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ButtButtButt and more Butt

abundell
abundell Posts: 62
in EggHead Forum
I'm getting married next June to a minister and we're inviting her congregation along with friends and family. Soooo... maybe 300 people... maybe 400 people (kids included). It's a (modified) potluck and I'm preparing equal amounts of pulled pork and pulled chicken. (There will be lots of other food/mains.) I have a large Egg. My understanding is to net 50 lbs, I need to start with 100. To serve, I'm imagining 3" buns/rolls with 1/4 lb of pork, so 200-ish servings (with another 200 of chicken). I plan to cook in advance and freeze. Reheat and bring it in coolers.

My questions: How's my thinking so far? I'm also planning on going with a picnic instead of a butt (should be cheaper). How many can I fit in the Egg at one time and still get great pork? I have a Stoker and figure to go low and slow (I've done Elder Ward in the past), but don't want to jam pack the Egg and have a disaster.

Anyone with any experience like this?
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Comments

  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    I'd elope and go out to dinner. 
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882
    I agree

    2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe

    Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    Picnics have a lower yield than butts because the skin and more bone.  Little more work separating skin and bone from the meat, a bit less fat.  100 pounds for 400 people sounds like it's in the ballpark.  I usually estimate 3 people per pound, but depends on the people and what else is served.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Logger
    Logger Posts: 309
    @Nolaegghead hit the mark.  You might want to listen to him.
    OKC area  XL - Medium Eggs
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,665
    This thread is not nearly as stimulating as the title would imply. 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,873
    edited November 2017
    My crystal ball certainly can't plan that far in advance.  Good luck with the whole deal.  If you are dialed in at this stage of the planning my advice would be to hang on for the ride.  This can be refined next spring.  
    Congrats...
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,397
    edited November 2017
    No advice as to the menu/cooking, but you've invited this tune into the playlist:
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQJYgs1sxc
     

    No Questions!!  


    "Dumplings are just noodles that have already eaten"   - Jon Kung

    Ogden, UT, USA


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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 15,936
    you can't cook all that pork at once anyway, so you'll know when you get close.  it'll be 3-4 cooks no matter what, so you'll know your yield and how many to buy and cook when you get to that last batch.

    now, about that 50+ lbs of pulled chicken, that could be a huge p.i.t.a!
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,656
    edited November 2017
    Um...  I think it may be "Emperor's New Clothes" time, here, and you're so focused on your plans and your bright, shining ideas that you don't see what's in front of your eyes.

    You're the guy getting married!!!

    The guy GETTING MARRIED is the LAST person on the PLANET to be cooking food for "200-ish" people!

    Let me say that again:

    The guy GETTING MARRIED is the LAST person on the PLANET to be cooking food for "200-ish" people!

    You're going to have way more important things on your mind than cooking food for 300 people, TRUST me!  

    Find someone who cooks for 300 people for a living (like a local BBQ joint) and PAY the guy.  Then you can pay attention to your BRIDE, which I assure you will be a very good investment for a happy future!

    You DO want to be happy with your new bride, right?  So don't be the caterer, be the happy and attentive husband who has nothing on his mind on that special day but his BRIDE!
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  • GoooDawgs
    GoooDawgs Posts: 1,060
    Amen @Theophan

    Since you're marrying a minister, I would trade the time you'd spend cooking for more time to get the honeymoon suite ready!  Last thing on my mind would be cooking!!


    Milton, GA 
    XL BGE & FB300
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    I would agree with the above if this is a wedding reception.   But seems unlikely that reception would be a congregation.  Maybe the OP could clarify that, but regardless, he's an adult and can make his own decisions.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    You might want to consider slider buns instead of standard buns.  Will help things go further and make plate management easier for guests in a pot luck format.

    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • evie1370
    evie1370 Posts: 506

    I agree with @Legume that pulled chicken is a royal pain. If you are doing chicken I would spatch, or buy cut up chickens and smoke as normal. A lot quicker, easier and I think better tasting. I have never seen pulled chicken that tastes near and good-poultry can tend to have a weird texture. But that may just be me-others may have better luck.

    One note to consider: I work with a guy who has a big smoker apparatus and caters on the side-he repeatedly tells me that chicken is not near as popular as pulled pork. There are times he had 1/2 to 3/4 of the total volume left over. Therefore I would rethink the quantities on this.

    Just MHO-for what it is worth.

    Medium BGE in Cincinnati OH.

    "

    "I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me. " Duke of Wellington, Battle of Waterloo.
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