Pulled Pork Butt Advice Needed

[coachB]

OK, so this past weekend I was asked to give away the bride at her wedding this June.  She is getting married in Charleston, SC, and the after-reception party will be at a Kiawah Island beach house.  I have been volunteered by my ex to provide pulled pork for 20-25 people.  (This from a woman who, after we got married, would need a GPS to find a kitchen.)

I have a #3 and my questions are how much weight to figure per person?  Should I do a couple of different types (amt of smoke/woods/rubs)?  How long ahead of time to start cooking?  How to keep 1st butts moist, etc. while the whole project completes.  I have done 2 butts @225 16-17 lbs that took 33 hrs.  Can I do 4 butts in a #3?

I have never done anything for this many people and am absolutely clueless.  His family is from Kansas City area and would know bbq, her's are flying in from Serbia and bbq will be a new experience.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SuperDave]

Some of the meat answer lies in whether there are appetizers, side dishes, rolls for sandwiches.....  If the meat is the only food at the party, you obviously need a lot more.  I've served 30 with 2 butts but it was a huge spread.  If you are throwing out pulled pork and a bowl of cole slaw, assume close to a lbs per person, per cooked. 

 

[Pork Belly]

Tell the butcher " I need two uncut pork butts in the twin pack from the processor" What you will receive is two butts that are very close to 8 pounds each. These butts are very equal in size and will have a nice fat cap on them.

Brine and prep them as in your favorite manner. I also have a #3 when I do two butts like this I position them as high as I can in the smoker. Place the butts as close to the center of the rack as you can. A half inch of space between the two is fine. Add a water pan of flavorful liquid and smoke at 235 for two hours per pound of the total weight. You can run a thermometer if you want but I assure you they will be perfect at two hours a pound.

A few hours before they finish, prep your cooler with a large pot of boiling water to warm it. I line a large bowl with two long strips of foil and lift a butt into the bowl, wrap and repeat with the other butt. Having the foil in place makes it easy and quick to double wrap the butts. After each butt is securely foiled place them in the dried warm cooler and pack the extra space with towels.

Subtract two hours per pound from thirty minutes before you need to leave the house and start the butts then.

I did two butts, 16 pounds worth of meat for my sons engagement party. We had figured on 25 invited people and at least 30 showed up. There was plenty of extra meat left over for two family meals. You should pick up some squeeze bottles, they are cheap. I put different sauces in the bottles and place them near the pork. This allows people to easily sauce their pork without wasting or getting too much.

 

[SuperDave]

If you are now fully responsible for catering the affair, here are some ideas for other food items.

I served sausage stuffed mushrooms for one of my appetizers

Smoked beans, mac & cheese and potato salad were sides

I've also thrown large groups to 40 with a brisket and a pork butt

If you can borrow a couple of small crock pots, I put a mild sauce in one and a spicy sauce in the other with a small ladle in them and had them clearly marked.

 

[coachB]

Brian,  I am doing the pulled pork, nothing else.  The ex can pick up salads, rolls, etc. as she lives in Charleston and it is easier for her.  I just did exactly what you suggested (matched 8.5 lbs) at 225 and they came out great.  I do think I will do the next ones at 235 though.
I guess my biggest question is how to hold the pork so that it will serve well.  It will have to be done in advance of the actual dinner.  I will be bringing the meat down there on Sat. and the dinner is Mon. night.  What is the best thing to do with the completed pull so that it doesn't totally dry out and turn to crap.  Store in 2 Gal ziplocks and freeze or what?
Dave, the ex can pick up the peripherals locally but I am intrigued by the look of your baked beans.  Are they smoked?  Recipe available?  I do have access to a 3 compartment cooker for the sauce.  Good idea.  I am figuring Famous Dave Sweet & Sassy and FD's Devil's Spit.
I'll do butts Dave, but nobody's getting my (your) Canadian bacon.

 

[coachB]

Dave, forget the bean recipe. I found the "Beans fit for a meal" recipe in the appropriate section.  Just had to look.  You guys are awesome.

 

[SuperDave]

Bill,
Keep the butts whole and foiled in the serving pans.  With a little au jus, they can be warmed in the oven or crock pot and pulled right before being served.  They can also be pulled ahead but you open yourself to a lot greater chance for drying out. 

 

[Limey]

Brian, When you say "Add a water pan of flavorful liquid and smoke at 235 for two hours per pound of the total weight. You can run a thermometer if you want but I assure you they will be perfect at two hours a pound" are you referring to the weight of both butts added together i.e. 16 pounds in your example. This would give a smoke of 32 hours, or am I misreading this?

 

[SuperDave]

Separated cuts cook as a single cut cooked alone, give or take a little extra time for the smoker to come up to cooking temperature. 

 

[Pork Belly]

Thanks for checking because I wrote that wrong, one of the perils of typing late at night.

Go 2 hours per pound for the largest butt they will both finish together. The largest butt in my last double smoke was 8.2 lbs. I did sixteen hours at 235 they were great.

 

[coachB]

Dave--if reheating in oven, set heat at what?  How long? This way would probably be the smartest and most pain free.

 

[SuperDave]

Bill,
With no cooking to be done, you are just warming to a pleasing eating temperature.  Is the ceremony happening at the same place as the reception?  It would only need an hour or 2 at low temp to be where you want it. 

 

[mizzoufan]

I don't know if you have them available, but Chafing pans work great for this.  I did the same for a friend's rehearsal dinner.  If you have someone that can do it for you or you know the length of the ceremony won't be >2 hours just set them up and keep the sterno cans mostly closed to allow a little bit of flame to escape.  Pulled pork should be a good temp when you get there.  I also recommend putting a little bit of liquid in the actual serving pan (obviously in the water pan as well) just to make sure it doesn't dry out.  These are what I have, but there are other options as well on Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/Winware-Stainless-Steel-Chafer-Full/dp/B0018QJA8I/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1426098862&sr=1-1&keywords=chafing+pans

 

[coachB]

Different from the ceremony, but I should have enough time to reheat at the party location.  Thanks Dave.
Thanks for the suggestion Steve.  The ex can probably lay hands on a couple of chafing trays.

 

[coachB]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their help and advice on getting this done up right.  I will post the final results under its own thread.