So, just how much meat do I need to buy for dinner?!
Make sure no one goes hungry at your next family dinner!
Have you ever been to a dinner party where there isn’t enough food?
Everyone is eyeing up that last piece of meat, but no one wants to be the one to take it. Tummies grumble ominously. Fighting could break out at any minute.
It’s a disaster.
With a little planning, however, it’s a completely avoidable disaster.
So, how do you avert disaster? How can you answer the burning question: "how much meat do I need for a family dinner" without hiring a caterer?
First, decide on your menu.
Are you planning to dive right into a main course, or will you serve a bountiful appetizer spread first? If guests will fill up on shrimp and charcuterie first, they may not have a huge appetite for dinner.
Will you serve heavy side dishes (potatoes and pasta), or side dishes on the lighter side (sautéed veggies and salad)? Heavier side dishes mean people may have less room for meat.
Is meat going to be the main dish? If meat is the centrepiece of the meal (like a roast or tenderloin), you’ll need more per person. If meat will be part of the broader meal (like in pasta sauce or curry), you’ll need less.
Second, consider your guests.
If your guest list includes Uncle Al who could probably eat an entire cow on his own and ask for seconds, you’ll need more meat. If your vegetarian cousin is coming, factor her out of the meat equation.
Third, decide if you want leftovers.
If you want to make sure your family has some delicious leftovers to nosh on the next day, pad your numbers. If you’d rather not pack up leftovers, make just enough for dinner.
Time to calculate how much meat you need!
Based on your menu, guests, and decision on leftovers, your meat calculation may go up or down by an ounce or two. But these numbers will give you a solid base.
When meat is the main:
- For average eaters: 8 oz (226 g) per person
- For hearty eaters: 12 oz (340 g) per person
When meat is part of a larger dish:
- For average eaters: 4 oz (113 g) per person
- For hearty eaters: 6 oz (170 g) per person
Always err on the side of more. Keep in mind that not every single gram of meat can be eaten, and meat shrinks when it is cooked. We recommend using the “hearty eaters” scale to be on the safe side.
Worst case? You’ll have full guests and some leftovers to enjoy. (Hardly a tragedy!)
Need some inspiration?
5-7 Guests
AAA Aged 28 Days Tenderloin – 10 steaks at 156 g each
Feeds 7 average eaters or 5 hearty eaters.
8-12 Guests
Pork Tenderloins – 6 tenderloins at 454 g each
Feeds 12 average eaters or 8 hearty eaters.
10-15 Guests
AAA Aged 28 Days Striploin – 10 steaks at 340 g each
Feeds 15 average eaters or 10 hearty eaters.
Actually, just buy the Family Pack and you'll never have to wonder "how much meat do I need for a family dinner" again!
We bundled some of our most popular products – 233 meals worth, to be exact – so you can fill your freezer and enjoy family meal times instead of hanger meltdowns.