stops occasion. The issue for me tends to be that I get a grand plan in mind and then end up doing "everything" myself and am too busy to enjoy the party. I need a little reality check up front, which the forum seems to do a good job at providing.

Josephine wrote:Right you are, deke rivers. I'm not disputing the price, but this is not a wedding or exactly a pull-out-all-the-stops occasion. The issue for me tends to be that I get a grand plan in mind and then end up doing "everything" myself and am too busy to enjoy the party. I need a little reality check up front, which the forum seems to do a good job at providing.

\
understood..but again i would see what can be afforded up front before calling around or asking. I usually ask a persons budget first along with the amount of guests then explain the pricing in detail
we do BBQ catering for people and sometimes have people balk at the price without taking into consideration the work involved and the price of meat.

Yes, I see what you mean about beginning with a budget. And I respect the fact that there is a great deal of work involved. (Otherwise, I'd just plunge in and try to do it myself). But, like all good idealists, I have found that I need to frame the ideal first without the restrictions of realism. (Here, something like delicious, plentiful and free). Sometimes, if the idea is engaging enough to others, the money often works itself out, because people are willing to chip in or contribute their time.

This Serbian spot advertises barbecued lambs. I've just seen the sign outside so I don't know the details. If you inquire, let us know what they say.

D.S.D. Delicatessen & Imports Inc.
773/539-1499
3818 W. Lawrence Ave.
Chicago

Another idea is to ask at Continental Cafe. They typically cook whole lambs outdoors for their annual Romanian festival. It's possible they do catering.

Continental Cafe
773/604-8500
3661 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago