# How best to serve for a party?



## daren93 (Jun 2, 2020)

Hey everyone!  My son finally gets to have a HS graduation ceremony, so we finally get to have a party for him.  We're going to do pulled pork, and I'm used to smoking butts for myself and my immediate family  (ie - wife and 3 kids).  However, I've never served enough for 150-200 people.
The party is in 2 1/2 weeks.  My plan is to smoke all the meat ahead of time, and freeze until a day or two before the party.  What's the best method for reheating?  I believe my brother always said to serve out of a large roaster, and use apple juice to keep it moist (however, he has passed on, so I can't call him up and ask).  
Any advice would greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance.


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 2, 2020)

A large electric roaster does a fine job of heating and holding a large quantity of Pulled Pork. If needed, you can have backup pans of pork. First reheat at 300 - 325 in the oven then hold at 150°F. For a single protein, figure 6oz Pulled Pork per person.
150 × 6 oz = 900 ÷ 16 = 56 lbs ÷ 0.5% yield = 112 pounds Raw Pork Butts needed. This is about 14 average Butts. I suggest adding a couple to cover additional or unexpected guests. If you add Burgers and Dogs to the menu, you can cut back the Pork to 4 ounce portions, 75 pounds raw or about 10 average Butts...JJ


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## zwiller (Jun 2, 2020)

Chef has you covered.  

What kind of smoker you have?  Heads up, that is a lot of meat and most home smokers are likely not capable of running much at one time.  I ran 2 butts in MES and took 25hrs.  Maybe you can rent a big guy?  Good luck!


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## krj (Jun 2, 2020)

Chef's numbers are exactly the same as what I run. I personally don't think the extra butt will be needed beyond the 112lbs raw because in my experiences you'll have more people eat closer to a 4oz portion than you will a 6oz. You don't really think about it, but on a bun or on a plate a 4oz portion of pulled pork is a good looking pile, and 6oz even more so.

He's also correct about the electric turkey roasters. An added tip if you're needing a little more moisture while reheating, chicken broth works perfect for this.

Good luck!


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## Winterrider (Jun 2, 2020)

If you get crunched for time, this may help get some done quicker depending on what you are using for a smoker.








						Five Hour Smoked Pork Butt - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips
					

In this tutorial, I will show you how to do the five hour smoked pork butt.. that's right, in only 5 hours. Pork butt (Boston butt, pork shoulder) normally




					www.Smoking-Meat.com


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## texomakid (Jun 2, 2020)

Based on my last trip to Sams a few weeks back I'd be more concerned where I'd find 14 pork butts right now unless I had a bullet proof source?


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## jcam222 (Jun 2, 2020)

If you are running a vertical I love doing bottom shelf with a full pan of Minors pork or Chicken broth to let those butts drip in. I defat that and mix back in turkey roasters to serve a crowd. That liquid gold broth makes it the bomb!! Also suggest you make up a batch of JJ’s finishing sauce , I like the version that has some ketchup in it. It’s out of this world squirted  on the pork sandwiches.


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## thirdeye (Jun 2, 2020)

You have received great information so far, and cooking ahead will allow all the time necessary to have *perfectly* shredded meat.  You won't have to hurry anything along.  Most of my larger cooks are live and I try to have all the butts in the hot boxes between 9:30 and 10:00 am, so they can rest until a 1:00pm serving time. But they all cook differently.  When smoking 10 or 12 butts, rarely will 3 be done at the same time.






We also serve in Nesco roasters, and use reserved de-fatted foil juices mixed with broth for keeping the meat moist.  I prefer freezing in vacuum bags, and also reheating in vacuum bags a Nesco with hot water until the meat is around 100°, then empty bags into a serving Nesco.  I use the water bath Nesco to warm additional bags to add to the serving Nesco.   This way if there is a second wave of eaters, you can scale the amount of meat to reheat.

Now that that is out of the way here are some suggestions to consider. 

Will you be serving coleslaw to go on pork sandwiches?  It's the traditional topping for PP sandwiches.
Do you want a second meat?  If so we have found that sloppy Joes, and I have jazzy version of that classic, and also self-served from a Nesco, are an excellent fit. 
If you serve hot dogs, we buy the Ball Park all beef, steam cook them in beer, then move into pans into the smoker so they get a deeper red color and pick-up some flavor.
As you reheat the pork use the de-fatted foil juices, or a mix of juices and pork broth.
Make a finishing rub (a super fine grind of your BBQ rub). Sprinkle the shredded meat with that and some salt. You want the flavor to pop.
Also have a spray bottle with warm apple juice and mist the meat just enough for it to shine, people eat with their eyes.
I saved the best two suggestions for last.... have your pork serving station at the end of the line. You want guests to have their plates half full of salad and sides and items like a dill pickle slice, or some pickled red onions before they arrive for some pork.
Have squeeze bottles of sauce at the very end of the line.  I know what you are thinking, your pork is good enough it doesn't need sauce, and you are right... but for some people barbecue is the sauce.   Just grin and bear it when you see someone drown a sandwich in sauce.  We make one sweet, and one hot.  Use commercial sauces but slightly thin them with apple juice, and add some signature seasonings.  For example agave nectar or fruit juice for the sweeter sauce and cayenne, Wooster and black pepper for the hotter sauce.  Put a label on them, people will associate this to being homemade when all you did was thin and jazz a popular sauce.


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## daren93 (Jun 4, 2020)

Good morning everyone!  Thank you very much for all your advice - I greatly appreciate it!
To answer some questions:
My smoker - I've got a Masterbuilt 40" vertical gas smoker.   I've only done 2 butts at once in there, using the 5-hour method listed above.  Not sure if I could get 4 in there or not?
For sides, we hadn't thought about coleslaw, but I do have a good recipe for Cowboy Beans.  My wife was going to buy individual bags of chips.  I do have the recipes for Jeff's rub and Jeff's BBQ sauce.  Since it's a graduation party, we'll also have cake/cupcakes and punch.
For finding meat during a "meat shortage"... I've been keeping eye on the grocery store ads for months :-)  My brother said if pork butts are $1.49 / lbs, that's an "OK" deal.  But if they go to $0.99 / lbs, then you MUST buy them!  So I have a freezer full of pork butts at the moment.  Also, we live on an acreage in NW Iowa and my kids show pigs for FFA / 4-H.  Some of the meat we bought, but the rest is "home-grown" and butchered locally.  You can't beat it!

Thanks again for all the advice!


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## kawboy (Jun 4, 2020)

I did 14 butts for my son's wedding a few years ago. My wife talked to Walmart and they gave us a really good deal for buying so much. I ran three smokers, 36 hours straight, two butts per smoker, adding charcoal every three hours. Was a lot of work, but worth it. Pulled and panned as they finished, and put in a refrigerator. Warmed in roasters at the reception.


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