# Pork butt for 50 people



## coop9790 (Aug 16, 2013)

I am going to do some pulled pork for a party I am having.  Any recommendations on how many pounds it would take to feed 50 people?  I would like to smoke two seperate butts so it won't take as long.  

Also I am planning on smoking on Friday and the party is on Saturday.  Wondering how to keep the meat moist until the next day?  Any tips on warming it back up without drying it out?

Thanks for the help!


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## themule69 (Aug 16, 2013)

You will need about 1/4 lb cooked PP per person. I always go with a higher  amount of 1/2 lbper person. Nothing wrong with leftovers.

Put it in the fridge. heat in oven with pan drippings.

Remember to post a QVIEW

happy smoken.

David


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 16, 2013)

Here is how you calculate what you need...50 people  x  6oz portions = 300oz PP  /  .5 (usually about a 50% yield)  =  600oz  /  16oz/lb = 37.5 pounds raw Pork Butts needed. Also figure 1 1/2 Rolls per person. 1 1/2 oz Sauce per person and 3 oz of each Side Dish. Bump the portion size to 8 oz if this will be plated rather than sandwiches. You can reduce to 4 oz if you are serving other meat like Dogs and/or Burgers...JJ


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## coop9790 (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks for the help guys.  This party is on Labor Day weekend so I will post a new thread when I start the smoke.


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## fwismoker (Aug 16, 2013)

I can't see how you wouldn't have leftovers with 20-25 lbs when you consider other eats.


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## oldschoolbbq (Aug 16, 2013)

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__ oldschoolbbq
__ Nov 1, 2012






Do them together, the timing mute, go by temp. of 200*F IT . This fed 150 people  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  With the sides and there were leftovers.

Do keep the juices to re-heat in... and NO Microwaving ; ruins BBQ 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.


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## redneck69 (Aug 16, 2013)

last fall i did 3, 8lb butts for work and 50 people demolished everything ...but we have a lot of "heavy eaters"


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## thsmormonsmokes (Aug 16, 2013)

If you have the time, I really like boiling in plastic bags to re-heat.  You have a very low risk of heating it all up hotter than your 200 finishing temp since water boils at roughly 212 (closer to 208 at my elevation).  Plus if you get the meat packed in the ziploc real tight, you won't lose moisture during the re-heat process.  Even better is vacuum packed in the boiling water, if you have access to a vacuum sealer.  

If you don't have one, Ziploc has a pretty good solution.  http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/VacuumFreezerSystem.aspx

If you re-heat in the oven, I would recommend doing it in a roasting pan covered with foil.  You'll lose less surface moisture that way.


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## thsmormonsmokes (Aug 16, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Here is how you calculate what you need...50 people  x  6oz portions = 300oz PP  /  .5 (usually about a 50% yield)  =  600oz  /  16oz/lb = 37.5 pounds raw Pork Butts needed. Also figure 1 1/2 Rolls per person. 1 1/2 oz Sauce per person and 3 oz of each Side Dish. Bump the portion size to 8 oz if this will be plated rather than sandwiches. You can reduce to 4 oz if you are serving other meat like Dogs and/or Burgers...JJ


So the yield you get off PP is about 50%?  I've never bothered to weigh out my finished product.  I knew that there is a lot of loss due to bone, water, rendered fat, and skin that get weighed on the front end but don't make the final cut.  -Or pull, I suppose.  But I wouldn't have guess that the loss would be as high as 50%.  

Am I understanding that right?  And I suppose that assumes it's not one of those "flavor added" roasts?  -Which is really just a way for them to sell you some salt water at the going rates for pork butts.  That's some expensive salt water, but I digress.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 17, 2013)

ThsMormonSmokes said:


> So the yield you get off PP is about 50%?  I've never bothered to weigh out my finished product.  I knew that there is a lot of loss due to bone, water, rendered fat, and skin that get weighed on the front end but don't make the final cut.  -Or pull, I suppose.  But I wouldn't have guess that the loss would be as high as 50%.
> 
> Am I understanding that right?  And I suppose that assumes it's not one of those "flavor added" roasts?  -Which is really just a way for them to sell you some salt water at the going rates for pork butts.  That's some expensive salt water, but I digress.


50% is an average. If real fatty, over cooked or " Enhanced " it is guaranteed. I find it is closer to 60% after cooking but I don't remove all the fat or Smoke at high temps. When figuring I never go minimum. Yes, 20-25 pounds will give somewhere around 50-4 ounce sandwiches...BUT...That is only if you are portioning yourself, not serving Buffet style, and using the average Hamburger Roll. 70 year old Aunt Betty will go less than 4oz but 50 year old Uncle Bill and his 2 Football player Sons are going to make two 6-8oz sandwiches and throw an extra scoop on the plate to eat with a fork. Not to mention Grandma who wants a container to take home and the mix of guests, ladies eat less, mostly men and you will run out before all are fed. Now if there are, as said above, other meats then 4oz sandwiches from 20-25 pounds of raw Butt will be plenty. As Dad used say, " Always make plenty! Hungry People are Angry People and will talk about what a Cheapskate you are for years..."...JJ


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## coop9790 (Aug 18, 2013)

Awesome feedback!  I have another question!  Do you all get fresh cut meat?  One of the butchers I go to just has the pre packaged ones.  I would like to buy fresh ones that are not pre packaged.


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## jarjarchef (Aug 18, 2013)

As Jimmy said plan on 50% loss. He also has you covered on portion size. Plan on extra for the heavy handed portions, beside pulled pork spaghetti is always a good thing........

So the plan is to cook, cool and then reheat for service if I read correctly........ A few temps and times to keep in mind for this adventure........

Cooking.....if it was me I would only cook to 195 allow to rest about 45 min then loosely pull the meat. When resting I will add some beer and apple juice concentrate to the pan. Save the juices for later use......

Cooling....... I use 1 gallon freezer bags for this. I place about 5lb of pork and some of the saved pan juices in a bag. Seal and lay out flat for quick cooling. You want to go from 140 to under 40 degrees in 4hrs ( Florida health code says 6hrs, but I prefer to go faster and it gives me a bit of leeway). I have done several ways at home to quickly cool the pork. An ice bath is best, freezer works well and so does the fridge. Just keep an eye on temp and time.

Reheating............again time and temp are key here....... You want to go from 165 in less than 2hrs. For the amount you are doing in a shallow pan covered with plastic wrap then foil in a 300 degree oven will work well. It should be about 1 - 1.5 hrs.  Gently stir in your finishing sauce, serve and enjoy your hard work.....

If you use a vinegar in your finishing sauce, do not add it till you do your final saucing. If you add it before cooling, as it sits it can make the meat get a mushy texture.


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## jarjarchef (Aug 18, 2013)

Sorry forgot the other question on fresh meat. If you have access to it go for it, but most use the pre packaged butts.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 19, 2013)

Fewer and fewer Butchers are buying Beef sides or whole Hogs. They buy large hunks called Primals or the more broken down Sub-primals then cut them into Steaks Roasts and Chops, grinding any trim. So pre-packaged or what is called Boxed Meat is fine. If you find a Butcher the breaks down carcasses, you can get more custom cuts...JJ


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## coop9790 (Aug 19, 2013)

Thanks jarjarchef & Chef Jimmy Jay.  I never new you had to cool it down at a certain rate. Thought I could just throw it in the fridge.  Learning so many great tips on here!


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## coop9790 (Aug 29, 2013)

Tomorrow is the big day!  I got 4 8.50lb Boston butts.  I am a little nervous. :-). Since I have four of the and I have only 2 meat probes.  A maverick and the factory one.  Do I just check the other two whe the two I have probed get to the 160 range?


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 29, 2013)

Put the probes in the smallest Butts. When they get to Temp, pull them and wrap in foil and go in a Cooler with towels to rest. Move the probes and continue the cook until all is done. Don't forget to rest the second set...JJ


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## coop9790 (Aug 29, 2013)

I was going to foil them at 160.  How long do I rest them in the cooler for?  Also some people are saying to rest 15 mins out of the foil before wrapping them and sticking them in the cooler.


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## redneck69 (Aug 29, 2013)

COOP9790 said:


> I was going to foil them at 160. How long do I rest them in the cooler for? Also some people are saying to rest 15 mins out of the foil before wrapping them and sticking them in the cooler.


pull them when they are at 200 degrees internal temp and place in a cooler wrapped in towels for a few hours...they will continue to cook while in the cooler and get nice and tender


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 29, 2013)

The only reason to Rest before foiling is if you don't have insulated gloves. It gives a chance for the surface temp to drop to a more comfortable temp. Those of us that work in kitchens develop, " Restaurant Hands ", anything below 250*F is just warm...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...JJ


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## jarjarchef (Aug 29, 2013)

If they are going to sit for more then an hour or so. I would pull them at 195 and allow the carryover cooking do the rest.


Jimmy you are losing your touch. It is 300 not 250..... ;)


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## thsmormonsmokes (Aug 29, 2013)

For those non-pros among us, you can find a big enough spatula to lift a butt off the grates if you look hard enough.

Also, calibrating your probe is a probably a good idea to ensure it's accurate.  Water boils at 212 F at sea level.  The boiling point changes with altitude, so if you're very far above sea level check on that.  I think it's about 208 at my elevation (~4600 FASL).


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## coop9790 (Aug 29, 2013)

Do any of you trim off any of the fat?


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## jarjarchef (Aug 29, 2013)

If it is more then 1/2" thick I will trim some, but for the most part no trimming here......


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## coop9790 (Aug 29, 2013)

Awesome!  Here is a little teaser for you all tonight!  :-). Thanks for all the help!  I will be up bright and early starting these and will keep you all posted.  I have two more that look just like this.













image.jpg



__ coop9790
__ Aug 29, 2013


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## coop9790 (Aug 30, 2013)

So I am 4 hrs into the smoke and the highest temp. I can achieve in my MES with the meat in there is 212 degrees.  It is set at 275.  The probes are in the smaller sized meats and they are reading 142 degrees at the momement.  I have 4 8lb Boston butts in there.  Not very happy with the temp situation.


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## ringtail bbq (Aug 30, 2013)

142 in 4 hours is not bad.  If you have a water pan remove it, thermometers might not be calibrated and don't open the door.  Loss a lot of heat.  Just a few thoughts.... JB


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## coop9790 (Aug 30, 2013)

Have a new maverick dual thermometer.  Did the boil water check on it and it was near perfect.  Tested the MES with nothing in it and it easily got up to 250.  Just frustrating.


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## jarjarchef (Aug 30, 2013)

142 is good. I would remove the water from the pan as well. Are you relying on the stock therm for the cook chamber temp? If so I would make sure I had a secondary way of reading my cook chamber temps........


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## coop9790 (Aug 30, 2013)

No I have the maverick thermometer with the food probe and chamber probe.  This is what I am going by.  The smoker is set to 275.  I have the probe between the two top shelves that the meat is sitting on.


6 hrs in and I am at 160 IT.  Going to foil at 165.


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## thsmormonsmokes (Aug 30, 2013)

You're coming along nicely.  Are you still having issues getting cooking temps up?  I typically have a harder time keeping temps higher on the front end of a smoke, especially when I have a large mass I'm cooking.

But the first part of my cook happens in the middle of the night, and I burn charcoal.  So it's not an apples-to-apples comparison.  But if you've put 30+ lbs of cold pork in their, that could pose issues on bringing your temps up where you want them, I'd think.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 30, 2013)

I agree with pulling the Water Pan. I know the factory says to leave it in but I have more frequently than not taken it out over the last 2 years with no ill effect. I do use a drip pan to keep grease from dripping directly on the smoke box and heat supply...Fire BAD! At 212*F you will have a difficult aka, time consuming, time getting to an IT of 200*F. I suggest finishing, foiled, in the Oven at 250-300*F. It will be done much more quickly...JJ


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## coop9790 (Aug 30, 2013)

Thanks guys!  The temp finally came up to 225 once I foiled and put them in aluminum pans.  I also had the water pan out the whole time.   I am 12 hours into it and I have just put two of the in the cooler.  Waiting on the other two.  They are at 195.  Is it okay that I put it in the cooler still in the pan with the juice in it?


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## jarjarchef (Aug 30, 2013)

Yes you can put it in the cooler with pan and juices. I pull my pork at 195.......so in my world the others are done......


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## coop9790 (Aug 30, 2013)

Q-view!!!!













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__ coop9790
__ Aug 30, 2013


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## jarjarchef (Aug 30, 2013)

Looks good!

Now I have to make some........


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