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Cooking for 30. How many butts should I throw on the XL?

Team, The wife and I are hosting a going away party for some military folks. I've got three butts in the 9.5 lbs range. Should I cook 2 or 3. There will of course be plenty of baked beans and cole slaw as well as whatever apps people bring. As always I greatly appreciate your thoughts.

 "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

Med & XL

Comments

  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    I would suggest doing three.  You can always use the leftovers for lunch or whatever.  It would not be good to run out of food!

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,624
    average crowd 2, heavey eating crowd 3, sounds like a heavey eating crowd
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    2 will likely be enough, but I would go ahead and make all 3 and have leftovers.  I love having leftover pulled pork.  In addition to just eating the pork or making sammies, you can make carnitas, nachos, ABTs,...or Brunswick Stew


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • I'll do three. Thanks team.

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL

  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053
    I did 3 nine pounders for 35 people a couple of months back - plenty of leftovers but 2 wouldn't have been enough.

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    Fill it up. At $1.19/lbs, whats another $8? If you have 10 lbs'ers it's tough getting four on there. I prefer to do four smaller butt, so I can get more surface area for rub.
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Two butts including the shrinkage should result in an eight ounce portion per person.  With those sides that should work fine.  My $.02 !!
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Call it 27 pounds of raw meat for 3 butts.  Multiply by 0.6 to get approx. amount of finished product.  That gives you about 16 pounds of meat.  You can get 4 4oz sandwiches per pound, so that is about 64 sandwiches or 2 per person. 
    The Naked Whiz
  • Gandy Dancer
    Gandy Dancer Posts: 273

    Here you go:

    Byrdo’s HOW MUCH MEAT


    For pulled pork, a typical sandwich (or serving) is 4 oz of cooked meat. For adult males, you might want to plan on 2 sandwiches per person. For women and children, plan on one sandwich per person. The average butt loses about 40% of its weight while cooking. So, to get 6 pounds of cooked pork (24 sandwiches) you would need to start with 10 pounds of butt (2.4 servings per LB of uncooked meat). So a simple little formula is all you need:

    Number of men (men or large eaters)= M
    Number of women and children (lighter eaters)= W
    Pounds of Butt to buy = B
    B=(2M+W)/2.4
    So if there 5 men and 5 women,
    B=(2*5+5)/2.4 =15/2.4 = 6.25 Pounds

     

  • Z_Eggineer
    Z_Eggineer Posts: 576
    Is it just me or can some of you eat significantly more than 8 oz of Pulled pork from the egg in a sitting?  I think for my birthday, I will just have a whole butt to myself!
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    last time I ate 2 lbs of bark before I pulled it

    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Chubbs said:
    last time I ate 2 lbs of bark before I pulled it

    Me too. Good thing I cooked 2 butts.
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    I've feed 30 men plus a few kids and two butts worked good but we ate it all!


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I would do 3.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Chubbs said:
    last time I ate 2 lbs of bark before I pulled it
     
    "Shrinkage"?

    :))
  • Here you go:

    Byrdo’s HOW MUCH MEAT


    For pulled pork, a typical sandwich (or serving) is 4 oz of cooked meat. For adult males, you might want to plan on 2 sandwiches per person. For women and children, plan on one sandwich per person. The average butt loses about 40% of its weight while cooking. So, to get 6 pounds of cooked pork (24 sandwiches) you would need to start with 10 pounds of butt (2.4 servings per LB of uncooked meat). So a simple little formula is all you need:

    Number of men (men or large eaters)= M
    Number of women and children (lighter eaters)= W
    Pounds of Butt to buy = B
    B=(2M+W)/2.4
    So if there 5 men and 5 women,
    B=(2*5+5)/2.4 =15/2.4 = 6.25 Pounds

     


    Definitely some smart people on this forum. My thanks to all of you. Three 9 lbs butts will be going on the egg at 3 am. Enjoy the weekend everybody.

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL