Cooking for 60, butts question


 

Mike Tag

TVWBB Member
Am gonna be doing pulled pork for approximately 60 people. I have always done two butts at a time b/c that's how I bought them packaged from SAMs. My question is, will I need to do 3 butts to feed this many people. Last year at the same party, they tore through my 24 pounds of brisket.
 
Figure 1/3 lb per person. Some will eat a little more, some less.

60 people x 1/3 pound = 20 lbs cooked.
20 lbs cooked figures around 40 lbs raw.
Averaging 8 lbs per butt, that's 5 butts.

If they're big eaters and you're not serving any/many sides, better throw on another butt.
 
Another simple way to figure it is:
10 ounces of uncooked pork butt per person

..... or 37.5 lb. for 60 mouths to feed.

This comes from getting .6 lb. of 'Q for every pound of uncooked, and recommended 6 ounces of 'Q per person.

That's four averaging 9.38 or five averaging 7.5 lb. You could truss three up on end around a beer can chicken rack like someone just mentioned on another thread.
 
Well, I knew a lot of restaurants and caterers recommended 6 oz a person, and I knew that you'd get just over half a pound of 'Q out of a pound of butt....so I just sort of put two and two together. I just wish that would happen more frequently.
icon_rolleyes.gif
 
If they 'tore through the brisket last year', you're not feeding 60 people with 3 butts.

More like 8. 7 if there's a lot of women.
 
I'm with Dave. However much depends on whether the butt is the only meat and/or if there are substantial sides. I'm assuming the butts are the only meat but if the sides are substantial 10oz uncooked should work fine.
 
Mike,

I've cooked for few and many, and I've found that the quantity of sides greatly affects the volume of Q eaten. The more sides offered then err on the short side of Q; the fewer the less. I say make plenty of slaw, beans, taters, hushpuppies, and anything else you can think of and do your four butts and get out of there! And they will call you a genius! Good luck.
 

 

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