An unpleasant situation for everyone, but one that can be avoided if you know in advance how much meat you have to plan for per person.
Everyone circles around the prime rib, the chicken leg, or the veal slice like a pack of wolves. As a gesture of goodwill, you kindly offer the last bite, hoping everyone will refuse so you can devour it.
How Much Meat Per Person?
If you are using 12 ounces as your serving size and are serving two or more different types of meat, simply divide the serving size by the number of meats to calculate how much each type to purchase.
Two types of meat, 6 ounces each, three types of meat, 4 ounces each, and so on.
If using meat as an appetizer, reduce the portion size to 1/2 to 1/4 the size of the main dish.
If your estimates are wrong, you’ll either have a lot of leftovers or some very dissatisfied diners who didn’t get a chance to eat.
Unless you’re an experienced cook or experienced caterer, it’s hard to know how much meat, poultry, or fish to buy.
Usually, when planning the party, the first thing you think of is the main course, the meat. Other factors to consider are whether your guests are adults, children, or teenagers, and how many side dishes you’re serving.
Guidelines for meal planning
It’s best to consider the entire meal when determining how much meat you need per person.
Also, an adult can be expected to eat about 1 pound of food. Children under 12 eat half of it. And teenagers tend to eat a little more than adults.
Meat consumption varies, but the general rule of thumb is to serve 1/4 to 3/4 pounds of cooked meat per person. The amount depends on the guest.
You always want to have an adequate amount of food. It’s far better to have too much on hand than to skimp and fall short. If you don’t have enough, your name will be mud.
And good luck getting them to move on to the next one.
How much fish per person?
For most finfish, such as bass and salmon, an 8-ounce serving is a typical serving size. About 30% is lost during cooking, so calculate 300g of raw fish per person for steaks and fillets.
The average size of meat portions
There are standard serving sizes for meat and other proteins like fish and poultry. We use them to start our calculations of the right amount of meat to buy when grocery shopping.
For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume you only feed adults. For kids, shorten it and for teens, upload it.
A good serving size for each protein is half a pound or 8 ounces (227 g) of raw meat.
Use 340g (¾ pounds or 12 ounces) when serving meat with only two or three sides.
Reserve a pound each for heavy eaters (athletes, teens, and others)
The difference in weight between raw and cooked is called yield. It is a calculation of the percentage of loss due to shrinkage, scrap, and bone. Performance is what has yet to be served.
Well before your eyes think about it you need to be able to do a lot of math it will be easy.
How much chicken per person?
When it comes to chicken, sometimes it’s easier to plan by counting parts and pieces rather than weight. Boneless chicken breasts are available in sizes from 4 to 8 ounces. However, for bulk meat such as boneless thighs, we calculate by the pound.
Use 1.5 boneless chicken breasts per person when serving other meats and dishes. For bone-in chicken, plan on ¼ chicken or two pieces per person. That would be a wing and a breast, or a mace and a mace.
For boneless thigh meat, allow for 6 ounces per cooked serving. With a 70% yield, you need to buy half a pound of raw thigh meat per person.
How much brisket per person?
After slicing and cooking, you only get a 50% yield of a whole, unsliced brisket, which means you need a 12-pound brisket to make 6 pounds of meat. You’ll often lose a good 15% or more in weight if you cut up a brisket before you even start cooking!
Servings start at 4 ounces for sandwiches and go up to a full pound for big eaters on football day.
If you feed ten hungry football fans half a pound of brisket, you have to start with 10 pounds to end up with the necessary 5 pounds.
How much turkey per person?
We rarely eat turkey alone, use an 8-ounce serving per person. With all the skin and bones, you’re lucky enough to get a 50% yield even when you pull out each piece of meat.
To feed 12 people, you must purchase at least one 12-pound turkey.
it would be wiser to buy a 14- to 16-pound bird since most people want a nice piece of breast meat and don’t want to sever the leg and wings.
How many steaks per person?
These are typical yields for ordinary steaks.
- T Bone – 77%
- Porter House—77%
- New York Strip Steak: 89%
- Let’s take 70% as an average yield and 12 ounces per serving.
Buy 17 ounces per person for bone-in steaks and 13 to 14 ounces for boneless steaks.
How many pounds of ribs per person?
Most people use a number of ribs instead of weight. For example, a half rack of baby back ribs will contain 6 to 7 ribs. For large buffets with other foods and sides, count on three ribs per person.
There is a size difference between pork ribs and baby loins. A baby back rib rack has 10 to 13 ribs that are 3 to 6 inches long and weigh only about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. You will only feed two people.
Pork ribs are larger, fatter, and have bigger bones. They weigh at least 2 ½ pounds or more and can support 3 to 4 individuals.
BBQ Planning Tips
At large barbecue parties, the focus is on food and time. The success of the barbecue can be ensured with the following tips:
- Make a budget before you buy anything
- Calculate the amount of food needed
- Make sure you have enough space to cook, serve and eat
- Prepare meat (roasts, marinades, spritzers) and side dishes the day before and refrigerate
- Check the forecast. Protect yourself and your guests from bad weather
Conclusion
it is important to consider the amount of meat a person consumes and make sure that they are getting the right amount of protein. Too much meat can be high in calories and saturated fat, while not enough can leave people feeling tired and listless. To get the most out of their diet, people should aim to consume around 2-3 ounces of meat per day.