How much meat do I need to buy?

This can be a tricky question to answer and comes down to a lot of factors. Consider the following questions:

• How many people are you trying to feed?
• Is this a main dish, a side dish, or an appetizer?
• Is meat the star of this dish, or one of the components?
• What time of day will you be eating this dish?
• Are your guests lighter or heavier eaters?

All of these factors together determine how much meat you need. We can start with a good rule of thumb- for boneless cuts, estimate eight (8) ounces per person and for bone-in cuts estimate closer to 12 ounces or one pound- and adjust accordingly. It is always smart to get a little extra just in case. 

The more things you’re serving alongside a meat dish, generally the less overall meat you need. A notable exception to this rule is Thanksgiving, in which we still budget the full serving per person of turkey. Meals like breakfast, which tend to have several components as well as several sides, also require less overall meat.