Pork Butts

[Q Harley]

I have just got my first large cook. I will be cooking pork butts for about 150 to 200 people. I have two Gator Party Editions which are 48x20. I have been told that I will be able to cook the necessary amount of butts on these two cookers. This will be about 17 butts as near as I can figure.

I researched this subject on the forum to see what I would need per serving. My notes show amounts from 3 oz per person to 8 oz per person. Is there a good average I can use to make this a more solid figure?

Also, I have done a lot of reading on the subject of cooking pork butts, and I see that they will take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. My time table notes figure out that if I want to feed at 3:00 PM, I will have to have the butts on by 1:00 AM so that I can start pulling pork at 1:00 PM to get ready to serve.

Is my calculations correct, and can some of you more experienced smokers out there shed more light on this for me?

Also thinking of doing the cook the day before, pulling the pork, holding in serving pans. I would then take the smokers to the cook, fire them up and warm up the meat in the pans at the cook. Would this be a viable option?

I will be injecting the butts and using a rub. What is your favorite rub for the butts? [meaning which one of Bills rubs]

Harry

[PitBull]

For pulled pork for 150 people and a serving size of 4 oz (3 oz is kind of small) it will take 46 lbs of uncooked meat. 8 oz serving will be 93lb. For pulled pork for 200 people and a serving size of 4 oz it will take 63 lbs of uncooked meat and 200 with a serving size of 8oz will take 125 lb if my math is correct. :)

As to the time it generally takes around 8 hours for me. I smoke until 165' then wrap and go to 200-205'. I like the 205 number best. These time temps are for a pit running at 250'F.

[PitBull]

Hmmmn, no more replies??:? Q Harley, are they mad at you for something or am I moving up the list on that thread killer title?:o

[WBC]

Hmmmn, no more replies??:? Q Harley, are they mad at you for something or am I moving up the list on that thread killer title?:o


It's probably because this is posted in General Chit Chat instead of Gen BBQ..... I just now moved it. It should get more responses when in the right section. Many people who visit the BBQ section do not visit the Chit Chat section.

[Sweetdaddy]

I normally use the ratio of 1/2 pound of cooked meat per person. I have never had anyone say that they ran out of food before everyone was served. Plus, you probably need to pin them down on total number of folks that your feeding. You can cook and pull the day before and re-heat at the function. If you are adding sauce, I would add a little the day before, warm at the event, then add more sauce once the pans come off the smoker. The cooking of the butts the day before works well, with briskets and butts, it seems there are always some that don't reach temp as fast as others. Cooking the day of, you might be cutting it close by starting at 1:00am. Since this being your first gig, I would cook the day before so you would not be watching the clock and worrying about that one or two butts that won't hit temp. Good Luck!!
Sweet

[Bluegrass BBQ]

I guess it depends on how you serve it as a sandwich or a plate. I serve 4oz on a 5" bun with slaw and that makes a very filling sandwich according to my customers. If I do plates I put 5 to 6 oz with beans and slaw with a roll. A lot of it depends if you are serving or they serve their own. I cook about the same way PitBull does. When I cook ahead I always add some apple juice and cover the pan with foil when I reheat. It doesn't add or take away from the flavor in my opinion. My experience is a 40% shrinkage. I would make them give me a definate number and that is what they pay for. Any less they have left overs any more you charge so much per head or plate. I hope this helps.

[Oli]

give yourself 2-3 extra hours in cook time, they will hold in coolers fine for about 6 hrs, but it sure hard to get them done in a hurry.

[PitBull]

Bluegrass, I've always felt that it loses a little of its taste if kept and reheated. Maybe I've been doing it wrong. I dont do the apple juice or the bbq sause mix. Maybe I'll try that next time. We are close on the other stuff. I always figure 45% loss and thats where my numbers came from.

[Bluegrass BBQ]

PitBull, your right nothing like fresh off the pit but if you have to reheat I have found the apple juice is the best. You want to be sure and keep it covered with aluminum foil while reheating or it will dry out.

[OWENMUSTANG]

1ST, i've never cooked for anything close to your number of people but,
i don't think getting the butts on the pit at 1:00 am will give you the time you need.

i agree cooking ahead will save you a lot of grief (at my family outing, i had 2 7lb er's take 15hrs on the pit @ 250:shock: ) let's say their was a few hungry people lurking around my house!

[Michiana Mark]

Here's my experience in the past on my Predator. Cooked 27 pork butts at 225. Started at 4:00 AM, WRAPPED AT 165, PULLED AT 205. 20 pulled and ready to serve at 3:00 pm. Average 7-8 lb butt takes about 1 hr- 1 hr 15 min per Lb. I always use Zeeman's rule of thumb( right thumb, I believe) 20sammies to the butt.... 200 people-10butts, and always include one extra butt for yourself.

[OWENMUSTANG]

^^^^^^
interesting..:idea:

everyone of the butt's i've done have gone close to 2/1 time/weight on the
pit.. temps around 225/250ish..hmm

notes...
i don't wrap anymore..(no bark, pita to wrap w/o 3rd deg burns, ect)
pull over 200
i rotate bottom rack,bottom side to top rack, top side,ect at about 160ish

i guess this should be in a new thread but,,,
what is normal for weight to time???

[TexLaw]

i guess this should be in a new thread but,,,
what is normal for weight to time???

Talk about your "out there" questions. Really, more of your "out there" answers. :)

Who knows what's normal? I usually get an eight pound butt done in about ten hours, but that's usually wrapping it at about 165 and that's with it on the top shelf of my pit with the thermometer running about 250. That makes out for about 275 on the top shelf.


TL

[Q Harley]

I want to thank everyone that waded in on this subject. I think I have the answer that I need.

I am going to take all of the estimated time figures, all of the weights, and all of the weight/time equations, put them all on an excell spread sheet, and run it. This will give me a new perspective on what is an average time to do the cook:P .

I learned a lot from this thread. I learned that there are many variables in the world of Q. I think that I have learned that no one cooks the same, no one cooks on the same style smoker, that some of the butts that we cook from time to time may have more conective tissue that takes longer to break down than others. That would account for the different cook times. And then I learned today on my own test cook, that my temp gauges are not accurate:shock: .

I also learned that there a a bunch of swell Quers out there who like to help a fellow brother in need of answers.

Oh, the answer to the excell spread sheet. Put the butts on two hours earlier, and hold if needed. As someone stated, it is easier to hold these persnickity butts, then to try to tell them to hurry up and cook:!: .


Harry

[Freedbaby]

As someone stated, it is easier to hold these persnickity butts, then to try to tell them to hurry up and cook:!: .

PERSNICKITY.....Is that an SAT word?