As a general guideline, allow roughly 1/3 pound of cooked pulled pork (also known as Boston butt) per person. It is what the majority of BBQ gurus advise and a certain strategy to ensure that you never run out of food.
The beef will shrink by between 40 and 50 percent while cooking, losing around half of its weight in moisture and fat.
This is true for all types of cooking, including slow cooking, grilling, smoking, and roasting meat.
Hence, the weights of pork shoulders with and without bones vary. You would then have to measure pounds accordingly.
How Much-Pulled Pork Per Person?
Apply the rule above if your pulled pork is your main course. If it’s a side or a component of a buffet, you’ll need to alter and double the number of potato skins or a jacket potato.
You don’t have to budget for one-third of a person if you’re offering pulled pork as part of a barbecue buffet. Not everyone will likely desire a complete portion of everything.
Assume that just two-thirds of your guests will desire a full portion of your pulled pork when you serve it as part of a buffet.
Boneless
Estimate 1/3 pounds of cooked pulled pork per guest when using boneless pork shoulder pieces. Bear in mind that after cooking, the weight of the pork will be around half that of the raw form.
Here is the basic formula:
Number of pounds of raw pork required: [Guests x 1/3] x 2
Take cooking a pork shoulder for 24 people as an example. When you split the amount by three, you get 8 visitors left. That’s how much pork you should give your guests. Add that amount to two to determine how much raw pork you’ll need to purchase.
There are [24 x 1/3] pounds of meat to be served, and [8 x 2] pounds of raw pork are required.
It takes [24 x 1/3] x 2 to equal 16 pounds of raw pork.
According to this calculation, you need to buy 16 pounds of raw, boneless pork shoulder to serve 24 people.
Bone-In
Due to the weight of the bone and the additional fat that is present on these cuts, the formula for cuts that are bone-in needs to be somewhat modified.
Estimate one-half pound of cooked beef per person rather than one-third of a pound. This version’s math is substantially simpler. To account for shrinkage, the weight of the bone, and additional fat, simply purchase one pound of raw pork shoulder per person.
Here is how the formula works using the same example as above:
Number of Pounds of Raw Pork Needed = [Guests x 1/2] x 2
Things To Be Considered:
This is an excellent method to use, but you still need to consider other aspects before making final estimates.
Gender and age group:
In actuality, the appetites of various age groups vary. A group of older males will consume less than teens, who typically consume more. Children will also consume far less than adults.
However, men often consume more than women do. We’ll also advise you to take your visitors’ occupations into account. For instance, a team of athletes may be more voracious than a group of office workers.
Occasion Type
The menu and serving size are entirely dependent on the event you’re organizing. Are you throwing a children’s party, if we may ask? Is it a gathering of people or, as we have indicated, an outside party?
Things would be different if it were merely a casual gathering to which you invited your neighbors and friends to spend Sunday night.
To sum up, you must first be certain of the occasion for which you plan to prepare food because different celebrations call for various meal preparation techniques.
Furthermore, allow us to point out that stand-up social gatherings and events call for less food on the table than sit-down dinners.
The Type of Food You Serve
If the pulled pork is offered as a complimentary side dish, like with a salad, the quantity of pulled pork required for sandwiches will definitely alter. However, if you choose a buffet, we advise you to be a little more generous with portions.
This is due to the difficulty of buffets and the uncertainty surrounding the amount of meat that each guest will consume. We would agree that having leftovers is preferable to having guests leave with just partially satisfied tummies.
For sandwiches or buns, aim to serve 5 to 6 ounces of pork.
The Menu
What else is served? The pulled pork is undoubtedly the star of the show. Will the main course be pulled pork? How about the accouterments? You’ll probably have enough food if you’re throwing a potluck to cover your menu.
Therefore, there will be no need to worry about the amount of meat served. But if you’re keeping it basic with just one or two more sides, think about upping the portion amount.
Guests
The one-third of a pound per person rule may work out well if there are a lot of kids on the guest list.
You might reduce the servings in this situation to 1/4 pound per child. But for me, that makes the computations a little too difficult. It would be much preferable for me to have leftover food than not enough meat.
On the other hand, you may simply raise the portion size if the majority of your visitors have larger appetites.
Sliders Or Buns?
Consider your options for presenting the pulled pork. By providing pork sandwiches, you may quickly fill your guests up and reduce the likelihood that they will ask for more food.
One serving of meat, or 5 ounces, fits into a hamburger bun. However, pork sliders, which hold around 2.5 ounces per bun, are excellent for smaller quantities. Additionally, they can play a small trick on the stomach and the eyes to make people feel fuller more quickly.
Type Of Event
Typically, attendees eat more at formal sit-down events than at informal ones.
If there is a set “dinner” time, your visitors will probably eat more than if the food is served continuously. Less emphasis is placed on food when people are mixing and interacting.
Quick Tips To Make Your Pulled Pork Better
Make sure to marinate the pork shoulder the night before your event. It will cook more effectively because of better moisture retention. Large pieces of meat like pork shoulder require a lot of time to cook thoroughly.
Therefore, be sure to keep that in mind. Depending on how much it weighs, cooking time may be in the range of 10 to 12 hours. Per pound of beef, the general norm is 90 minutes of cooking time.
Use the texas crutch to shorten the cooking time if you don’t have that much time.
Pulled Pork Calculator
It all comes down to following two straightforward rules:
Rule 1: Three persons can be fed with one pound of cooked pulled pork. Serve a third of a pound per person to make things move more smoothly.
Rule 2: Cooked pulled pork typically weighs half as much as raw pork. So, figure on getting roughly half a pound of pulled pork for every pound of raw pork.
The calculation is as simple as calculating your expected number of visitors by 0.3 pounds of pork, according to the two guidelines mentioned above.
Read More: Pulled Pork Mac And Cheese
You then multiply it by 50% yield after that. As cooked pull pork typically reduces by half, this practically implies doubling it.
Use this as your barbecue cost estimator:
| Pounds of Pork (Raw Weight) | Number of Servings (1/3 pound serving) | Number of Servings (1/2 pound serving) |
| 8 | 12 | 8 |
| 16 | 24 | 16 |
| 24 | 36 | 24 |
| 32 | 48 | 32 |
Example
Take cooking a pork shoulder for 9 people as an example. There are 8 visitors left when you divide the total by three. The quantity of pork you should serve your visitors is that.
You may calculate how much raw pork you’ll need to buy by multiplying that quantity by two.
There are [9 x 1/3] pounds of meat to be served, and [8 x 2] pounds of raw pork are required.
It takes [9 x 1/3] x 2 to equal 16 pounds of raw pork.
According to this calculation, you need to buy 16 pounds of raw, boneless pork shoulder to serve 9 people.
How To Store Pulled Pork Leftovers
Put the remaining pulled pork in a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate. They can soon become nasty if left outside. It’s best to have a use in mind for them within four days after creation.
If you do have any leftover pulled pork and you know it won’t last long before it spoils, freeze it.
Use stackable bakeware or zip-top baggies with as much room around the meat as you can to allow for expansion since the meat will continue to cook as it freezes and thaws in the oven when baked.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does 7 pounds of pulled pork feed?
There will be enough meat for around 21 individuals if you multiply seven pounds by the recommended three servings per pound.
2. How much-pulled pork should I make per person?
If you want a ballpark figure, you should usually plan on serving 5 to 6 ounces of pulled pork per guest for a luncheon and 7 to 8 ounces per person for a dinner party.
3. How many sandwiches will 10 pounds of pulled pork make?
10 pounds is the maximum weight for a complete butt, which provides enough pork for about 30 sandwiches.
Check More:
Simple Way To Prepare Pork Cutlets In Crock Pot
How To Tell If Pork Is Bad
Does hot cheetos have pork
Can you freeze cooked pork
Chili rubbed pork tenderloin with apricot glaze
