Does This Sound Right?

[SteerCrazy]

Ok, didn't know where to post this so I decided to put it here;

Pulled pork for 100 people

Pulled pork, cooked, yields 66% meat?

4oz of meat per person

7lb shoulder, uncooked is 112 oz, cooked will yield about 74 oz meat

One 7lb cooked shoulder will feed about 18.5 people

So I would need about 6, 7lbs shoulders to feed about 100 people?

Am I in the ballpark??

[Papa Tom]

Your math is good.

Sounds light to me. First I question 66% yield on a bone in butt, then I always figure 1/3 lb. per person and it comes out pretty good. Of course there are other factors like what else is served and if you serve or if it is self serve.

[SteerCrazy]

Your math is good.

Sounds light to me. First I question 66% yield on a bone in butt, then I always figure 1/3 lb. per person and it comes out pretty good. Of course there are other factors like what else is served and if you serve or if it is self serve.

Pulled pork would be the only meat and maybe beans as a side. 1/3lb per person so are you saying about just over 5oz of meat per person??

[OSD]

I usually figure 6 oz of meat if only one meat is served with sides. Also if you are doing the serving or if it is self serve will make a big difference. Portion control will play a big part of how much waste you will have.
The math is figured right, but I think your yield is too high at 66%. Pork butt is usually closer to 45% to 50% yield.
You don't want to run short. So a 7 pound butt is 112oz uncooked, that comes to about 54 oz cooked ( 48% ) or 3.38 pounds.
At 3 servings to the pound, that would be 10.12 servings to a 7 pound butt.
At 5.33oz per serving would need 69.44 pounds with no extra.
At 5.99oz per serving would need 78.03 pounds with no extra.
I would do some extra so as not to run out. Portion control is going to be real important on how much extra you will need. If self serve more extra. I would do an extra 10 servings on either figure.

[SoEzzy]

An 8lb butt will deliver 12 portions @ 5.33 Oz per portion and 15 - 16 portions @ 4 Oz per portion.

With one meat I would look to the 3 servings per lb 5.33 Oz / portion, as the others have said.

5.33 x 100 = 533 Oz or 33.33 lbs of cooked meat.
45% yield you'll need 74 lbs
50% yield you'll need 67 lbs
55% yield you'll need 60 lbs

If you go with these figures they are exact for the yields, and if you add an extra 10% to make sure you have enough, just in case!

[DJ]

Guys, ya gotta download Ezzy's catering planner!!!!
It works and works well!!!
DJ

[Papa Tom]

I have downloaded it but not used it yet. I have looked at it and it looks really good. Kudos to Ezzy.

[DATsBBQ]

Ok, didn't know where to post this so I decided to put it here;

Pulled pork for 100 people

Pulled pork, cooked, yields 66% meat?

4oz of meat per person

7lb shoulder, uncooked is 112 oz, cooked will yield about 74 oz meat

One 7lb cooked shoulder will feed about 18.5 people

So I would need about 6, 7lbs shoulders to feed about 100 people?

Am I in the ballpark??

Bone in butts, I figure I'm lucky to get a 50% yield. But when it comes to PP I'm a picky puller. Grizzle gets tossed.

Backwards math. 100 portions at 0.25 pounds per serving =25 lbs cooked meat. At a 50% yield you will need 50 pounds of bone in butts. The butts I buy (cryovac, 2 per pack) average about 10# each, so you will need 5 of them. My cost here is $1.59/lb. Your meat cost should be around $80.00 Add charcoal/wood, labor.... . I sell mine at $12.00/lb. You can get it from other places for $8 to $10 a pound, but is overcooked (mush) and tastes like its sans rub.

Ever try to get 1/4 lb of PP on a bun....it's a challenge.

[Papa Tom]

Ever try to get 1/4 lb of PP on a bun....it's a challenge.

Good point Depity Dats I do always use the big 5" buns.
Also something I didn't consider here because I'm a Texan is the cole slaw. In other parts of the country folks are inclined to put cole slaw on top the PP in the sammy. If'n ya put the slaw on it would be stackin' it high.

[DATsBBQ]

Ever try to get 1/4 lb of PP on a bun....it's a challenge.

Good point Depity Dats I do always use the big 5" buns.
Also something I didn't consider here because I'm a Texan is the cole slaw. In other parts of the country folks are inclined to put cole slaw on top the PP in the sammy. If'n ya put the slaw on it would be stackin' it high.

I always have slaw available. The Mrs. wouldn't eat a PP sammy without it.

[SteerCrazy]

thanks for the info fella's....I've downloaded the Catering planner but haven't figured it out
after I did more math with size portions I was figuring about 10 butts at about 5-6lbs each. (thanks Dats)
I too am a picky puller so I tend to get more fat and junk removed from the meat.

[SoEzzy]

I too am a picky puller so I tend to get more fat and junk removed from the meat.

If you are a picky puller, change the figure in B15 from 55% to 50% or below! Input your current price into D15 and a figure aound $11 into H15 then look at G15 to see a profit margin around 300%, (this is about the normal markup for catering).

If you run into problems there is a post on the thread at bbq-review.com that gives a walk through.

You can also email me directly from the planner, I'll be happy to answer when I read them!

[SteerCrazy]

I too am a picky puller so I tend to get more fat and junk removed from the meat.

If you are a picky puller, change the figure in B15 from 55% to 50% or below! Input your current price into D15 and a figure aound $11 into H15 then look at G15 to see a profit margin around 300%, (this is about the normal markup for catering).

If you run into problems there is a post on the thread at bbq-review.com that gives a walk through.

You can also email me directly from the planner, I'll be happy to answer when I read them!

it is a great tool SoEzzy, I'm not looking to make a huge profit this is for a neighborhood gig in hopes of getting bites from other neighbors.

[SoEzzy]

SoEzzy, I'm not looking to make a huge profit this is for a neighborhood gig in hopes of getting bites from other neighbors.

Are you doing it to advertise you can do it, or are you doing it as a gig?

The reason I ask is, if you are going to do it to advertisement, then you are better off in the long run righting off the cost of the meal to your advertising budget.

On the other side of the coin, if you doing it as a paid gig, you are in danger of setting a precedent price that will also haunt you down the line, as when the talk gets to be about how good the meal was and what it had cost, then when you get calls, the expectation will be that the cost of this gig will be indicative of your general prices.

This leads to the dichotomy; should you do it for free or for a price; and if for a price can it be understood by all, that this is a special price for a charitable gig, or will it end up miss-understood by the majority and be the price they expect when they want a gig.

I got caught in this mistake myself, by cooking for family and friends, then friends of family etc. They all thought the value price I cooked for family* at, (cost including fuel on spices), was the price I would charge everyone. I lost a number of prospective gigs due to having to explain that their assumption about the price was incorrect, ever since I have been clear that some gigs I donate the meal as a gift, or I charge a regular price.

*We have a large extended family, and at family get-togethers, someone gets asked to cook each meal, then all the adults contribute to a meal pot, and the meal pot pays for the meals for the weekend. There are always friends of different parts of the family dropping in and out over the weekend, hence the ease of getting the wrong impression!

It's a long winded post, but I'd rather others can possibly learn from my mistakes...cause I've made enough of them over the years!

[SteerCrazy]

SoEzzy, I'm not looking to make a huge profit this is for a neighborhood gig in hopes of getting bites from other neighbors.

Are you doing it to advertise you can do it, or are you doing it as a gig?

The reason I ask is, if you are going to do it to advertisement, then you are better off in the long run righting off the cost of the meal to your advertising budget.

On the other side of the coin, if you doing it as a paid gig, you are in danger of setting a precedent price that will also haunt you down the line, as when the talk gets to be about how good the meal was and what it had cost, then when you get calls, the expectation will be that the cost of this gig will be indicative of your general prices.

This leads to the dichotomy; should you do it for free or for a price; and if for a price can it be understood by all, that this is a special price for a charitable gig, or will it end up miss-understood by the majority and be the price they expect when they want a gig.

I got caught in this mistake myself, by cooking for family and friends, then friends of family etc. They all thought the value price I cooked for family* at, (cost including fuel on spices), was the price I would charge everyone. I lost a number of prospective gigs due to having to explain that their assumption about the price was incorrect, ever since I have been clear that some gigs I donate the meal as a gift, or I charge a regular price.

*We have a large extended family, and at family get-togethers, someone gets asked to cook each meal, then all the adults contribute to a meal pot, and the meal pot pays for the meals for the weekend. There are always friends of different parts of the family dropping in and out over the weekend, hence the ease of getting the wrong impression!

It's a long winded post, but I'd rather others can possibly learn from my mistakes...cause I've made enough of them over the years!

that's great info to think about. I am doing it partly as a service to the neighborhood but also partly to get possible people to request bbq from me. I told the person in charge that I would charge her $8 per lb and that I would throw in the cost of my rubs and fuel because it's a neighborhood gathering. I want to be cheaper than the Q joint down the road ($10.50 lb) so at $8 per lb. I am still covering all my bases plus making a few bucks on it.
thanks again for all the help!