[Sca-cooks] Roast piggy portions

[Olwen the Odd]

The caterers are probably saying a pound or more per person because they are
including the weight of the bones and loss.  It could even be higher.  Whole
pigs are not all that difficult to cook, just stay attentive with a spritzer
bottle for flare ups.  If you begin with two smaller pigs you have much less
waste than with one larger one.  Handling two is easier also.  I can stick
two 60 pound pigs in my cartop carrier quite nicely (of course getting them
up there and back down is a trick).  Talk to your butcher about the price
difference between large and smaller pigs.  The smaller ones are usually
cheaper.  It seems if you go with two 85 pound pigs you should be more than
set considering the rest of the menu.

~ Oh Master Chirhart!  Chime in here please!
Olwen

>Yet another question for all you wise heads out there...
>
>When serving a roast piggy as part of a feast, how do you estimate the size
>of the uncooked beast you're going to need?  We're looking at 175 people
>including the head table, menu to include three other meat dishes plus a
>fair number of veggies and starches.  I was hoping to contract it out to
>some professionals, but it's looking to be an expensive prospect.  The
>caterers have told me to estimate a pound per person, but with all the
>other
>meats on the menu, I think that may be a bit generous.
>
>If I have to, I can rent a cooker and do the thing myself, but that
>involves
>appointing someone to watch the thing all day, and running the risk that it
>won't cook in time.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Vicente
>
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