NEW WSM and we have a wedding party to cook for (mine). Gonna be about 30 people including me and the mrs. Gonna do Butts and maybe some ABT's. Just not sure on how MUCH to cook. Thinking Im gonna get four 8-10lb butts...would that be too much? Gonna start the cook early tomorrow morning.

Any advice?

Hi Allen,

When I figure butts for a crowd, I do fairly simple math but always over estimate my needs slightly. I always like to have a little in the bowl left over to avoid somone having to scrape out the last morsel.

Figure around a 50% meat yield per butt after cooking. This accounts for moisture loss plus fat and shoulder blade removal. So each 10 lb butt will yield 5 pounds of edible meat. If you cook three 10 pound butts, you will have 15 pounds of edible product. It will be generous for you to provide half of pound of BBQ for each guest on average. Huge eaters may eat .75 lbs while dainty eaters may go for .25 or less.
To be on the safe side, if you cook four 10 pounders, will will have a good bit left over. Better to have a bit for the freezer than not enough.
Your calculations are on target.

Another simple way to figure it is:

10 ounces of uncooked pork butt per person.
Works perfectly.

Allen, ABTs, I do 3/person for large groups. Just made 130 yesterday for Sat cook. Put on foil hot table pan lid, holds about 17 ea and food saver the lot, frig and ready to go in a couple days. On the other hand you can have SOMEONE ELSE COOK YOUR WEDDING DINNER. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, someone else IS cooking our wedding dinner...this is the party that my wife wants to have tonight with her friends and family before the party tomorrow night after the wedding...LOL. Two reasons I have to cook for this one -

1. SHE bought me the WSM
2. She said I had to. LOL

Allen, so to the newly married couple, LONG LIFE AND PROSPER!!!!!!!

Mark

Congrats Allen. Wishing you years of happiness!

quote:

Two reasons I have to cook for this one -

1. SHE bought me the WSM
2. She said I had to. LOL

See, He's already learning

Congratulations! Have fun and keep it simple.