You made the mistake of cooking barbecue for other people, and now you’ve backed yourself into a corner, because the word is out about your legendary BBQ. It’s so good, your wife’s friends won’t stop talking about it. Their husbands won’t stop talking about it. Well, except for that one guy who thinks he can do anything you can do, but better. Doesn’t matter, no one likes him anyway, but I digress. Pretty soon everyone you know is asking you to cook for them and their event. One meal has now turned into a full summer’s worth of bookings. Just how in the world are you going to pull that off?

Fear not, local master of the barbecue pit! This guide will help you get started.

Logistics- A fancy way of working out the who, what, when, where, why and how

The key to ensuring any large operation is a success is in the planning, and cooking for a large group is no different. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Who are you cooking for?

Who you’re cooking for is a big factor in determining how much food to buy. A group of guys will consume much more food than the local book club, so the demographics of your group matter.

What’s The Occasion?

Cooking for a group to watch the game will require more food than if you’re cooking for a birthday party. Also, if it’s a buffet, you’ll need to factor in extra food as people tend to over-serve themselves as opposed to a sit down style dinner.

Something else to consider- what side dishes are being provided? People won’t generally fill up on veggie platters and chips and dip like they would on potato salad and corn bread.

When Is The Event?

Events during the holidays lend themselves more to over-eating than events during random times of the year.

So.. We’ve got all the details worked out – How much meat per person do I need to buy?

It’s been said the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. It’s also been said money can’t buy happiness, though I’d argue that person never strolled through the meat section of Costco.

Factoring in all of the above details, I like to use a simple formula for determining how much meat to buy:

¼ lbs uncooked meat per person for:

• Any event involving a large amount of children or elderly guests.
• Office cocktail party or work event where only hors d’oeuvres (Fancy way of saying “snacks”) are being served
• Potlucks that will likely consist of other large, heavy dishes and sides.

½ lbs uncooked meat per person for:

• Any family type of party or gathering that will have a mix of young and old guests and may only feature a few side dishes.
• Lunch events
• Sit down, family style dinners that are only slated to last a couple hours
• NOTE: This is pretty much the standard when it comes to figuring out how much food to buy per person .If in doubt, default to this formula and you’ll be fine 80% of the time.80% of the time it works every time.

¾ lbs uncooked meat per person for:

• Dinner parties planned to go more than just a couple hours.
• Gameday!
• Any family-style party where you might want leftovers
• Buffets

1 lbs uncooked meat per person for:

• Any event where the guests will be primarily guys will need more food. Teens, adult males = more food. It’s science.

Of course there are many other factors you might need to consider, but hopefully this guide gives you enough to get started.

Questions? Send an e-mail to backyardpitmasternet@gmail.com.