How much pulled pork and brisket do y'all recommend I bbq for a 75 person get together? Mixture of teens and adults for a grad party. Thanks

Half pound total per person

4 brisket
6 pork butt.

Thanks 99 and Trout!

redaszag99 said:

---

Half pound total per person

---

This has always been my goal when cooking for a crowd.

And I usually have plenty leftover…

What teens? Mainly boys? Football players?

Are adult beverages served?

I'd go 1lb per guest and make half of that sausage. Regular sausage, cheddar sausage and jalapeño cheddar

I usually figure 1/3 pound per person of finished meat, if there's several sides and it's a mixed crowd of women and men. Up to 1/2 per pound if it's mostly men and/or no sides.

Remember that you cook quite a bit of moisture out when smoking (and therefore weight), and a brisket and pork butt don't finish close to where they start in raw form. Between trim and shrink, I usually count on 50-60% yield for brisket from what it started in the package. Pork butt is about the same once you take out the bone and factor that in.

I'd get about 60-70 pounds worth of raw meat in whatever split of brisket to pork butt you think the crowd will want. 30-35 pounds of finished product at a conservative 50% turnout, 1/3 lb per person means you can feed 90-105 servings. Should give you plenty of cushion with 75 folks.

I have a journal in which I keep all my bbq/bean/gumbo recipes. I also keep track of every event I ever catered. Food cooked, head count, leftovers, event type, even weather at the time of cooking. For example, I provided pulled pork for about 43 people yesterday. I was planning for 50. I smoked two smaller hog quarters. It turns out there was more bone and less meat than initially appeared. With careful serving, I was able to feed everyone. This is where lots of sides becomes important. If 50 had showed up, I'd have been in trouble.

For 75 people, four will get them fed with leftovers. Three would probably work, but would be close.

I'd do pulled pork sandwiches if I were you. One pork butt makes 25 sandwiches, so 6 pork butts would be plenty.

I used to cater weddings and other events as a side hustle. 1/3lbs per person works and leaves leftovers for people to take a little bit home. We always had beans and two other sides, usually a potato based one and a cold one (pasta salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs)

If you're doing sandwiches go to 1/4lbs per capita. The bread stretches it out.

Very much appreciate everyone's inputs! Y'all really helped me out, thanks! I'm still waiting on a few more rsvps but I think I may go all pulled pork sandwiches….leaning toward 1/3 pound a person with the standard sides. Thanks again everyone, gig 'em!

Trout said:

---

4 brisket
6 pork butt.

---

60 lbs of brisket cooked / trimmed down to 35-40 lbs of sliced and chopped.

48lbs of pork but cooked down to 30-35 lbs of meat.

That's double what would be needed for 75 people.

dahouse said:

---

I used to cater weddings and other events as a side hustle. 1/3lbs per person works and leaves leftovers for people to take a little bit home. We always had beans and two other sides, usually a potato based one and a cold one (pasta salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs)

If you're doing sandwiches go to 1/4lbs per capita. The bread stretches it out.

---

This. And sides don't have to be fancy. Chips work just fine in addition to beans or coleslaw or potato salad.