How Much BBQ for a Party?

For a 100-guest party, cooked pulled pork typically runs from about 10 pounds up to 50 pounds, depending on the event and how much else is on the table. The calculators here work in pounds of cooked meat, figured at three servings per pound, and each total already includes a 15 percent buffer for latecomers and second helpings. That published amount assumes barbecue is the main dish, at one serving per guest; if it is sharing the table with tacos, sliders, or another entree, the plan drops to about half a serving per person, and the pounds you order come down with it.

Keep in mind you are buying raw meat, and the pork at the butcher counter needs to weigh more than the cooked figure shown. A long, slow cook can burn off roughly half the meat's mass as fat and moisture cook out, so the raw cut has to start out heavier. Starting the smoker the day before takes the time pressure off, since pulled pork holds and reheats well once it has rested.