Pulled pork for a big crowd

helend

I'm looking for advice about portion sizes and reheating a large amount of pulled pork.  I am batch smoking on the BGE to cater for 100 as sandwiches.  This seems that it should be 20-25 pounds but as I haven't finished cooking it's hard to visualise the finished amount. My practice cook produced 6 pounds of meat which I have left fairly chunky.  It was one huge butt, I will cook 2 or three at a time for the next smokes. My thoughts are to add apple juice and bbq sauce then reheat in the oven.  I have an enormous lidded pot (this would be easiest but would such a large quantity spoil?) or lots of smaller dishes which I could wrap tightly with foil. I have a probe and understand it should be somewhere between 135-165 degrees, depending on what I read. So, in short, my main questions are:
Am I correct 20-25 pounds would do 100 servings? We work in kg in the UK so pounds don't come naturally!
Will I be OK reheating the lot in the oven in a huge lidded pot?

Photo Egg

Depending on the size of sandwiches I would guess 4-6 sandwiches per pound of "cooked" meat. Side dishes will also come into play with people wanting a second sandwich. So question might be 100 sandwiches or 100 people who might eat more than one and how big you make each serving. Your test cook should give you an idea. As well as how much weight you lost to cooking and bone in pork butt should give you a good starting point for how weight you need to start with before cooking.
We also need photos of your cooks.lol
Others with more experience reheating larger quantities of food will chime in soon.
Good luck.

Killit_and_Grillit

Here's the conversion that @CTMike explained to me. (and the dude serves big crowds a lot.)

4 8lb butts will yield 64 servings for sandwiches. Typically you plan on a yield of 50% due to moisture loss and fat rendering, so 4 8# butts will yield about 16# finished protein. 4 oz per should give you ~ 64 sammiches. 

If you're serving without bread I would bump it up a little. 

As for reheating, I'm assuming you don't have a Sous Vide? If you do 140's for 2 hours will get you there. If not, you can use the oven. I would use half sheet disposable tins (not a large pot, it won't heat fast enough), spray with apple juice/apple cider vinegar/water, then foil and cover and heat around 200F until it's in the 140F area. (If you pull, then refrigerate, then reheat.)

ChokeOnSmoke

I been using this formula for years which I got from a guy who did a lot of catering:

Number of people / 2.4 = raw pounds of pork

so... 100/2.4=41 ...which will give you about 18-19 lbs of finished (cooked) product.  (I consistently get 45% total weight from which I start).

evie1370

I have found it is important to figure the demographics of those eating also. For example, women eat less than men-same goes for children. As others have mentioned sides play an important part. Are you serving cole slaw, salad, Mac and Cheese or any other sides? That would make a difference.

Agree with the above formulas, they look right. I am of the mind to cook a little extra-better to have too much than not enough. But that is me.

Carolina Q

Welcome to the madness!

I've tried several reheating methods for pulled pork and a water bath is BY FAR my favorite. Cook the pork, pull, shred or chop and put about .5kg in a vacuum bag and seal. A heavy zip-type freezer bag will work too, just squeeze as much air out as possible. Refrigerate.

To reheat, place the bag in a sous vide pot if you have one, or just a pot of water on the stove top. I like about ±160°F/70°C. With the stovetop method, you'll probably want an instant read or maybe a clip-on candy thermometer to keep the water temp where you want it. If memory serves, 20-30 minutes should do it. Hope this helps!

ChokeOnSmoke

Carolina Q said:

I've tried several reheating methods for pulled pork and a water bath is BY FAR my favorite. 

Yup, best way I've found for sure.
I use a food saver to store finished meat and a pot of water on medium (at most) to reheat.  From a solid frozen rock, about 45 minutes.  If it's refrigerated, obviously a lot less time than that.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

all good advice above. we did a 200+ person wedding with pulled pork and used very similar math to get there. We cooked the butts 3-4 days ahead of time, pulled, vac sealed, and refrigerated. On the day of the event we reheated in a large cooler with an Anova Sous Vide. I started with very hot water in the cooler as it would have taken the Anova several hours to heat up so much water. The Anova did a very nice job maintaining temps once there but with 20 bags of cold pork in 30 gallons of cold water, it would have taken many hours to bring that up to temp. For service, we filled a steam table with pork and made sandwiches during the ceremony. We put finished sandwiches in another steam table and replenished on the fly. you can do this for 100 pretty easily with a little planning a solid work station. 

helend

Thank all so much for your valuable advice. First cook has provided 10.5 pounds of pulled pork which is 168.5 ounces which would serve 42 people in a sandwich. Am I correct??!! Second two are smoking now. I plan to cool it then add bbq sauce then chill it in covered foil trays which I will spray with apple juice just before reheating in the oven until 140f. Am I correct to add bbq sauce then?

helend

Just adding to the above... I realise that bbq could be a condiment but I want to serve everyone as quickly as possible with a sandwich, leaving them to help themselves to coleslaw and potato salad and thought the best way to do this would be to mix in the sauce before reheating.

EggNorth

Just don't over apply the BBQ sauce because you will not taste the pork as much.  I prefer not to mix, but of course I am not feeding 100.

Welcome to the forum, this sounds like an exciting project you have going.

northGAcock

helend said:

Just adding to the above... I realise that bbq could be a condiment but I want to serve everyone as quickly as possible with a sandwich, leaving them to help themselves to coleslaw and potato salad and thought the best way to do this would be to mix in the sauce before reheating.

You are fine to do it that way. I serve un-sauced, and allow my guest to choose their own. Being from South Carolina, I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. Often times there is a guest from North Carolina attending, and I have to have that nasty vinigar sauce for them. Well you get the picture. All the best with your event.

PS....I am happy to send you some great mustard sauce if you like.

SGH

northGAcock said:

SGH

northGAcock said:

 I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. 

Homemade or store bought?

SGH

SGH said:

northGAcock said:

 I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. 

Homemade or store bought?

I ask because someone sent me some of this a few years ago and I absolutely love the stuff on pulled pork. I will even dip baby back and spares ribs in it when the mood overtakes me. 

Biggreenpharmacist

SGH said:

SGH said:

northGAcock said:

 I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. 

Homemade or store bought?

I ask because someone sent me some of this a few years ago and I absolutely love the stuff on pulled pork. I will even dip baby back and spares ribs in it when the mood overtakes me. 

Looks good enough to shave with scottie

Carolina Q

@SGH, and any other Piggie Park sauce fans, just saw this re allergens...
https://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/article206130994.html

Carolina Q

Also, Melvin Bessinger, Maurice's brother, ran what I think is the original family business in Charleston (founded by their dad). Some sort of family feud as I understand it, so Maurice opened Piggie Park in Cola.

Both son's are gone now, but it looks like both stores are still in business. Melvin's sells sauces too. Dunno if the same recipe. Or if it's any good. I've had Maurice's, not Melvin's sauce.

https://www.melvinsbbq.com/store/barbecue-sauce-rubs
https://www.piggiepark.com/shop/

Maybe some of the SC boys can chime in.

SSQUAL612

Biggreenpharmacist said:

SGH said:

SGH said:

northGAcock said:

 I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. 

Homemade or store bought?

I ask because someone sent me some of this a few years ago and I absolutely love the stuff on pulled pork. I will even dip baby back and spares ribs in it when the mood overtakes me. 

Looks good enough to shave with scottie

No shaving tips for the Noob Scottie?

gdenby

helend said:

Just adding to the above... I realise that bbq could be a condiment but I want to serve everyone as quickly as possible with a sandwich, leaving them to help themselves to coleslaw and potato salad and thought the best way to do this would be to mix in the sauce before reheating.

The best results I’ve had were from mixing some butter and a little extra rub into the still warm pork. The butter soaks into the sandwich bread very nicely, and carries the rub flavors in. As above, water bath works very well.

northGAcock

SGH said:

SGH said:

northGAcock said:

 I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. 

Homemade or store bought?

I ask because someone sent me some of this a few years ago and I absolutely love the stuff on pulled pork. I will even dip baby back and spares ribs in it when the mood overtakes me. 

It was me. Glad you enjoyed.

northGAcock

Carolina Q said:

Also, Melvin Bessinger, Maurice's brother, ran what I think is the original family business in Charleston (founded by their dad). Some sort of family feud as I understand it, so Maurice opened Piggie Park in Cola.

Both son's are gone now, but it looks like both stores are still in business. Melvin's sells sauces too. Dunno if the same recipe. Or if it's any good. I've had Maurice's, not Melvin's sauce.

https://www.melvinsbbq.com/store/barbecue-sauce-rubs
https://www.piggiepark.com/shop/

Maybe some of the SC boys can chime in.

They are both good. I prefer the Maurice’s myself....but can tell you I have both in my frig at the moment. There is quite a bit of history surrounding the family. Maurice was a major bigget and promoted himself in that manor. Flew the confederate flag round the clock etc....we wern’t Proud of it but have always enjoyed his sauce. The family has made major strides in erasing the image since he passed a couple years back.

If ever in Columbia and have a hankering for a Que Sammie....his little Joe and Big joe are about as good as it comes. You can find better Que and Hash for straight up eating....but to this day, I will grab a sandwich whenever I am over that way. 

northGAcock

Carolina Q said:

@SGH, and any other Piggie Park sauce fans, just saw this re allergens...
https://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/article206130994.html

Never had either of those. The hickory sauce is my favorite though. 

SamIAm2

northGAcock said:

helend said:

Just adding to the above... I realise that bbq could be a condiment but I want to serve everyone as quickly as possible with a sandwich, leaving them to help themselves to coleslaw and potato salad and thought the best way to do this would be to mix in the sauce before reheating.

You are fine to do it that way. I serve un-sauced, and allow my guest to choose their own. Being from South Carolina, I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. Often times there is a guest from North Carolina attending, and I have to have that nasty vinigar sauce for them. Well you get the picture. All the best with your event.

PS....I am happy to send you some great mustard sauce if you like.

So I guess you haven't tried either of Maurice's new sauces, Hickory Red or Spicy Red sauce. I ordered two bottles of the spicy red the last time and used it up slowly as you don't need much with pulled pork to kick it up.

SGH

northGAcock said:

It was me. Glad you enjoyed.

I thought that it was you. And I enjoyed it so much I have been ordering it every since. Thanks again. 

lousubcap

Talk about failing into  great discoveries (even under the cloud of LEO).  I was privileged to enjoy some of the above mustard based sauce in the company of @northGAcock and his significantly better half courtesy of @YukonRon and is much better half last summer.  I'm not big on sauces (non adult beverage laced) but this one was a home-run.  Mustard for the win.  
Off to the buy-Better to be lucky than good comes to mind right now.  Thanks to all for this enlightenment.  
Edit: incoming will be here next week.  Better to be lucky than good any day.  

northGAcock

SamIAm2 said:

northGAcock said:

helend said:

Just adding to the above... I realise that bbq could be a condiment but I want to serve everyone as quickly as possible with a sandwich, leaving them to help themselves to coleslaw and potato salad and thought the best way to do this would be to mix in the sauce before reheating.

You are fine to do it that way. I serve un-sauced, and allow my guest to choose their own. Being from South Carolina, I personally cover mine with a delisious mustard based bbq sauce. Often times there is a guest from North Carolina attending, and I have to have that nasty vinigar sauce for them. Well you get the picture. All the best with your event.

PS....I am happy to send you some great mustard sauce if you like.

So I guess you haven't tried either of Maurice's new sauces, Hickory Red or Spicy Red sauce. I ordered two bottles of the spicy red the last time and used it up slowly as you don't need much with pulled pork to kick it up.

Have not tried them. If good....i’ll Give um a go!

northGAcock

lousubcap said:

Talk about failing into  great discoveries (even under the cloud of LEO).  I was privileged to enjoy some of the above mustard based sauce in the company of @northGAcock and his significantly better half courtesy of @YukonRon and is much better half last summer.  

....and we will do so again one day my friend!

helend

Ok
It's today and I'm anxious!!!
I'm going with Killits and Grillit's covered foil containers idea and have lightly coated in bbq sauce and added a little apple juice to the bottom.  There are 6 VERY tightly packed containers (I can put three in each oven) but 200F seems quite cool for such a load (over 24 pounds).  Any estimate on how long it will take?

mlc2013

 Nothing to Add but good luck with the cook I’m sure it’ll be fine

JethroVA

@helend post some pics!