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How much brisket and pork butt for 90 people?

Foghorn
Foghorn Posts: 10,227
in EggHead Forum
I'm cooking on a friend's offset stickburner (and a Trager, and maybe my vertical ProQ/Napoleon) on a Friday overnight cook for a gathering on Saturday.  We are expecting 80-90 people, but they will not be particularly big eaters.  We're thinking 5 briskets hopefully - totaling at least 60 pounds pre-trimmed, plus 4 pork butts (Costco boneless butts are usually about 8 pounds each) for 30 pounds of pre-cooked pork.  We will also have 120 chicken wings for appetizers plus chips, guac, salsa, potato salad, grilled veggies, beans, and dessert.  We're going to have slider rolls so that can be an option and will be chopping some of the brisket for that as well as serving some of it sliced - depending on demand.  I'm 99% sure that we should be on target for having plenty of food - but I always welcome - and trust - the input of those here. I've never had to translate brisket and pork butt into "number of people it will feed" as I usually have smaller gatherings and just cook way too much.  I'm thinking that after trimming and cooking we will have about 30 pounds of brisket and 20 pounds of pork so that is over 1/2 pound per person.  Given that these are not a bunch of big eaters that seems like plenty - but if others have other experience I would like to learn from it.

XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

San Antonio, TX

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Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    This might give you some ideas.

    http://web.archive.org/web/20040701033910/http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/b1039-w.html#Table 2.
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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    Howdy Foghorn
    That looks like about 60+ pounds of meat for 90 people. Or about 2/3 pound of meat per person not counting the wings. I have, indeed, seen people eat that much, but 1/3 of a pound finished meat per person is a good general guideline. 1/2 pound to be safe, and perhaps have leftovers. 3 or 4 briskets (as expensive as they are) might not be a bad move.
    Good luck!!
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • chadpsualum
    chadpsualum Posts: 409
    His weights are all pre-trimmed and pre-cooked.  That 60lbs of brisket might yield 35lbs cooked and the 30lbs of pork will yield around 15-16lbs.

    So 50lbs cooked meat for 90 people.  A little over 1/2lb per person plus wings and sides?  I think you're covered.
    North Pittsburgh, PA
    1 LGE
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,176
    Richard Fl said:
    This might give you some ideas.

    http://web.archive.org/web/20040701033910/http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/b1039-w.html#Table 2.
    As a GT grad, I often find it hard to take UGA seriously. I knew they weren't really doing anything important over there! 
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  • dldawes1
    dldawes1 Posts: 2,208
    Yep....I think you got it covered. 1/3 to 1/2 lb per person always works for me.

    Donnie Dawes - RNNL8 BBQ - Carrollton, KY  

    TWIN XLBGEs, 1-Beautiful wife, 1 XS Yorkie

    I'm keeping serious from now on...no more joking around from me...Meatheads !! 


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  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    I usually figure 1/2 lb per person plus sides. But beer is usually involved in the gathering. 
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    edited June 2015
    Thanks to all for your input. 

    I just got 5 prime packers totaling 62 pounds at HEB for $3.97/pound and 4 large boneless pork shoulders totaling 38 pounds for $1.77/pound. I think I am set and I don't even have to go to Costco. 

    @DoubleEgger, if you don't think that barbecue science is important perhaps you are hanging out in the wrong place.... Perhaps the Ga Tech boys could add a little calculus to that manifesto - calculating rate of temperature rise as the meat temp gets closer to the grill temp or whatnot. 

    @Nature Boy, Chris, I visited your shop in April and will probably be back in August as my sister lives in Bristow. I hope to see you then. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,176
    @Foghorn - They are working on cutting edge science at Ga Tech while the UGA crowd is wondering if they bought enough ribs!  =)
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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
    Foghorn you will have leftovers with all that food. Good luck with the cook and have fun with it. Oh yeah....pictures or it didn't happen.
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    And so it begins. 

    Lighting is crappy at night. Hopefully I'll think to get better pics in the morning after the sun comes up. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    Looks like fun.  Keep feeding that rig sticks!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    Yep. We just jumped in the pool and while we were relaxing the temp dropped. These stick burners are hard work. We have two briskets on the Trager. It's temp creeped up a notch as the meat temp has risen so we turned it down one click. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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