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ELLEN'S KITCHEN
Cook Talk

Reception for 200
Kelly
02/17/10
i am trying to self cater my son's wedding, i need advise if i have the right quantities of food for buffet style meal
Sliced Ham & Turkey (40 lbs ea)
Swiss & American cheese (10 lbs ea)
Rolls (20 dozen "3 varities"
Condiments (2 mayo, 2 mustard)
Pasta Salad (30 C dry pasta)
Tossed salad & dressing (46 lbs & 4-5 1 gallon jars of dressing)
Pickle, olive and cheese tray (2 lrg jar of pickles, 5-14oz cans olives, 6lbs cheese)
Chips, pretzels & dip (31 lbs chips & pretzels, 15 lbs of dip)
Beer (2 1/2 kegs 1 reg and 1 lite)
ellen
02/17/10
You have to tell me how many people and how long the party lasts.
Kelly
02/17/10
There will be around 200 guest, meal at 6:00 dancing and drinks to follow. Reception is 6 -10 pm.
ellen
02/17/10
Condiments (2 mayo, 2 mustard)- see the sandwich event page and expand your condiment bar
Pasta Salad (30 C dry pasta)- start with 12 pounds dry pasta
Tossed salad & dressing (46 lbs & 4-5 1 gallon jars of dressing)- too much dressing- see the plan for 100 salad section.
Pickle, olive and cheese tray (2 lrg jar of pickles, 5-14oz cans olives, 6lbs cheese)- not enough for 200- see the relish tray guide at the top of the veggie tray page. Select some kid friendly choices.
Chips, pretzels & dip (31 lbs chips & pretzels, 15 lbs of dip) You will have chips left over
Beer (2 1/2 kegs 1 reg and 1 lite) A full keg is 200 servings. This is a lot of beer, unless these are quarter kegs. See the beverage planning page.
ellen
02/17/10
By the way, I would add a big bowl of egg salad or veggie pate for the non-meat eaters in the crowd.
Hillary
02/17/10
Ellen, I need some guidance and direction. We have a Banquet coming up and are planning for 200 people to be in attendance.

We simply are providing Taco Salad with Root Beer. We have a limited budget so we want to make sure we have enough but not excess.

Could you help me determine how much of each ingredient below we should have available for people to build their own taco salad?

Hamburger Meat (70 lbs be enough?)
Lettuce (20 heads or 10 lrg bags pre-cut)
Chips (10 lrg bags)
Tomatoes (24 cups)
Cheese (24 cups)
Sour Cream (4 lrg tubs )
Onions (5 cups)
Olives (9 cans, sliced)
Salsa (4 lrg containers)
Kidney Bean (15 cans)
Ranch Dressing ? not sure how many bottles
Catalina Dressing

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ellen
02/17/10
I am unsure why you posted the same question again when I answered it the first time (blue and gold dinner). Could you not find your original post?
Mary Ann Price
04/22/10
We are catering my granddaughter's reception. How many whole hams do I prepare for 200 people, time frame 4p -7p.
Thank you for your help.
ellen
04/22/10
If this is the only meat, you need 50 pounds bone-in whole ham per 100 guests, a bit more if it is self serve, and about 1/5 more if it is self carve (which, with this large a crowd, you don't want to do).
Aime
04/24/10
Hi Ellen! I used your site when self-catering my wedding last September and I want to tell you YOU ARE MY HERO! I had no idea where to begin with the food until I found you!

Anyways, my brother is getting married this August, and we are working on the quantities for his food. We are doing the reception at our Grandpa's in his yard, so we're staying casual about it and going with Pulled Pork sandwiches, as well as Cold sandwiches for those who do not want the pulled pork. My brother wants to go with 1/2 pulled pork, 1/2 cold sandwiches. We have most everything figured out using your site except the pulled pork. And I don't know if I am just being blind, but I can't find your pulled pork recipe. I saw a posting or two asking about pulled pork, and you referred to a recipe for one, but I'm lost! I think I thought pulled pork was made without BBQ sauce, is there such a thing? We're serving 200 guests, so I need a recipe for pulled pork for 100. Thanks!!!!

ellen
04/25/10
First of all, thanks!

I would make more pulled pork than that, make it ahead, and freeze it in about 5 pound amounts (about 18 sandwich) in the oversize freezer baggies (I think they are 3 gallons) in thin, flat layers. I would make 2 extra baggies for up to 140. Then on the day of, you can start with 100 people worth and pull out the extra baggies as needed for appetite. Thaw the main amount in the refrigerator 18-24 hours (1-2 nights) and the quickie bags, in a roaster or in a roasting pan in the oven at about 400.

Here is the recipe you were looking for:

As for pulled pork, here is a recipe for 8 pounds from a Carolina cook that is about as good as you can find. Note that this amount of sauce is only for 8 pounds meat, you will need 4 times as much for your 32 pounds.

2 pork butts, 3 to 4 pounds each, untrimmed (can sub shoulders)

Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 head garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves
2 Tb. whole cumin seeds
3 Tb. whole coriander seeds
1 Tb. whole black peppercorns
8 small dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
3 Tb. tomato paste
3 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt

Combine the honey, molasses, garlic, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chiles and bay leaves in a large stockpot, over medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic will darken, and the mixture will be very thick and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vinegar, water and salt. The sauce should be thin. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Set aside half the sauce for marinating the pork. Let the remaining sauce cool and fish out any large pieces of garlic peel. Puree the remaining sauce in a blender (some spices will remain whole). The sauce should be rather watery and look like a brothy tomato soup.

One or two days before cooking (much preferably two), put the pork in a container just large enough to hold it and deep enough for the reserved sauce to cover it. Cover the container and refrigerate, turning the pork half-way through the marinating period.

At this point, you're finally ready to cook the pork. I have tried this in a number of methods and variations, but have settled on a two-step process that works great. I cook half-way in the oven (before basting is necessary and saving propane) and half-way on a grill using indirect heat (making it easier to baste and adding the barbecue flavor you need). The formula is 2 hours per pound (or cooked to an internal temperature between 150 to 160 degrees).

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the pork, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Leave in oven three hours (for six pounds) or four hours (for eight pounds). Remove to pre-heated grill, but with low, indirect heat (should be about the same 200 degrees as your oven). Baste with the pureed sauce every 30 minutes, until done, turning once (this second half of cooking will take as long as the first, if your grill is correctly regulated). Let the pork cool.

Chop and shred the pork. You can either slice it or pull it apart with your fingers (thus the name, "pulled pork"). For slicing, cut the pork across the grain, in half-inch slices. For pulling, start pulling at the meat with a fork, then attack with your fingers. Discard any unrendered fat.

With a large knife, roughly chop the pork coarse. Put the chopped pork in a large bowl with some more of the pureed sauce; the amount is up to you (I'd go a little at a time, and test along the way). Serve the pork warm (no problem with a microwave; it's plenty juicy -- if you cooked it right) with a little more sauce on the side, for your bolder eaters.

It's a lot of work and that's why I usually go 8 pounds, so I can freeze half and eat it a few months from now. I figure if I'm going to this much trouble, I might as well make as much as the sauce can handle (8 pounds being the top end). Enjoy and tell any friends in Asheville or Memphis that you've got 'em beat.

**MID-SOUTH CAROLINA MUSTARD SAUCE***
1 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper

And...Here's a great spicy chili rub to use before cooking...

***SPICY CHILLI RUB***
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white pepper

Enjoy....

Solis Lujan
07/15/10
My son and his fiance are in fantasy land. They are getting married in a remote area of Big Sur, Calif. Two small cabins with small kitchens, 200 guest,some camping on the property. Everything has to be brought in from town 2 hours away. The menu is as follows: Grilled Chicken Breast with Mole Sauce and Pickled Onion Garnish, Spanish rice, Hot Corn Tortillas, Jicama Orange Salad on Baby lettuce w/ Pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Appetizers; Quesadillas w/ salsa, Raw Oysters w/ sauce, Guacamole w/ chips, Olives marinaded with orange peel, Spiced nuts, Feta with honey w/ crackers and one or two others that I can't remember. Margaritas, wine and cake. We have a BBQer and the Mole Sauce just needs broth and heat. They thought of making shortcake w/ strawberries and whipped cream, but I say forget it and buy a cake.
How can we pull it off. What amounts of food and how many cooks and servers, clean up, etc.
They think friends can pitch in, which is great for set up but not for the kitchen. What are your thoughts. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MOTHER OF THE SON.
I am not even mentioning the breakfast for about 50 the next day....,.
ellen
07/16/10
You are not crazy, they are in serious trouble planning-wise. The last mom I had do it this size successfully, they had 15 yes fifteen close friends who came 2 days ahead to the farm to hep prep and set up, and they hired in 3 experienced church lady cooks and 6 servers for day of so the friends could actually attend and enjoy the service and party. And she had 2 big farm kitchens with lots of freezers and a third small kitchen to work with. Also, you need to add a dish to the menu; ranch beans, or a hot veggie, and something for the non-chicken eaters (a vegetarian choice); you are in California, and there could be as many as 20.Estimating the food is not the most urgent issue. Transporting it and keeping it safely hot and cold is a real issue; there are such things as rental food trucks and cooker trucks; just for example you are looking at 300 pounds of ice and more than 300 pounds of food for the party...
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