Wondering how much people you can feed with a pound of cooked brisket?
Planning how much meat you need is easy for cuts of meat like steak.
You can select similar-sized portions based on the number you are feeding. But for larger cuts like beef brisket, it can be tricky.
What will the cooked meat yield be in comparison to the uncooked brisket? How are you serving to go to be doing this delicious food?
Don’t worry!
With a few simple calculations, you can understand the serving of brisket per guest.
So cooking brisket is that much easier.
Table of contents
How Many Pounds Of Brisket Per Person?
You need around 1/2 a pound of brisket per person
Although I don’t need to remind you that this is very subjective. Part of the cooking process is knowing who you are cooking for!
Are they big eaters? Do you want to make extra?
Because brisket leftovers are a perfect surprise! 1Lb of cooked brisket is enough for 2 people.
What About The Serving Of Brisket Per Child?
For brisket meat per child, I would half again.
So 1 pound of cooked brisket servings will feed 4 hungry children!
How Are You Serving The Brisket?
Something else to think about is how you serve to plan the brisket.
Say if you had brisket sandwiches in mind.
You can set an average amount of brisket per sandwich. This will make it easier to calculate the portion size of the entire dish.
And accounting for specific brisket by weight portions.
You also may want to think about whether?
Raw Weight Vs Cooked Weight Of A Brisket
Brisket is mainly made up of protein and fats that contain a lot of water.
Cooking the meat causes moisture evaporation.
On average a brisket will lose half of its weight when cooked. This is vital when calculating your portion sizes.
So don’t forget it!
Can Anything Else Affect The Weight Of A Brisket?
I have mentioned the brisket fat that will render and evaporate.
I was referring to the intermuscular fat in the proteins.
But there will also be a thick fat cap on the top. This will need to be trimmed which will affect the overall weight.
So be sure to weigh your trimmed brisket. And do not calculate based on the pounds of meat before trimming!
Cooking an untrimmed brisket can even stop the cooking process by creating a stall or inedible bark.
What To Look For When Selecting Brisket Cuts
I like to recommend 100% USDA-certified prime-grade brisket.
Go to your local butcher and have a chat. Ask for advice after explaining your cooking process.
Your prime brisket should have an even layer of fat marbling within the meat. Ask for the fat to be trimmed to 1inch.
Selecting your brisket is the start of the portion planning. Request the final weight for your calculation of servings.
What Is The Average Brisket Weight When Raw?
Brisket is usually pork or beef. Beef brisket is taken from the chest muscle of the cow.
A pork butt for brisket is from the shoulder.
Cuts of brisket will vary but on average they are 10-12Lbs.
Fun Fact: A larger cut known as a packer brisket can weigh more than 20Lbs!
Should I Calculate Extra Brisket As A Fail Safe?
Yes!
Because we can’t be sure how much a cooked brisket will shrink.
I always recommend planning at least 4 to 5 more servings. This will give you wiggle room in all your brisket recipes.
Not to mention some leftover brisket to enjoy the next day.
Calculations Of Weight Based On A 12-Pound Raw Brisket
Below is an example of calculating the portion.
You are planning on making brisket tacos with portions of meat at 1/2lb per guest.
You are serving 5 people including yourself.
12lbs raw brisket (÷) 2 = 6lbs of cooked brisket.
6 (x) 2 = 12 servings.
This will allow for plenty of brisket per person with some leftovers.
Some Quick Tips When Cooking Brisket
To finish I want to highlight some tips which will make cooking brisket easier.
Enjoy!
- Ask your butcher to weigh the meat as they will have better and bigger scales.
- Give yourself enough prep time and cook time. (A brisket can take up to 12 hours to smoke)
- Smoke on a pellet grill with indirect heat for a long time.
- Use a meat thermometer to regulate the internal temperature.
- Spray the brisket every 60 minutes with vinegar to help the delicious bark.
- Lower your cooking temperature to avoid a stall.
- Rest the brisket for at least an hour after it has been cooked.
- It is always better to cook more than it is less!
Smoke On!
Charlie
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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