How Much Pork Should I Buy to Feed 70 People?

Planning to cook pork for a large group of 70 people? Figuring out how much meat to buy can be tricky You want to make sure you have enough so everyone gets a hearty portion But you also don’t want to overbuy and end up wasting food and money.

In this article, we’ll break down a simple formula to determine exactly how many kilos of pork you need to feed 70 people. We’ll also look at portion sizes raw vs cooked weights and provide some extra tips for buying pork for a crowd.

Calculating How Much Pork Per Person

The basic formula for pork portions is

• Adults: 150g cooked weight per person
• Kids: 110g cooked weight per person

To determine the total cooked weight needed:

• Multiply the number of adults by 150g
• Multiply the number of kids by 110g
• Add the two amounts together

For example, for 50 adults and 20 kids:

• Adults: 50 x 150g = 7500g
• Kids: 20 x 110g = 2200g
• Total cooked weight needed = 7500g + 2200g = 9700g

But remember, pork loses weight when cooked. Raw pork weighs about twice as much as cooked pork.

So to determine the raw weight of pork needed, simply double the total cooked weight.

In our example, we’d need 9700g x 2 = 19,400g or 19.4kg of raw pork.

Quick Reference Tables

Here are handy reference tables showing how much cooked and raw pork you need for different group sizes:

Cooked Pork Needed

Raw Pork Needed

As you can see, for a group of 70 people (50 adults, 20 kids) you’d need around 19.4kg of raw pork.

Factors That Affect Portion Sizes

The 150g and 110g portions above are general guidelines. You may want to adjust portions based on:

• Other menu items – If serving multiple meat options or heavy sides, reduce portions.

• Appetites – Adjust for big eaters or kids with smaller appetites.

• Leftovers – Buying extra allows for leftovers without skimping on portions.

• Event type – Buffet portions often smaller than plated dinners.

When in doubt, add 10-20% to be safe. You can always save extra cooked pork.

Buying Your Pork

• Buy bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt. It’s cheaper than boneless with more flavor.

• Get the whole roast, not smaller individual cuts. More economical.

• Allow 1-2 days for thawing larger cuts of meat.

• Talk to your butcher about pre-ordering for large groups.

• Have about a 10% buffer in case your yield is lower than expected.

Cooking Tips for a Crowd

Cooking pork for 70 people takes some strategy:

• Use multiple roasts rather than one huge piece of meat. Cooks more evenly.

• Stagger cooking if needed to use all grill/smoker space.

• Start early! Large roasts need 12-16 hours smoking time.

• Keep roasted pork in a cooler wrapped in towels until serving time.

• Have extra barbecue sauce and rolls on hand.

• Consider making pulled pork for easy serving in sandwiches.

Plan Ahead for Pork Perfection

Perfectly portioned pork starts with some advance planning. Calculate how much you need, order it early, allow ample cook time, and use extra for tasty leftovers. Our formula, reference tables, and tips make it easy to buy, cook, and serve just the right amount of delicious pork for 70 people.