# Smoking for 150-200 People



## duerstock (Jun 11, 2013)

Hello to everyone, and thanks for taking the time to read this.

  I have a wedding coming up very soon and my friends are helping with the catering by smoking some meats.  I have a few newb questions though.  What would be the most cost effective meats?  How do I gauge the quantity of meat I need to get?  What is the best way to serve it to keep it warm for 150-200 people?

  Thanks again to everyone for the help.


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## fpnmf (Jun 11, 2013)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/newsearch?search=Smoking+for+big+party


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## ringtail bbq (Jun 11, 2013)

Fpnmf gave you a link that will be real helpful.  So much depends on your equipment and logistics.   Tell us what smoking equipment you have, available kitchen, location and help.  Pulled pork and smoked sausage is the most economical and easiest to prep, but you may want a few more options. Also take the time to update your profile and go to Roll Call for a proper greeting.   You'll find all you need on this site.

JB


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## sqwib (Jun 11, 2013)

Just throwing out some numbers.

Pulled pork at $1.68 = $3.36 total  based on 1/4 pound rule x 200 at a 50% yield  = $168.00 

Pork loin at $1.99 a pound has almost no weight loss during the cook, lets assume a 10% weight loss due to trimming

From a cost effective standpoint, sliced pork is the cheapest that I can come up with.

Based on the 1/4 pound per person rule you will need 50 cooked pounds thats $109.50 just for the meat.

You will probably have a happier crowd serving Pulled Pork.

You could do both

For heating serve in steamer trays, reheat the steamer trays in the oven at low heat 250 or so, covered.













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Pulled Pork Ribs













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Sliced Pork.
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Roast beef $2.66 a pound with a small loss in weight, so for sake of argument lets say a 10% loss in weight brings us too $2.92 a pound this is cheaper than PP at a total cost of $146.30

Beef is a bit more risky, you can almost never go wrong with loins or PP.













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  I usually semi-cater the Boy Scout and Cub Scout events.


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## duerstock (Jun 11, 2013)

Wow, this is all awesome information and a great start.  

Much thanks to all of you for pointing me in the right direction.


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## jirodriguez (Jun 11, 2013)

Just keep in mind the leaner cuts like pork loin and roast beef are the hardest to keep moist - there is no fat in them. So if you are new to this you might want to stick with pulled pork since it is very foregiving. Also chicken thighs are another great one to do, if you can get them on sale for $0.99 per lb. they stay moist being dark meat, and you can line them up in a foil pan and spoon a little BBQ sauce over them for re-heating. Figure 1-2 pieces for adults and 1 pc. for kids - 12 pcs. per family pack at the store 200/12=16.66 packs round up to 17, average 3-5 lbs. per pack 17x5= 85 lbs., 85 lb. x 0.99 = $84 and some change. That is 1 piece per person so if you add half that again for some folks wanting 2 pieces you are around $126.

Another nice thing about chicken is it cooks fast, so if you have to do multiple loads of the smoker you can.


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## sqwib (Jun 12, 2013)

as  JR points out _Just keep in mind the leaner cuts like pork loin and roast beef are the hardest to keep moist, _is a valid point and can be almost guaranteed to be near perfect if done correctly

Loins brined 2 days prior to cook and cooked to an internal temp of 137°F -142°F (Disclaimer Loins are safe to eat at 145°F), foil, wrap and rest an hour before refrigerating, carry over heat should bring you up to 145°F

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Loin should be sliced the night before serving at the soonest.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Loin Should be served in a steamer pan, gravy is heated up and cold meat is added to the gravy, you do not want to cook the meat, it is already cooked. [/font]

Roast Beef cooked to an internal temp of 132°F -136°F,  foil, wrap and rest an hour before refrigerating.

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Roast Beef should be sliced the night before serving at the soonest.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Roast Beef Should be served in a steamer pan, gravy is heated up and cold meat is added to the gravy, you do not want to cook the meat, it is already cooked. The meat will pucker if the gravy is too hot, this is unacceptable. [/font]


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## sqwib (Jun 12, 2013)

Servers should add meat to the warm gravy and serve from the other end. I tell my servers to top off by adding the meat to the rear and serving from the front, meat should also be folded often into the gravy especially if there is a time gap between serving.


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