Ordering the right amount of meat for your gatherings and family dinners can be hard! Don't worry, we've put together this guide to help:
How To Order Enough Meat For Your Event
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Meat Ordering Calculator
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.
Meat Is The Main Dish
- For average eaters: 8 oz (226 g) per person
- For hearty eaters: 12 oz (340 g) per person
Meat Is An Accompaniment
- For average eaters: 4 oz (113 g) per person
- For hearty eaters: 6 oz (170 g) per person
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!
Meat Options For Family Dinners & Gatherings
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