Food for 40


 

Scot Cummins

TVWBB Member
I have been charged with the task of cooking for 40 people at work in a couple weeks.
Some have requested pork loin, others think I should go with the cheaper pork butt. What would you do?
 
Butt. You can cook it low and slow which you can't do with loin. You can do it ahead of time easily, it freezes well, and it reheats well.
 
I beg to differ on not being able to do loin low and slow, but I agree with the rest of the post.
Freezing and reheating will probably be less of a concern this cook. I guess just what will be more palatable to the masses.
 
Pork loin is low in internal fat and conective tissue which makes it a bad candidate for low and slow. 275 to 300 degree pit temps will get you a better result. Low and slow will have a tendency to dry out the loin.
Jim
 
I'd do 4 pork shoulders; everyone will get full, you'll have plenty of leftovers and it's pretty darned cheap. Plus it freezes and reheats very well (I bring mine to work in ziplocks and put in a crockpot about 2 hours before serving). Serve sauce on the side.

Good luck!
 
From virtualweberbullet.com

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">A smaller number of cookbooks--Shirley O. Corriher's CookWise and Alton Brown's I'm Only Here For The Food, for example--suggest a low-heat approach. Sear the meat in a hot pan on the stovetop, then roast in the oven at 200-250°F until the meat reaches 140°F internal temp </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Different strokes, as they say. You can certainly do loin that way but that's not low and slow. May be lower and slower, but not what most of us think of since you'd want to pull a loin 'early'. Loins also don't take to smoke as well, imo, as butts, they need a lighter touch so as not to overwhelm them. Were I to choose a loin in your situation, I'd brine and go higher heat/shorter cook; less time, and I fail to see an advantage to prolonging the process. Unlike a beef roast (where a lower temp cook will result in more rare or medium-rare meat throughout), there's a limit to how low an internal temp can be when you take the pork out of the cooker.

Regardless, if you choose a loin and choose to do it ahead of time, add some reserved drippings and/or chicken stock to the Ziplock (or whatever) prior to freezing, and reheat very gently. Loin can lose its moisture during the reheat and end up dry.
 
Forget number of butts there is such a size difference you can go wrong one way or the other.

For 40 people I cook 20 pounds raw weight which will yields a safe 10 pounds cooked weight or a quarter pound per person.

Butts hold and reheat better than loin.

HTH,
 
I'm doing the same thing in 2 weeks and I am going to go with 6 butts. And some beans. Maybe 'tater salad, too.
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I was also considering doing some of the Italian Sausage that we did in Paul Kirk's class. Smoke it then slice it. Should be cool.
 
Cost is not of concern
Reheating is not of concern

Not sure what defines low and slow, but its still at the 225 range which is around what I would do a butt at.

Again all I am asking here is which would you cook for the rest of the folks?

If it were for me and what all I could toss in the foodsaver, butt all the way.
 
I took your original question to mean that you wanted opinions on loin OR butt; in that case I'd go with butt.

If you want an additional meat with the butt and you want pork I'd go with tenderloins. They brine/marinate well, you can brown them quickly then high-heat roast to 140, cool, wrap in foil, and reheat (at 225, say) to 145--very manageable. While it's possible to make loin work at 225 (brining of course and/or injection, and using your suggestion above of browning first), success is less assured using this approach, imo, than using the better-suited higher heat approach. That said, were I to do a loin I'd select one carefully, brine 24 hours, plan to do it day of to avoid the reheating issue, pull at 145 tops, rest 20 min, and slice and serve in one fell swoop.

Though 225 is low in my book so, obviously the meat cooks slower, I tend to think of 'low and slow' as also meaning taking the meat to its well-done stage, which you can't do with loin. Just a difference in semantics, I meant no disrespect.
 
K Kruger
I didn't take it as disrespect. I just like to argue
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I went ahead and tested a loing this weekend. Came out juicy as can be, but really didn't have all that much flavor. I think if I were to do another (at 2.09/lb I may) I would inject the thing and marinate it for the 24 hours.

With that said, I am probably going ot go with the butt and maybe toss a loin on for the occasional odd duck that doesn't love a good pulled pork sammie.
 
Try this receipe. It was posted on BBQ4U. I did it 2 weeks ago and it was out of this world.

Marinade
3 cups diced watermelon meat
(approximately, to yield 2 cups juice)
3 jalapeños (leave jalapeño ribs
and seeds in for max heat, out for less)
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Midori liqueur (optional) (I think that this was needed [--VMK9])
2 lbs. pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper


1. Seed, then purée watermelon and jalapeños in a blender.

2. Strain mixture through a sieve and return to the blender. If you won't be injecting the tenderloin, don't worry about straining the marinade.

3. Add salt, sugar and Midori liqueur and blend for 2 minutes.

4. Reserve 1 cup for basting.

5. Draw marinade up into syringe-type injector. Poke and inject marinade throughout tenderloin.

6. After marinating, season the meat with some salt and pepper.

7. Have your coals prepared on the grill and use the combination technique of direct and indirect heat. Roll the tenderloin over the direct heat to establish some sexy grill marks and then move to a slower part of the grill to finish cooking.

8. Baste the tenderloin periodically throughout the cooking process. Finishing over indirect heat will allow it to cook without burning.

9. Cook the tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. (Despite all the warnings from your mother about the need to cook pork to 170 degrees, the truth is 137 degrees will kill off anything that might harm you.) Allow the meat 5 minutes to rest, then slice into medallions. Fan across some Watermelon Salsa for a great summer meal.

Watermelon Salsa
2 cups watermelon, seeded and diced fine
1 Granny Smith apple, diced fine
1 red onion, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced fine
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, juice only
Splash of rice wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients and chill well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by scotc03:
I just like to argue

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
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Me, too.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> ...but really didn't have all that much flavor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Sad, but too often true. You gotta do stuff to a loin--spiced brine, stuffing, injection, whatever. I'm seriously considering raising pastured pigs--the good, heritage breeds like Tamworths, Old Blacks, and/or Gloucestershire Old Spots. $$ at slaughter/sale would be good but I really want a supply of better tasting, not mass-produced pork. Hard to get around here.

Nick--recipe looks good. I missed that one. Definitely will try it.
 
What an honor, to finally be able to give Kevin a reciepe. Kevin, you have no idea how many times you have bailed me out, last night being the most recent with your help with my sauce!
 
Happy to help. (Happier still when a suggestion works well.)

I've tried and been inspired by several of the recipes and suggestions posted here; keep 'em comin'.
 

 

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