Pig roast - pounds per person

[capta...@comcast.net]

I've been asked to do a pig roast next weekend at one of our facilities in Davenport Iowa. The pig was donated and dressed out at 118 with head off.  The yield calculator I have says plan on 47 pounds of chopped pork from this size pig.  We are cooking for 125 people and that would come to about 6 ounces per person.  I do plan to cook a few butts for safety and the chance that a few more people will show.  Do any of you guys cooking pigs for groups agree?  Our annual pig cook is for 300 people, so I always plan for lots of extra butts to be cooked. With these numbers it's much closer and I don't want to run short.

 

Thanks much!

 

Merrill

[Glenn Middendorf]

Merrill I always plan on 1 lb raw pig per person ( dressed ) if serving other meats. 

Glenn

www.hogtiedbackyardbbq.com

[Jason Perrigin]

Think you will be spot on with the extra butts.

-Jason in Dickson TN

[Merrill]

Thanks Glenn. This is the 4th pig I've cooked or helped cook and I still
get nervous every time.

Merrill

Glenn Middendorf wrote:
> Merrill I always plan on 1 lb raw pig per person ( dressed ) if serving
> other meats.
>
> Glenn

> www.hogtiedbackyardbbq.com <http://www.hogtiedbackyardbbq.com>

>
> On Oct 17, 2009, at 6:17 PM, capta...@comcast.net

[Merrill]

Thanks Jason. We're going to give it a try. If it was all men I'd be
really worried, but it's a mixed crowd including some kids. We'll make
it work.

Merrill

[J Perrigin]

I definitely think you're well within' the needs for supply then. I'm like
Glenn on the 1# per person raw weight. I figure grown men are the
customers, and any left overs are bonus already factored in and paid for by
the customer. Never had a complaint of running out. On second thought,
never had a complaint of making too much either. ;-)

-Jason in Dickson TN

[Pigm...@aol.com]

The biggest problem with pigs is they don't all grow with the same amount of fat. We cooked a pig that dressed at 90+ with the head on, and my wife was pulling the meat from the pig, and she did serve the meat to everyone, but almost 150 people came thru the line, with only that pig.  And we had several butts along as in case of. 

    While you are cooking the pig,  the skin starts to pull away from any fat under it. The skin will sound hollow when tapped, during the cooking if you hear that hollow sound you may want to cut back on the heat since the fat is leaving and your meat can start drying out.  Pigman!

In a message dated 10/18/2009 2:45:16 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, capta...@comcast.net writes:

Thanks Glenn. This is the 4th pig I've cooked or helped cook and I still
get nervous every time.

Merrill

Glenn Middendorf wrote:
> Merrill I always plan on 1 lb raw pig per person ( dressed ) if serving
> other meats.
>
> Glenn
> www.hogtiedbackyardbbq.com <http://www.hogtiedbackyardbbq.com>
>
> On Oct 17, 2009, at 6:17 PM, capta...@comcast.net
> <mailto:capta...@comcast.net> wrote:
>

[Nancee Gell & Greg Hunter]

Thought you guys could use a laugh...

Did a party tonite for 100...only 35 showed

Was in a barn...we were just dressed normal with crocs, etc

COLD...real cold!!!  Was under 40 degrees in there

Left them with lots of leftovers plus plenty for us...still trying to thaw out...

nancee

----- Original Message -----

From: Pigm...@aol.com

To: smoker...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 7:49 PM

Subject: [BBQ] Re: Pig roast - pounds per person

[J Perrigin]

That sucks Nancee!  Hope y'all got some TN's finest around to help speed up the warming effect.;-)

 

-Jason in Dickson TN

[Nancee Gell & Greg Hunter]

Nope...was a pretty professional event sad to say...

I think the organizer was too stunned and too cold to figure out what to do next...

we got paid though; as did the band

[Merrill]

Interesting info Pigman. I hadn't thought about there being that much of
a difference. Do you cook skin up or down or flip? I've read a few
articles about cooking skin down the whole cook and ladling off the fat
as it pools in the cavity. Saw an interview with Myron Mixon who said
that he went to cooking skin down to keep the juices and spices that he
worked so hard to put into the pig. Any thoughts?

Merrill

[pigm...@aol.com]

I've seen similar happen. But I feel bad for the people hosting esp if they have gotten RSVP's from people saying they would be there.  If it's a ticketed event, who cares, it was paid for, but when the host shells out the bucks and no one shows pretty disappointing. But on the positive, I haven't been cooking in the cold lately<GGG>    Pigman!

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancee Gell & Greg Hunter <purpl...@snet.net>
To: smoker...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, Oct 18, 2009 9:50 pm
Subject: [BBQ] Re: tonight's cater

[pigm...@aol.com]

   I've done it both ways.  If you want a lot of moist juicy meat, almost like roasted in the oven,  cook it skin down, and when ya turn it the juice will run out into the cooker or the ground or yer shoes or wherever.  For a real pig pickin, I'd go  first half the time skin up, and last half skin down. But here in is the problem, if yer not set up to flip a whole pig, mostly the reason I do the whole pig is for the show. I don't have a rotissierre so mine cooks sort of flat.  But trying to flip over a well done pig becomes a problem, and also when cooking skin down the grate marks leave impresions and detracts from the presentation part.  Cooking it skin down will allow the seasoning to really set into the meat more.  That's why with most of mine I season it as it comes out of the pig, and gets tossed in by hand.  Now that yer totally cornfused!    Pigman!

-----Original Message-----
From: Merrill <capta...@comcast.net>
To: smoker...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, Oct 18, 2009 11:10 pm
Subject: [BBQ] Re: Pig roast - pounds per person

Interesting info Pigman. I hadn't thought about there being that much of 
a difference. Do you cook skin up or down or flip? I've read a few 
articles about cooking skin down the whole cook and ladling off the fat 
as it pools in the cavity.  Saw an interview with Myron Mixon who said 
that he went to cooking skin down to keep the juices and spices that he 
worked so hard to put into the pig. Any thoughts?

Merrill