Large Group Cook Advice


 
R

Ryan Kelley

TVWBB Member
I'm doing a cook for 35 adults and 8 kids next weekend. I'm planning two 11lb casepacker briskets and two 6-8lb butts. I'll only serve the flats and make some burnt ends for beer munchies. The wife is making a batch of crab/corn chowder and there will a couple dozen dogs in kraut and all the usual sides. Enough?

I know the guideline is 1/2lb of finished bbq per person. How much loss should I expect in the butts and brisket?

My plan is to cook the butts all night and remove them in the morning. Then high heat the two briskets while the butts are coolered. Sound good?

Oh yeah, I'll also have a keg of either Victory or Troegs.
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I usually figure 6oz/person as that is a bit low for the heartier eaters and a bit high for the lighter ones. Yield I figure at 50%.

How are you serving, sandwiches? --not? If doing sandwiches use small rolls or biscuits. That allows people to make a small sandwich of brisket and one of pork, and that will be plenty for many. There will be more still for the bigger eaters.

I'd consider doing 3 butts. That will allow you to more easily stck with 2 briskets (easier if you are using one cooker).

I'd cook butts early and high heat the briskets as you suggest.
 
Agree with 6 oz per person. I often stretch to 8 because I vac seal and enjoy leftovers. I can also say that bone in butts consistently yield at 50% in my experience.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How are you serving, sandwiches? --not? If doing sandwiches use small rolls or biscuits. That allows people to make a small sandwich of brisket and one of pork, and that will be plenty for many. There will be more still for the bigger eaters. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yup, sandwiches. Small rolls sounds like a plan

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'd cook butts early and high heat the briskets as you suggest. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Any issue with coolering the butts for the 5 hours or so that the briskets are on? As an alternative I could do the brisket the night before and reheat with Bryans method.
 
I am going to have to work harder to find smaller buns then. I make PP and take it to work about 4 times a year or so, and it only feeds about 12-14 people, when I do. This is likely because I want to provide sesame seed kaiser rolls, just as a personal preference, and they are quite large. Now I'm starting to think about making it stretch farther with the smaller rolls.
 
I almost never make sandwiches for with the barbecue I make. On the rare occasion I do, it's kaisers. I do make biscuits and/or corn cakes sometimes; either can be used for mini-sandwiches. But people often ask about cooking for large gatherings and the advice I give is to use smaller rolls or something similar, especially when doing two different meats. I find it works out better for the reason noted upthread.
 
I just did two packers, 25 pounds of wings and 4 butts for approximately 75 people. we had a bunch of appetizers, and a ton of sides, so we only consumed about half the bbq. I think you'll have plenty.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> As an alternative I could do the brisket the night before and reheat with Bryans method. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I did this with great success with both pork and beef. A couple of my teammates said the pork was almost better than freshly pulled because you have time to defat the juice and work it back into the meat. They weren't as keen on the brisket, there's pros and cons to the reheat, but most guest won't notice the slight decrease in quality with the reheat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Any issue with coolering the butts for the 5 hours or so that the briskets are on? As an alternative I could do the brisket the night before and reheat with Bryans method. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I would do the reverse. I would cook the butts in advance and reheat them. Butts reheat so very well, and IMO they taste better reheated than hot of the smoker. I mainly do the brisket reheat for the guys at work. Brisket is the most requested item I get from them. The bark suffers some and you get a softer bite with reheating brisket, but it's still very good. It's the only way I can bring brisket to work so... HTH
 
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