I am doing a lunch for about 15 people and they asked for pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches. I'm doing 1 Boston butt for the pork, but not sure how much chicken to do. If I figure 1/2 pound per person would that be 7-8 pounds of chicken? Or do I need to get closer to 10-11 pounds to factor the bones weight too?
Another question is when should I pull it? I have to transport it about an hour to the luncheon. My thoughts were to pull it there and transport it wrapped in a warmed cooler.
Smoker:
Landmann Smoke Master Series Heavy Duty Barrel Smoker (COS) - With mods including 2 level rack system with pull-out grates
Masterbuilt 40.2" 1200W Electric Smoker
Masterbuilt ThermoTemp XL 40" Vertical Propane Smoker
Gas Grill:
BBQPro (cheap big box store model) Stainless steel 4 burnerswith aftermarket rotisserie.
Charcoal Grill:
Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill 14"
Thermometer:​​​​​​
Fireboard 2 with Drive cable and 20 CFM fan and Competition Probe Package
Fireboard 1st Generation
ThermoWorks Mini Instant Read
Lavaworks Thermowand Instant Read
2 Maverick 733
ThermoWorks IR-GUN-S Industrial Infrared Thermometer
ThermoWorks ThermaPen Mk4 x 2
Govee Bluetooth Thermometer with 6 probes
Miscellaneous:
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator - 1st generation
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator - wifi/bluetooth connected
Favorite Beer:
Anything to the dark side and malty rather than hoppy. Currently liking Yuengling Porter and Newcastle Brown Ale. In a bar or pub I will often default to Guiness
Favorite Spirit:
Bourbon - Eagle Rare for "every day"; Angel's Envy for special occasions, Basil Hayden's, Larceny
Favorite Wine:
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Super Tuscan Sangiovese (Including Chianti Classico Riserva) Brunello di Montalcino
Favorite Meat(s):
Pork - especially the darker meat. I love spare ribs and anything made from shoulder/butt meat
Chicken - Mainly the dark meat and wings
Beef Ribeye steak
Favorite Cuisine to Cook:
Can't list just one: Indian, Chinese, Thai, West Indian/Carribean, Hispanic/Latin American, Ethiopian, Italian, BBQ
Favorite Cuisine to Eat:
Indian, followed closely by BBQ.
General rule of thumb for stuff like pulled pork or chicken is 1/3 lb (or 5 ozs) per person of cooked product. So ½ lb might be a bit of overkill. Whatever per person amount you settle on should be net yield minus skin and bones. I'm not sure of the cooking loss factor for chicken. On a recent pulled pork I did, the loss factor was a bit greater than 50% for a bone in butt (loss was from raw trimming, evaporation/fat render during the cook, additional fast veins removal before pulling and the bone.) My 10.65 lb butt yielded ~ 5 lbs of pulled pork ready to eat.
1 whole roaster chicken that I sell pulled feeds around 12-13 people. The average weight of the chickens are around 7-8 lbs. but I do put a lot of meat on my big buns
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
1/2lb raw weight per person is a darn good rule of thumb. Are you buying say thighs for the pulled chicken? I'd stick with 7-8lbs, if even that much. Yeah the bones' weight might be half of that, but if you have a butt too you don't need that much chicken methinks. I'd say you'll want 7-8 lbs total (pork & chicken combined) raw weight for 15 people. With buns and sides that'll be plenty. I just made 7lbs pulled pork and it fed 12 people with leftovers- a couple were small kids but a couple were big eaters. If you're serving the high school football team maybe a full 1lb per person.
As far as pulling it, I prefer to pull mine before transporting. This works for me since I have large metal bowls with plastic lids that seal on them. I pull the meat in these bowls and pack it in and seal it. They hold heat & moisture pretty well. If it's a larger amount we'll put it in our instant pot or crock pot after pulling to keep warm and transport. Then I don't have much work to do or mess to make when I get there.
About Me
My name is Josh, not Joey (surprise), and I reside in Central Ohio. I have been grilling since I could drive, and smoking for around 15 years. Over the past couple of years I have gotten more into just cooking, and really enjoy sous vide and the flat top. I find myself experimenting with different foods and new ways of cooking as an outlet to work stress. I use every piece of equipment I own regularly, with the exception of the electric smoker. That only gets brought out on occasion to make jerky.
My favorite beverage is bourbon. I typically have at least 8-10 bottles open at any given time. While I have favorites, I enjoy sampling new and different varieties.
I agree with Huskee - no matter how efficient you are, if you don't have a way to keep the pulled meat warm, it is not going to be warm by the time you are done pulling it. I have always had a lot of luck doing all the "work" ahead of time, and then keeping things warm through whatever method is most convenient. Just add some fat (butter or even purge) to the warming pans.
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