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Cook Talk

meat for 200 people
rhonda
03/13/12
I am having a graduation party and inviting 200 people. will 50 lbs of pulled pork sandwiches, 50 lbs of roast beef with potatoes be enough meat?? i am also having tossed salad, pasta salad, fruit cups, and some kind of vegatables plus buttered potatoes ( separate from the beef), chips and maybe meatballs. Plus ice cream and cake.
ellen
03/13/12
Rhonda, I need to know i this ready to eat weight on the pork? Is the roast beef a hash, stew, what?
RHONDA
03/13/12
the pork is 50 lbs ready to eat. the roast beef is a pot roast.
ellen
03/13/12
It is enough meat, butthe roast beef will probably run out- people tend to prefer beef- so have someone serve the first round.
rhonda
03/14/12
Looking at other questions from everyone -- what is the difference between a brisket and a roast? I am thinking maybe I can throw in a few briskets with the roast to help make it go farther and hopefully less expensive than buying roast. What is your opinion?
rhonda
03/14/12
One more question, How much roast beef would you suggest i would need to get me through without running out. Do you think i have enough pork?
Jim
03/14/12
How many lbs. raw cornbeef for 12 ounce sandwiches. What is the fat/water to meat ratio loss?
ellen
03/14/12
Weight loss on brisket is more than 50%, it is not a particularly economical meat.

Rhonda, a top round roast would be more economical because of less shrinkage. If it were my party, I would not prepare less than 80 pounds raw boneless beef.

Jim, you need 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound raw to make 12 ounces; the lesser if it is corned round, the large if it is brisket.

Scott
05/30/12
meat for 250 people
We are cooking beef for a large non-profit picnic (250ppl). Let me know if my numbers are adequate knowing that not everyone will eat a portion of each.
35# ground beef, 1/4# patties = 140 burgers.
50# Round (for roast beef), after shrinkage = 42#, therefore 170 1/4# servings.
50# chuck for BBQ, after shrinkage = @35# therefore 140 1/4# servings.

Does this seem adequate? Thank you!

ellen
05/30/12
If you have servers for the meat it may be OK, if self serve, you will probably run out of roast beef. People take a 5 ounce portion= 3 people per cooked pound, and about 60% will take the roast.

Get good rolls so the sandwiches look more attractive and good condiments- see the table on the sandwich page.

I would probably skip the burgers and do an equal dollar amount of leg quarters; more bang for the buck.

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