Making 2 briskets, 6? racks of ribs, 1 pork butt, maybe 4-8 lbs sausage?? 1/2 pork belly as burnt ends. Will come w homemade rolls, cole slaw, beans, my sauces, potato salad, peach cobbler, and store-bought (Bluebell "home-made" vanilla. Suggestions on more or less appreciated. All adults, with a couple of vegetarians my wife will handle.
-
-
What exactly do you need help with? Planning? timing? holds? -
My advice is the more variety you offer the more left overs you will have, because you can’t predict which item they will prefer. I vote for one meat.Comment
-
I think I understand the timing, but it is really the volumes that I’m concerned aboutComment
-
Spinaker you always make more pork belly because you always eat more pork belly.
-
I don’t know bout the eating habits of your guests, but if they are young men plan for more. At 2 ribs per person that would be 90 ribs. 10 ribs per St. Louis ribs that would be 9 racks. As to brisket I would figure on that some will eat 1/4 pound and others will eat 1/2 pound. That would average to 3/8th pound or about 3 servings per pound. So, 15 pounds of cooked brisket should cover it. Your 2 briskets should cover it, but if you want to be safe on ribs 3 more racks should cover it. Someone else might have a better estimate.Comment
-
I would stick to 2 or 3 types of meat at most. The more variety, the harder it will be to manage. Especially when it comes to the rush right before serving when you are slicing/shredding the meat and setting out the rest of the food.
As for the amount of food, I agree with Spinaker and LA Pork Butt. If you have ~20 lbs of cooked meat, you will have plenty for everyone and some leftovers.
You've got this fracmeister!Comment
-
That sounds pretty close to what I’d cook for that crowd. I def would not cook less. The great thing about barbecue is that leftovers are SO good, even frozen and reheated. So def air on the heavy side of food.Comment
-
I have cooked for crowds of 80+ before, and more often 30+. I think you have a good plan in place. If there is anything left, you will enjoy the leftovers.Comment
-
I cook for about 60 people once a year for my son's bday, so that post might have some helpful info - https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ook-~50-peopleOriginally posted by fracmeister View Post
My biggest concern is always timing everything to serve around the same time and utilizing the cookers/tools I have available to me for finishing/resting food.
Also I just want to put everything out at once and get a beer in my hand. Some people prefer to be working the smokers/grills all day, but on a hot day in late June with a pool in sight, that isn't me.
Pork butt is your friend. Easy to make in advance, stays hot for hours in faux cambro and feeds lot of people. I usually do that overnight before the party, rest it until it's not scalding hot, pull, sauce and into chaffing dish or big crockpot.
Brisket I would time it so it's in a heated rest for at least an hour if not more before the party. Makes a better brisket IMO and takes so much stress out of it. I use a turkey roaster but an oven works fine if it can maintain a low temp. Slicing the brisket and serving is the last thing I do, plus it makes for a nice show, and smart guests know to get a slice or an end chunk right off the board.
I haven't done ribs before, cutting them up seems like too much work at time of service with everything else happening. If I'm dropping something, it's the ribs. Party ribs could fix this issue, but I feel like you have less wiggle room with the hold time.
Sausage seems easy, especially if you're gonna do the bath thing and just serve in there (not sure what kind of sausage we are talking about). I do hot dogs for my party because lots of kids. Again, easy to do at the very end, or delegate to someone who wants to help. If they can't be trusted to cook tube steaks they probably shouldn't be around in general.
Big fan of the PBBE though - I do those morning of the party, and you can pretty much just hold them in the braising pan for as long as needed, then finish uncovered before service. They are always a huge hit. Never had any left.
We just do Costco for our sides so can't comment there. Not worth the fridge space for me and I have two of them - I'd rather have more beer on hand and less stress. My wife would also be the one getting that job and she is on kid duty while I finish the cook.
Sorry that was all train of thought, hope that helps!
What are you cooking on?
Last edited by bbq_esq; October 30, 2025, 09:24 AM.Comment
-
Karuebecue for the brisket and pork butt until I wrap them and then they go into the Yoder pellet pooper. Then the ribs go in the KBQ. PBBE on the UDS. Sausage on the gasser. I still have a propane vertical smoker, big Weber and flattop that aren't slated for use but I can keep that propane smoker stable at 250 easily. Might could more ribs on the Yoder and do the wrapped brisket or but in the propane.
thats the plan -
fracmeister oh wow you got an arsenal of cookers, plan sounds good! I need to get myself a pellet cooker. I regret not grabbing a Pit Box Austin XL at wal-mart the other month when it was marked down to like $200. Definitely takes the stress out of this stuff when you have something that can easily hold a temp and put smoke on something.
-
-
Oh, I am doing some bacon wrapped jalapenos but that hardly counts.
Comment
-
Pics from the cook one half belly as burnt ends the other crispyvarious attendees
the ribs were beautiful
kbq shots
mountains of onions chopped
one of four rounds of potatoes boiled brisket ready
another 8 quarts of sauce— dont want to run out!
Attached FilesComment
-
Comment