Greetings, fellow BBQ enthusiasts! It is our pleasure, the esteemed team at "WE LOVE FIRE®, to offer some insightful guidance on the art of cooking for a crowd.
If you decide to host a larger crowd and the cravings for delectable BBQ fare are insurmountable, fret not! We are here to provide the expertise required to orchestrate a most successful and delightful BBQ affair.
Step 1: Size up Your Crowd
There is a BIG difference between feeding a dozen people and feeding 100. Feeding a dozen is a gentle affair compared to feeding a pack of hungry vultures. Believe me, this is what it will feel like if you have 50 to 100 guests to feed.
Step 2: Deliberate Preparation
This is not a time to get fancy. Because a few things will work against you:
1) You may not be able to afford to buy all this food
2) It takes a LOT more time to prepare than you imagined
3) You probably want to forego having everyone bring their own meat for you to BBQ. Why? Then, you will not have to hear complaints about ruining their bacon-wrapped filet mignon.
No, my friend, I am here to save your bacon, so to speak. Stick with the basics: sausages, wieners, and burger patties. Put the buns and condiments on a separate table so guests can spoon their own. You'll thank me once a crowd of 30 people surround your grill and want to be fed NOW!
But, if you can afford it, catering is always an option and lets you enjoy the event.
Step 3: Appropriate Selection of Grill Apparatus
The discussion naturally shifts to the selection of grilling equipment. For smaller groups, your standard grill may suffice. However, you will definitely need a larger gas grill for bigger gatherings. Unless you have all the prep time in the world and the gear for it, you may want to skip charcoal and smoking.
Pellet Grill Bull Pit® by Ambiance®
Step 4: Procuring The Essentials
Whatever you think you need for a crowd, such as meats, buns, condiments, and supplementary fixings, multiply it by at least a factor of 1.5. That is, if you have 100 people coming, have at least enough food for 150. Remember, many are coming for seconds or more.
You may want to limit the choices to make your life easier. That is, one type of patties, sausage, wieners. Otherwise, you may run out of one type and leave some of your guests discontented.
As a note: It may be a good idea to get some gluten-free buns and vegan patties, as some guests may have dietary restrictions or preferences.
Also, remember extra fuel (propane or charcoal). You don't want to run out mid-way through.
Step 5: Calculate Your Prep Time
If you are thinking about fancier cuts of meat other than wieners and burgers, consider marinating meats a day in advance to bump up the flavors. If you are trying to keep it on the cheap, use oil and vinegar-based salad dressings (Italian dressing is my go-to marinade). Any chicken cuts will benefit from it.
Frozen burger patties will save you a lot of prep time. You don't have to go for the cheapest ones. Nowadays, you can find the cheap stuff all the way up to upscale Wagyu beef patties.
Also, decide if your veggies and condiments must be sliced and diced. This takes a long time. Most grocery stores sell these pre-cut.
Step 6: Start Cooking
Before the dinner bell rings, build an advance stock of cooked meat. I know the meat might be slightly overcooked and somewhat dry. But you cannot possibly imagine how quickly 30 burgers disappear once the dinner bell rings. Using your oven to keep things warm may be a good idea
Remember, depending on its thickness, a thawed burger patty takes 5-8 minutes per side to cook to 'well done.' Therefore, you may have lots of impatient customers if you are not prepared.
Step 7: Food Safety is Your Best Friend
Make sure to have a meat thermometer at hand. To be fully cooked, you should look for an internal meat temperature of about 160°F (71°C).
Please, please, please do not allow someone to convince you to cook 'rare,' 'medium rare,' etc., unless you are grilling a steak. According to the CDC, every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases.
You do not want your friends to be sick, do you? How many washrooms do you have that can accommodate an outbreak of the dreaded galloping diarrhea? Cooking for a crowd brings some responsibilities, and doing it properly also avoids hard feelings and lawsuits.
Step 8: What is Your Budget?
There are a lot of variables but count on $3-$6 per person (2023 figures). This is for typical fare of burgers, hot dogs, sausages, beverages, buns, condiments, and more.
Step 9: Enjoy yourself
That sounds a bit corny, I know. But feeding a large crowd can make you feel overworked and underappreciated. If this is a gathering of friends or family, focus on what it should be: the joy of being together. If you are in charge of this party, make sure others help with the entertainment and the clean-up. That way, you'll have fond memories and likely forget what the burgers tasted like!
Your WE LOVE FIRE® local expert will be an excellent resource for all things related to BBQing, including expert advice, sauces, grills, and accessories. Why not pay us a visit and have a friendly chat about how best to prepare for your large gathering.
