Feeding 30-40 people...

March 8, 2018 9:17 AM

I’m throwing a baby shower for my very best friend this Monday and I need a little advice about food and making sure I have enough of it. (I asked about everything else baby shower related here and you guys were a HUGE help. I claimed I had food under control. I was perhaps over confident...) Specific questions (including instant pot questions) inside.

I’m planning on doing a big crockpot full of pulled pork that I will cook this weekend in my instant pot. First question, the recipe (from The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cookbook) is for a 4 lb boneless pork roast and claims to make 6-8 sandwiches on big hamburger buns. I’m doing sliders, plus there will be a bunch of other party-type food. Will a 4 lb pork roast be enough for 30-40 people to make a slider or two? I kind of doubt it. How much pork roast should I get?

Second question, I’m going to use the instant pot for the first time to hard boil eggs for deviled eggs. Have you done this? Can I hard boil them the day before and peel them right before I use them (I mean, I’m sure I can but is this a thing where they’re way easier to peel right away)? Any other tips?

Thanks so much!

posted by Weeping_angel to Food & Drink (27 answers total)

Adding baking soda when hard boiling eggs will make them easy to peel. I'd guess 30-40 people's worth of sliders will require at least 2 4lb pork roasts. I'd also argue it's ok if not everyone gets to eat 1-2 sliders - the people who really want them will get them early, and when it runs out there will be other food available. Good luck with your party!
posted by bigplugin at 9:35 AM on March 8, 2018

4lbs between 40 (I guess you're going to have to assume that everyone will attend, just in case they do) is 1.6oz of pork each. I reckon that would be enough for one very small slider each, which is not enough if they're the main part of the meal. On the whole, people don't tend to eat as much as you'd expect at buffet type things, so I wouldn't go too crazy. Maybe go with 8 lbs of pork (you can easily cook it in advance and reheat it), given that you've got lots of other stuff for people to pile on their plates. Assuming 1.5 sliders each, I think a quarter pound or so per person is pretty reasonable.
posted by howfar at 9:36 AM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I have made carnitas for ~35 people and 4 pounds was just about right, although there were some vegetarians in the group. 5 pounds would be pretty safe, I think. The yield size from the book seems way off. I've found that https://cooking.stackexchange.com is a good venue for questions like this.
posted by libraryhead at 9:36 AM on March 8, 2018

Yeah you can peel hardboiled eggs just fine the next day. But making 40+ deviled eggs sounds like a pain to me. If it were me, I’d do one of the many put-eggs-and-stuff-into-mini-muffin-pan-and-call-it-quiche-or-frittata type things that are popular these days. It would be more efficient and scalable for that batch size, and they also keep better.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:39 AM on March 8, 2018 [7 favorites]

Costco Mini Quiche are cheap and easy.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:44 AM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Use the oldest eggs you can find for the hard-boiled eggs. They are much easier to peel than super-fresh eggs.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:56 AM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I've found that hard boiled eggs are always easier to peel right away. I've successfully pressure cooked hard boiled eggs before and it is awesomely easy.
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:04 AM on March 8, 2018

Best answer: Either way on the eggs. Fresh is better for roundness, after trying every trick in the book I find eggs are easiest to peel when they are well cooked and cold. YMMV, but that's the easiest way to do them. I love deviled eggs. I like this seasoning from Trader Joe's sprinkled on top if you can find it - a mixture of salt, paprika, celery seed, onion, nutmeg and mustard powder - YUM. Best Foods or Hellman's (if you are on the East Coast) for the mayo. Done.

Pork shrinks up A LOT in the Instant Pot. Get the biggest cut you can fit.

This recipe is the Gold Standard as far as seasoning and I GUARANTEE delicious fool proof results. Like, better than anything, ever.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon thyme dried
½ cup honey
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion peeled and cut in half
5 pounds pork shoulder cut in half

Original recipe for crock pot here. No matter. It also says 3 lbs pork, ignore that. The Instant Pot infuses the pork perfectly- just follow all other recipe amounts.

Enjoy!
posted by jbenben at 10:09 AM on March 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

Pulled pork sliders, yes, more pork is a good idea. 1/4 lb. of meat per person is my planning tool for buffet dinner.
Deviled eggs, yum.
What else will there be?
Something with fruit? Something with veg?
Coleslaw is easy, cheap and excellent with pork/ barbecue.
posted by theora55 at 10:14 AM on March 8, 2018

Best answer: Everyone I know who's cooked hard-boiled eggs in their Instant Pot has said it is a life-changing experience. Perfect eggs every time, and super-easy to peel. Here's some good instructions, with pictures.
posted by essexjan at 10:17 AM on March 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Unless you know for sure everyone eats meat or pork I wouldn't worry about having enough pork for everyone. Taking that into account I'd say 4 lbs is enough.
posted by Polychrome at 10:27 AM on March 8, 2018

Best answer: Just get your eggs straight into cold water after cooking so they stop cooking and shrink a little inside the shell, you can peel them whenever after they cool. I tap the fat end of each egg to crack it on the way into the ice water, I have no proof that this helps; generally Instant Pot eggs peel easily unless you get a carton of especially sticky ones, which has happened to me periodically. But I got through something like 60 eggs in a couple of hours for Easter last year, which I could not have done without the Instant Pot.

Pretty much all proteins shrink considerably, and I would do as much pork as you can get in there, OR do two batches OR do one pork and one chicken in case there are people who eat meat but not pork.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:48 AM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I make a lot of deviled eggs for parties, and honestly, if you're making other food, I'd just go to Costco/Sam's/etc and get preboiled, prepeeled eggs. Peeling that many eggs is just not fun, even with a movie or something on.
posted by joycehealy at 10:53 AM on March 8, 2018 [7 favorites]

I’d do an 8 lb pork butt, minimum. It freezes and reheats well if you have leftovers.
posted by pecanpies at 11:10 AM on March 8, 2018 [6 favorites]

I'm the biggest deviled eggs fan I know, and it's one of my go-to dishes for potluck, but if you do find yourself running short on time egg salad and crackers/lettuce leaves is also very nice.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:41 AM on March 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Eggs
Agreeing with essexjan on hard boiling eggs in the IP, super easy, no special tricks on peeling, IP hard-boiled eggs peel perfectly every time. However, it is easier to make ahead and not right before you serve them by peeling the eggs, slicing and bagging (gently) the halved whites, then mix the filling and scrape into a ziploc bag. When you are ready to plate them, snip the corner off the ziploc and squeeze the filling into the whites. I am not sure how many eggs you can make at a time in the IP (about 1 to 1.5 cups water in bottom with steamer holding the eggs), I've made 12 at a time. I pressure cook them for 6 minutes and they are cooked the whole way through without any greenish overcooked tinge.

Pork
Pork roast is very fatty so 4 lbs does not yield anywhere near 4 pounds of cooked. According to Barbecue Bible, there is a 60% yield leaving you 2.4 lbs of pulled pork or 38.4 ounces. I picture the serving size as being about 1/2 cup (measuring cup size) or I estimate about 2 ounces. That leaves fewer than 20 sandwiches. To get 40 sandwiches, you would have less than 1 ounce of meat per sandwich. 1 ounce of pulled pork is about 2 bites. They would be VERY small sandwiches. I think your recipe is correct that starting with 4 lbs of pork would yield 6-8 entree-sized sandwiches and close to twice that many half-sized sandwiches. In my personal experience, I'd make more than 4 lbs just for a few people and then have leftovers but never expect to feed 30 (or 40) even dainty eaters. I think you need at least double the amount of pork unless you have other entrees.
Make sure to use a recipe for IP not a slowcooker recipe, use way less liquid in an IP recipe.

Sides
Agreeing on a slew of sides that will help minimize the amount of pork needed. Costco would be great for coleslaw potato salad, bagged fun salads that come with toppings and dressing (what type usually rotates but something green in the refrigerated room). Ask someone to bring but fruit. Have lots of desserts. Costco's cake is great plus very well priced.
posted by RoadScholar at 1:09 PM on March 8, 2018

Response by poster: Follow-up question: if I get a bigger pork shoulder, how can I tell how much I can safely cook in the instant pot at one time? Like, if it will fit, can I cram it in there, or should I do two batches? (The instant pot is relatively new, and I love it, but it sometimes scares me a bit...)
posted by Weeping_angel at 1:24 PM on March 8, 2018

The pork won't shred until it's properly cooked. (So if it shreds, you know it's cooked properly.) I don't see why you couldn't cook all you can fit in the Instapot. (Unless the IP has a rule to only fill 2/3 full, for example, which it may. Check your owner's manual.)

You may have to cook longer than the original recipe calls for. Maybe look for an instapot recipe that calls for a larger shoulder so you can get an idea on time.
posted by hydra77 at 1:53 PM on March 8, 2018

As RoadScholar says, pork shoulder is pretty fatty, and I think a 4lb pork shoulder will give you 2-2.5 lbs of cooked pork. I would definitely do more than 4 lbs.

I'm guessing you might fit more in if you dice it (big chunks, like 1.5-2 inches), but you're not supposed to fill the instant pot more than 2/3 full.

I like to make pulled pork a day ahead, separate out the meat from the broth, and refrigerate. Then I can easily remove the (large) fat layer and then reduce the broth to make a sauce. The meat is easier to shred when it's warm vs cold though, so I usually do that the day I cook it, before putting it in the fridge.

I tried hard boiled eggs in the instant pot once, and didn't have much success (they still stuck to the shell). I steam them now, and it works great: Perfect Steamed Boiled Eggs Recipe. I seem to recall they peel just fine the next day, but it's been a while since I did that.
posted by loop at 1:59 PM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I'm going to echo the people who say 1/4 pound of meat per person and recommend 10-12 lbs. pork shoulder. You can always freeze or give away any leftovers--but I don't actually think you'll have much left over. There's a lot of fat in a pork shoulder.

Think about a pound of hamburger for 4 people--not excessive, right? Pork shoulder will shrink a lot more than hamburger does, mind you.

I feel like you can be the host with megatons of sliders, take all you want, or the host with carefully apportioned sliders. Who would you rather be?

Have fun!
posted by 8603 at 4:37 PM on March 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: You did not specify which size Instant Pot you have?

Cutting the pork into large hunks and filling the Instant Pot 2/3'rds full is just fine. Do it in batches.

That recipe I posted? I've used those ratios for 2 lbs of pork shoulder in the instant pot, the same ratio/amounts for 6 lbs. It's a crock pot recipe, but it's the right amount of liquid and flavoring (add extra salt & pepper maybe?) for the Instant Pot. Pork Shoulder creates a lot of liquid in the Instant Pot. Whew. So much liquid.

I usually do Pork Shoulder for about 85 min on high in the Instant pot. I guess you could go 95 min if you are paranoid. Do 95 min. Two batches minimum, three batches if you need to.

(I've seen IP recipes that say 4 lbs pork shoulder is 70 min, and other recipes up to 100 minutes. Again, I usually do 85 min.)

Hope that helps no matter what size Instant Pot you have.

You only need 1/4 cup of liquid to make a seal (suppesedly) and the pressure inside the pot infuses whatever you are cooking in ways crock pots do not. Less is more in the IP because the seal on the pot insures 100% flavor infusion, nothing evaporated or wasted. That's why that recipe is such a gem. It's the perfect balanced flavor for pork.
posted by jbenben at 7:05 PM on March 8, 2018

I can't wait to try Steam-Boiled Eggs!

EGGAdeggaDEGGAdeggaDEGGAdeggaDEGGAdeggaDEGGAdeggaDEGGAdeggaDEGG
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:42 PM on March 8, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks guys! I’m now the proud owner of about 7.5 lbs of pork shoulder. I’ll do it in 2 batches.

The deciding factor was 8603’s comment, “I feel like you can be the host with megatons of sliders, take all you want, or the host with carefully apportioned sliders. Who would you rather be?” Plus, I realized that, what’s the worst thing that could happen? I end up with too much pulled pork? That’s not actually a thing.
posted by Weeping_angel at 8:16 PM on March 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Oh, and I had NO IDEA that they sold hard boiled eggs already peeled. I’m trying to decide if I think that’s weird or not.... It sure is tempting....
posted by Weeping_angel at 8:18 PM on March 8, 2018

That was basically the whole reason I had a Costco membership, up until I got the Pot. They come in four-packs of six eggs each. Your regular grocery store may have them in six or twelve-egg bags, usually on the top shelf of the egg section or the one just next to it, and looks like this or this.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:28 PM on March 9, 2018

Just a note about the Costco pre-hard boiled eggs: There is some sort of preservative or additive that makes them taste a little sour or fizzy. The eggs are also more firm and chewy than if you cook them yourself. Most people probably wouldn't notice but I won't ever get them again. That said, I've never turned down a non-homemade deviled egg at a party.
posted by belau at 5:59 AM on March 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Baby shower accomplished! Instant pot hard boiled eggs lived up to the hype and were perfectly easy to peel (I decided the pre-boiled/pre-peeled ones squicked me out a bit...). If anyone is making pulled pork, I HIGHLY recommend jbenben’s recipe above. It was AMAZING! It didn’t even need barbecue sauce. (I still made sauce. Sauce is good even when you don’t need it.)
posted by Weeping_angel at 10:35 AM on March 13, 2018 [2 favorites]