Your recommendation as to how many lbs of brisket to feed 16 people

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deb-in-mi

Well-known member
some of which eat quite a lot.

We have that many moving in with us for the weekend and my husband and I are in some disagreement. (I will win but I'd love to have some input)!

 
I'd do 20 to 25 lbs. for 16 people. It all depends, too, if you are having other meats

and how many sides. You will be safe with this, as brisket shrinks in cooking. Plan on the safe side. Brisket is great even after frozen and so much you can do with it.

 
Just another opinion- I would allow 1/2 lb per person depending on how it is cooked

I assume you will not "dry cook" the brisket- and if you are not using a method where the brisket will shrink a lot, it should be plenty for average appetites along with other menu items.

 
Is there ANY cooking method that doesn't shrink a brisket? I've braised, boiled, roasted, baked and

smoked them suckers and unlike many other cuts of beef, they shrink at least 50% EVERY time.

I think Karen's guesstimate is pretty close. If you're smoking or grilling you're gonna want to have a nice, thick fat cap on top. You have to take into account the fat to meat ratio, the amount of fat which you'll carve off and discard and the shrinkage factor.

Given the "1/2 lb a person" (generally the accepted portioning rule,) an 8 pound brisket (if there actually IS such a thing. Whole, untrimmed briskets run 10-20 lbs, halves are . . . well half that) would come out at least 4 lbs shy of whatever would be necessary to feed 16 adults.

At least any adults I know.

 
Thanks all! Doing about 16 lbs so that there will be left overs

The funny thing is I've been doing this for 15 years (cooking for the same group and they always request our chili sauce/beer brisket) - suddenly hubby decided that I didn't need 1/2 lb per person.
No where near that he felt. what can I say - he has been overruled!!!

 
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