How much meat loss?

[veryolddog]

I have a question. If you purchase a 10 lb. pork butt which has a bone in, and it is cooked to the proper time, how much meat would be left after the cook and the bone is removed? Would that be 50 per cent? 60 per cent? 70 per cent? How much does the pork butt really shrink?

If one were having a party and pulled pork sandwiches are being prepared, how much meat in ounces  would be in a typical sandwich which would also include the coleslaw? Each sandwich would be prepared by the eater.

I am trying to determine how many people that a 10 lb. pork butt could feed. My theory is that men would eat a more substantial sandwich and that women, who are concerned about their figures would eat less.

Thanks for your help.

Ed

[muebe]

Ed it is not so much meat loss as it is moisture and fat loss. The average yield on a butt when finished can be 50% to 60% of total weight depending on bone-in or boneless and fat content.

I would not use the large oversized buns in this situation. When people serve themselves they usually over serve. A extra large bun will be filled up even though more than likely they will not finish it. A few packages of those Hawaiian rolls and a small ice cream scooper are perfect for parties. They can make some mini pulled pork sliders. The ice cream scooper allows them to portion out just enough to fit the roll.

You also need to consider if you will be serving any other sides or appetizers to go with the meal.

It does not hurt to overbuy a little. Any pork left can be vac sealed, frozen, and then consumed at a later date

[deestafford]

You could feed about 15 people off the 10# butt.  Figure about 1/4 lb per person.  I personally have gone to sandwich thins rather than normal buns because I taste more of the filling than bun.  Hawaiian Bread also makes a good sandwich size bun.  I personally don't put cole slaw on my BBQ sandwiches.  Do you have a good slaw recipe?  Dee

[Ka Honu]

Dog - What they said.  I always err on the side of plenty and figure on a pound of raw weight per person.  I usually use boneless Choice butts and get about a 60% yield (roughly 9.5 ounces of product per pound raw weight).  I'm guessing you'll get a bit less (50%?) yield depending on the fat and bone.  Anyway, 9.5 ounces gives me two sandwiches per person with a little extra.  If it's not the only entree I have a bit more extra but it freezes extremely well and I'd rather have too much than too little.

Soooo, the answer to your question is probably between 10 and 15 people - I'd only invite 10 to be safe.


dee - Try Cowgirl's Chipotle Slaw on top your sandwich. It's my "go to" slaw recipe.

     Mix 1/2 cup of mayo with
     1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (minced) you can use more
     salt to taste
     chopped onion
     fresh squeezed lime juice. about 1 tsp.

[deestafford]

Turtle, That is similar to what I use except I include rice wine vinegar and a little sugar.  I mix all that separate and then into the slaw. I  also have celery seed in my slaw.  Speaking of the Cowgirl I have not checked  her website in months.  Thanks for the reminder. You'd look good with one of her rattlesnake earring as you wear that straw hat of yours. Dee

[sliding_billy]

The big thing is controlling the portions when service groups.  Having someone plate and/or load the sandwiches helps a lot.  It is amazing how much food gets thrown away in buffet servings or how many people take way too much knowing that there is a limited amount for everyone.

[Jaxon]

Last weekend Deb asked me to cook a butt for a friend who is moving and will need some extra food.

I cooked a 7 1/12 lb butt, pulled it apart and weighed out about 3 3/4 lb of meat.

Does that help?

[Hectilles]

Also on the bun topic, we actually serve pulled pork on a hot dog bun in our family. Throw on a little cheese and any bbq sauce if you want it and you are good to go. My dad served it that way when we were kids and it just stuck, so now we do it for every family gathering. 

[veryolddog]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I really appreciate.

Let's make sure, I got this one right. I need 60 lbs. of pork butt to feed 30 people. I usually buy these at Sam'e Club with the bone in. So, I need to net 30 lbs. of meat after the bone is removed and the pork butt is fully cooked.

When I usually cook a single pork butt, it is in the center of the grill. When I cook all these, they will be lined up across the grill and probably on the second shelf of the Yoder. I have only two probes for meat to monitor temperature. Can I assume that all six pork butts will reach temperature at the same time? Or does each one of these pork butts have to be monitored separately?

I guess I better foil these when they hit 150 degrees. This is going to be like work.

My daughter in law is throwing a party for her employees and she asked me to cook the pork butts to serve at her home.

Thanks, and have a great day!

Ed

[GrillGeek]

Ed,

Here's a copy of the BBQ catering worksheet that I use. I downloaded this a few years, back, can't remember where from. It works great!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fsev9hufjt83rt8/BBQ_Catering_Workbook_v3.xls

[Ka Honu]

Let's make sure, I got this one right. I need 60 lbs. of pork butt to feed 30 people. I usually buy these at Sam'e Club with the bone in. So, I need to net 30 lbs. of meat after the bone is removed and the pork butt is fully cooked.

No, no, no.  You need to start with the same number of pounds raw weight as you have people.  In your case 30 people = 30 pounds raw weight to give you 15-18 pounds of pulled pork - enough for 30 people to have two 4-ounce servings each and maybe have some left over.

If I were doing this, I'd cook all three butts through the smoke phase (4-5 hours) and then leave two of them on dry heat (smoker, oven, whatever) and finish one in the crockpot.  FTC the "dry" butts when they're done and then mix with the crockpot butt when pulling.  That takes care of your probe problem and insures plenty of both bark and juice in the final product.

[deestafford]

If I were doing this I'd smoke them at 225* until they were at an IT of 200* or so.  I would not depend on any foiling for a carry over cook.  The last thing you need is to unfoil them and they not be to  the pulling stage.  Dee

[muebe]

A half pound finished product per person would be way over buying. Don't forget that there are people who might have one sandwich and not even finish it while there will be others who will have two and finish both. That is why I like the Hawaiian rolls as sliders. It allows people to portion out what they want better. And the ice cream scooper will allow them to ball up a measured portion for each sandwich that is predictable. Plus it is fun.

Four sliders could equal one full size sandwich. There will be some that only make two sliders and others might have six or eight. And then add cole slaw on top for filler.

Also serve some baked beans. A pot of beans is easy to make and will add that filler you need.

Costco sells those large packages of Hawaiian rolls and you can buy the beans and slaw pre-made or make your own. There are some recipes for Wasabi slaw that are just fantastic and of course there are people on here who can give you a great baked bean recipe.

I would let people sauce the sliders themselves. You can make up a batch of Hubbard Bubba BBQ sauce that is made with Dr.Pepper and I believe Dee has posted that recipe somewhere in this forum. That sauce is really good and people will be amazed when you tell them it is made with Dr.Pepper

The best thing is to have the pulled pork be prepared in advance that way everything is covered and people don't go away hungry.

[drholly]

muebe's advice is excellent. I host gatherings for both my daughters' softball teams through the summer and fall. Typically 12 - 14 teen age girls and 20 - 30 adults. I learned the hard way to avoid over buying and over preparing. Still learning, but mostly because I want to try new things...  The "slider" idea is perfect. I've used spoons in the past - going to use the ice cream scooper this year (thanks muebe!) Sides are good. I like cole slaw and beans. Usually do some hamburger sliders on the flat top and maybe some mini tacos on the discada. I usually do a bunch of wings in the SRG as "appetizers." I start the first batch almost an hour before anyone is supposed to arrive, so it is still "hot" when the first people arrive. I make two or three sauces and let everyone choose their own. As the first batch (about 36 wings) comes off the second drops. By the time everyone has some raw veg and dip, chips, and wings, the rest is ready.

Let us know how it goes - and include pictures if you can (I suspect you will be busy...  )

Cheers,

David