How many pounds of brisket do I need for 20 adults?
And usually when brisket is served, so is a lot of other food so you may find yourself with leftovers, which is never a bad thing. That means, if you need to feed 20 people, get 12 pounds of brisket.
If you really want to know how much brisket to serve per person, **account for one pound of raw brisket (or half a pound of cooked brisket) per adult and half a pound of uncooked brisket (or a quarter pound of cooked brisket) for your little ones.
If you're cooking for a get-together of 25 people you will need: Small serving: 12.5 pounds of raw brisket to yield 6.25 pounds of cooked brisket. Large serving: 25 pounds of raw brisket to yield 12.5 pounds of cooked brisket.
Most people will probably eat ⅓ pound to ½ pound of meat. So a 15 pound brisket will feed around 15-20 people.
Buy the right size.
"A 14-pound brisket would feed 25 to 30 people," he warns, so don't let yourself get talked into buying more than you need. A general rule with brisket is to buy a half-pound for every person you'll feed, leaving room for leftovers.
A 10-pound raw brisket should feed 10 to 20 people, depending on their ages and eating habits.
Brisket Grade | Price Per Pound |
---|---|
Select | $1.99/lb |
Choice | $2.99/lb |
Prime | $4.99/lb |
On average, brisket is around $4 to $5 a pound. Stores usually price higher if it is a cut that wastes part of the beef. This means that a flat cut brisket is pricier, at around $8 a pound, while a packer or Texas brisket cut can be as low as $2 or $3 per pound.
If your gathering is more formal, carve the meat from the flat into neat slices and serve them on a platter alongside roasted vegetables. You can use the brisket drippings to make a quick pan sauce or gravy to drizzle over the meat.
Start with a brisket in the 10- to 12-pound range, which is just the right size to fit on the grill. Trim off the excess top fat or “fat cap,” but leave a ¼”-thick layer of fat to keep the meat moist during the long cooking process.
What is a good price for brisket per pound?
$30 a pound is a totally reasonable price for some quality brisket and might even be a bargain once you think about all that goes into a good brisket.
When buying a whole brisket, choose one that has the thickest and most uniform flat that you can find. Some briskets taper off too much in this area, which will result in uneven cooking and dry, wasted meat that you'd have to discard anyway. Choose a brisket with a flat that is at least 1 inch thick at the end.
Brisket is done when it reaches 203° internally. Smoke a 10 lbs brisket for 6-9 hrs and then rest for 1 hr. Smoke a 15 lbs brisket for 10-12 hrs and then rest for 1 hr. Smoke a 20 lbs brisket for 12-16 hrs and then rest for 1 hr.
That means a 12-pound brisket will take about 18 hours to cook at a temperature of 225 F and about 12 hours to cook at a temperature of 250 F. This gives you a rough idea, but be sure to allow extra time in case it takes longer than expected, and don't forget to leave time for it to rest after it's done.
A full brisket is most often purchased by chefs and hobbyist barbecue aficionados, because it is very large — between 12 to 16 pounds — and requires a cook who knows how to cook both cuts at the same time.
Rotate the brisket every few hours and add more charcoal and wood chips every 45 minutes to keep the temperature steady. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket registers 185 degrees F to 200 degrees F, 7 1/2 to 10 hours.
The flat cut makes up the majority of the brisket. It's long and thin with a thick layer of fat on top that keeps the meat moist when cooked. This cut is best for slicing and most likely what you'll find in your supermarket. It's also the best cut of brisket to use for Homemade Corned Beef.
The flat cut is leaner. Corned beef comes from brisket point and has a lower price and extra fat, which keeps the cooked brisket meat moist. 2. Flavor: The point cut has a more intense beefy flavor given the additional fat content, but there is less meat than the flat cut, and it's harder to cook.
In addition to temperature and time, says Richter, starting with a brisket that is large, marbled and thick enough to survive the strain of slow smoking is key—briskets that start off too small, taper off at one end, or lack enough protective fat to cover all of the flat are doomed to dryness.
1 pound of cooked brisket will typically feed 2 people.
Planning for this much brisket per person also leaves you with a good amount of leftovers to get creative with in the following days.
How many pounds of pulled pork Do I need to feed 20 people?
Following the thumb rule, the amount of pulled pork for 20 people will be 20 X 6 ounces = 120 ounces of finished pork. Therefore, for 20 people, you should buy 13.25 (or about 13 ⅓ pounds of raw pork and 6.75 or about 6 ⅔ pounds of cooked pork.
If you are cooking Brisket for a crowd or event of 50 people you will need: Large serving size: 50 pounds of uncooked untrimmed brisket to give 25 pounds of cooked brisket or around 1/2 pound per person.
Brisket is done when it reaches 203° internally. Smoke a 10 lbs brisket for 6-9 hrs and then rest for 1 hr. Smoke a 15 lbs brisket for 10-12 hrs and then rest for 1 hr. Smoke a 20 lbs brisket for 12-16 hrs and then rest for 1 hr.
Brisket Grade | Price Per Pound |
---|---|
Select | $1.99/lb |
Choice | $2.99/lb |
Prime | $4.99/lb |
On average, brisket is around $4 to $5 a pound. Stores usually price higher if it is a cut that wastes part of the beef. This means that a flat cut brisket is pricier, at around $8 a pound, while a packer or Texas brisket cut can be as low as $2 or $3 per pound.
A good rule of thumb is to estimate about 1/3 pound of cooked pulled pork (or boston butt) per person.
The Meat
A whole butt can weigh in at 10 pounds, which yields enough pork for around 30 sandwiches. Pulled pork improves after a day in the fridge, so if that changes your mind about leftovers, make the whole thing. But you can always ask your butcher to cut a smaller portion.
To feed 40 people, plan on starting with at least 40 pounds of uncooked brisket and adjust according to the guest list, how you will serve it, and if you want leftovers or not. Brisket is a great piece of meat for large events and is always a crowd favorite.
When buying a whole brisket, choose one that has the thickest and most uniform flat that you can find. Some briskets taper off too much in this area, which will result in uneven cooking and dry, wasted meat that you'd have to discard anyway. Choose a brisket with a flat that is at least 1 inch thick at the end.
What is a good size brisket to smoke?
Start with a brisket in the 10- to 12-pound range, which is just the right size to fit on the grill. Trim off the excess top fat or “fat cap,” but leave a ¼”-thick layer of fat to keep the meat moist during the long cooking process.
We cook our brisket at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F) using cherry or apple wood from the Northwest. This temperature will break down the connective tissue, rendering some of the intramuscular fat, which in turn keeps the tenderness, and juicy flavor.
When Should You Wrap a Brisket? Most barbecue experts recommend wrapping brisket when it reaches an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit.
By wrapping your brisket in tinfoil you will speed up the cooking process, and you will have a tender end product, but you do run the risk of ruining the bark you had begun to build up on the outside of your brisket.