My First cater jobs, help!

[DaddyDett]

Guys, I need help!

I have 2 events coming up over the next 2 weekends.
For both events, I am just providing meats, sides and desserts will be potlucked by the Troop members.
The first one is a Boy Scout Court of Honor,about 40 people.
People will be given the choice of one entree or the other, not both.
They want brisket and chicken breasts for this one. I am not sure if I can find packers in my area, so I may have to do flats. I am thinking 3 slices per plate, approx. 1/8 to 3/16 in thick. Any ideas how much brisket in lbs I need to get? I am trying to use the Catering Calculator posted elsewhere on the site, but am not sure I am doing that right at all. Somehow I have in my mind that I will need about 25-30 lbs of brisket, is this figure way off?
30 chicken breats should be plenty.

The second cook is a Eagle Scout Court of Honor, same troop. About 75 for this event. Babyback ribs and chicken or pork loins for this one. I am thinking 3 ribs per plate, 5 plates per rack, based on the yield I get when I make ribs for family.
Swift babybacks come 3 racks per pkg, so I am calculating 15 racks, plus 3 more for good measure, total 18 racks.
I am thinking that I will do about 45 chicken breasts.

Any input from more seasoned cookers would be GREATLY appreciated.

Mark
aka DaddyDett

[Woodman]

Flats will work fine for this. The amount of meat sounds correct. I usually figure 8-10 servings per 6 lb flat. Make sure you have a little too much

[bigwheel]

Well I've only used trimmed packers and with a mixed crowd..a bunch of sides and somebody serving I always figger 3/4 lbs of raw meat per person. Object being that everybody get 1/4 lb of cooked meat each. Have used that strategy out to 350 folks and come in with one leftover brisket each time. Now if your gonna use flats sure you get a little better yield but aint sure how much so I would stick with the 3/4 lb rule just to be on the safe side. With ribs the general rule I have always followed is half a rack per adult person. Now I only do spares. BB's aint in my vocabulary so not sure how the half rack each work on that deal. Could only assure a person it would be an expensive proposition. If you let them serve themselves on brisket bump it up to a pound per person..use small plates...put the meat last on the serving line and pray a lot. If you gonna have some younger type kids on the scene make sure you got hot dawgs. They will eat that and leave the bbq alone. I refuse to stoop low enough to cook filthy barnyard avians and most especially their sundry parts for public consumption so cant help ya on that score. I only cook chicken for friends..family and comp (which since we dont do comp anymore can purty much strike it off the list). Lowest I will go is splits on those deals. Give you a free tip I learned the hard way. Folks do not come to bbq events to eat crappy tater salad from Sams. They turn real carnivorous. If I ever do another cater it will be brisket sandwiches..sweet beans...tater chips..pickles onyawns and japs and let em serve themselves and eat till they puke if they want. Prob have to figger two pounds a head on that deal. Hopefully have a few leftovers. Folks just love to take home a goody bag of good bbq if you to figger out some way to get rid of any excess. Hope this helps.

bigwheel

[serialgriller]

listen up to that of which the wheel speaks - that's some great advice!

[DaddyDett]

Well, both cooks over and done, folks fed, all turned out great!
Thanks for your guidance, yall.
Pics were taken at about 1/2 way through cook times
ribs went 6 hrs, briskets 13 hrs.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q315/DaddyDett/DSC00492.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q315/DaddyDett/DSC00494.jpg
DaddyDett

[Mic]

8) Don't look bad atall, DD! Glad it worked for ya, brutha! :wink:

Mic