cooking for 30 folks, need help please

Unknown

I have been asked to cook bbq for 30 people for something having to do with a wedding. I have seen some sort of formulafor raw meat poundage verses how many people, but do not recall. Will three 8lb. butts be plenty? (It is at a southern baptist church, and we all eat well!) I would hate to run out. Thank you for your advice.

Sandlapper

spineyone,[p]Having catered many many events I find the butt to be the hit attraction. They always come back for seconds. Given many factors in butt weight before and after cooking I would suggest after-weight of half pound per guest...Hence, if I were cooking butt for 30 people I would probably prepare pre-cooked weight double what you are considering. Worst case people take your prize offerings home for that late night sandwich!! You included!!

Sandlapper

spineyone,[p]As a point of reference... 3 weeks ago I smoked 50lbs...(pre-EGGed croyovac bone in Smithfield butts) for 40 people at a Redskins tailgate soiree. It was ALL eaten and I still have requests for more!!![p]

Sandlapper

Afterthought...if costs is a factor go with the entire pork/picnic shoulder. A whole pork shoulder is cut into two portions, the Boston Butt and the Picnic shoulder or Ham. The picnic ham is the lower portion of the hog's front leg. Personally, I find the picnic cut to be more work to pull and see some yucky innards but they do costs less. [p]Having said all of this the picnic does produce a moister end product due to the fat content......The trade-off is yours to consider...[p]

Unknown

Sandlapper, thank you very much for the info, and resonnse. So you think that I should cook 6-8lb. butts? Wow. That is a lot of meat. I might have to borrow an egg from someone. Man, i was not anticipating that, but I reckon a dualing egg cookoff could be exiting. Thanks again, the advice is appreciated.

Sandlapper

spineyone,[p]No need to borrow anyone's BGE. Prepare as much butt in advance as you please and pack the pulled pork in seal-a-meal or heavy duty freezer bags. Drop the bags in boling water for about 30-45 minutes before your soiree and ease the tension of pulling on game day. I do it all the time!!![p]As you have stated you do not want to run short and that is rule number one...NEVER run short of the butt!!![p]BTW...don't forget the slaw. And if you need a good old fashioned South Carolina style hot vinegar sauce let me know...[p]

Unknown

Sandlapper,good advice again, thanks. I haven't been on the eggsite lately, and am a little out of touch. Do you know how big the XL will be in comparison to the large? What about cost? Maybe similar to Primo giant size?

Steve-B

spineyone,[p]I think 48lbs is way too much for 30 people. I think your orginal 24lbs should be fine. What does everyone else think? Here is an older post from Wise One with an equation.

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HOW MUCH MEAT? by Wise One
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).[p] SERVINGS=2.4xLBs of BUTT. SERVINGS NEEDED=(MENx2)+(Women)+(Children). Let's say your 20 people are ten men and ten women. Need 30 servings. 30 divided by 2.4 says you need 12.5LBs of butt. Of course, that assumes there's none left over for Pulled Pork Enchiladas. ;-)

Sandlapper

Steve-B,[p]You assume the world is eating sandwiches...meaning with bread these days, which they are not....Either way spiney does not not want to run short and I have found that too much is better than not enough.[p]FACT and as you pointed out...24 lbs pre-cooked does not yield 24 lbs after-cooked. There is no way I would be responsible for a 30 person soiree with 12.5 lbs of butt. IMHO.[p]BTW...does anyone actually only consume 4 ounces of properly cooked butt?....I challenge that!![p]Spiney do yourself a winning favor and at least cook 5-8lb butts[p]

Unknown

Steve-B,thank you for the response. That is the exact formula that I had seen before. That is very helpful. They are expecting 30 guests at the reception, but who knows really. Could be 40. could be 20. If it is 40 most of our people look like we all could eat several servings. I'm down here in Alabama, and even our women and kids eat a bunch. Cookinmg 3 butts is ideal, (no reheating involved, and no borrowed eggs.) but I sure would hate to run out. Thank you very much for responding.

Sandlapper

spineyone,[p]Sorry dude...you will come up short with 3 butts....hope I am wrong but I've been doing this for 10 plus years and again BUTT is always the hit....and is the first to go...

Sandlapper

spineyone,[p]I have asked about price and GA on both this forum and directly to BGE for the XL BGE with no avail. In fact I am ready to place an order for 2 XL's, which would bring my BGE family to 5. I was told the XL BGE is 24" versus 28" to the Primo. However, I cannot affirm.[p]

BBQBluesStringer

spineyone,
My daughter's 20-something friends can eat a pound each without batting an eye. They are bottomless eating machines. Sounds like you have some of those in your clan as well, so I would err on the heavy side and cook up 5 or 6 butts in advance (believe me, you really won't want to mess with them on game day) and expect (hope?) to have some left over. [p]75% of American's didn't get to be obese eating 4 oz. portions of pulled pork. ;-)[p]

Unknown

spineyone, if you prepared a minimum of 3/4lb of raw meat per person you are going to be very close. that will give you almost 8oz/person after it is mixed with sauce. if there is going to be sides served you will be fine but if not this amount could be 'iffy'[p]if you cooked 1lb raw meat per person you have no worries. 'better to be lookin at it than looking for it' is my motto[p]reg

BBQfan1

Sandlapper,
Just to clarify, the ham ain't nowhere near the shoulder cut. Said so yourself the other day:
"... there is no such thing as an uncured ham; it is the curing that makes a pork roast (cut from the hind leg of the pig) a ham. "
The butt roast (or in some regions, 'blade shoulder roast') and the picnic roast are the two cuts that constitute the whole pork shoulder roast. I know you know this, but just wanted to clarify so that someone isn't out buying and then cooking a ham or leg roast and figuring they're whippin' up some authentic pulled pork shoulder meat sandwiches.
Qfan

Sandlapper

BBQfan1,[p]Agreed...A pigs primal cuts are : the leg portion(aka ham once cured), the shoulder butt, and the loin. Subprimal cuts are spareribs, bacon, side prok, jowls, and clear plate fatback...[p]Bought some butt steaks yesterday to cook along side several butts planned for the weekend. Figured the steaks would be a great appetizer a couple hours into cooking the butts...

Nature Boy

reg,
'better to be lookin at it than looking for it'
That is a fantastic motto.
Gotta agree wit dat un.
Beers
Chris

Unknown

Steve-B,
For such an event, where you've already invested time and money, I would always lean on having leftovers rather than running out. I recently hosted a BBQ for thirty guests. I cooked four eight-pound (boned) pork butts on two large BGEs for 23 hours. Had enough leftovers for less than ten sandwiches (and that was WITH eight slabs of ribs I did on a Brinkman's). With women and kids you'd have more leftover, but what's wrong with leftovers? Pulled pork freezes well in vaclocked bags - just pop the bag in boiling water and you're in business without the 23 hour wait!