holiday roast playbook: big cuts of beef & pork for big crowds
- Hi Bräu Beef Co.
- Dec 3, 2025
- 6 min read
Holidays are coming, which means two things:
Someone’s “just bringing a small side” that feeds 20.
You need a main course that can keep up. We're here to help!
Instead of babysitting a dozen tiny steaks, this guide is all about big cuts of beef and pork that feed a crowd, look impressive on the table, and don’t make you hate your oven (or smoker) by the end of the day.
We’ll hit each cut with:
A simple price feel (Budget-Friendly / Mid-Range / Big Night Splurge)
Typical size
How many people it feeds
Best cooking methods for a crowd
And at the end, we’ll show you how to sneak our Hi Bräu Beef Bone Broth into everything for extra flavor.
beef cuts for holiday crowds
Price: Mid-Range, big flavor without the big-night price tag
Feeds: About 4–5 people
Best For:
Hot-and-fast grilling, then slicing thin
Roasting in the oven to medium/medium-rare
Slicing for sandwiches or sliders
Why use it: Great “casual holiday” roast—still special, not stuffy. Perfect when you’ve got a smaller group or several different meats on the table.
Price: Mid-Range, “fancy, but not frightening”
Feeds: About 3–4 people
Best For:
Roasting or reverse-searing whole
Slicing medallions for a plated dinner
Why use it: Think “mini tenderloin.” Super tender, great for smaller gatherings or as a second meat alongside ham or turkey.
Price: Big Night Splurge – the show-off steak
Feeds: 2–3 serious steak lovers, or 3–4 if you slice and share
Best For:
Reverse sear (low-and-slow, then a hot finish on the grill or cast iron)
Sharing board in the center of the table
Why use it: This is the cut you bring out when you want phones out and people saying, “Good grief, what is that?” Perfect for a smaller holiday crew that loves a statement piece. Or a big crew since they're easy to double up on and cook pretty quickly.
Price: Mid-Range, high “wow” per dollar
Feeds: About 8–10 people
Best For:
Rotisserie or grill, sliced churrasco-style
Roasting whole and carving at the table
Why use it: Rich, beefy, and that fat cap is pure magic. Great choice when you want something different from “standard roast beef” but still friendly to picky eaters. It's basically a big slab of steak.
Price: Big Night Splurge – classic holiday centerpiece
Feeds: About 10–12 people
Best For:
Slow roasting in the oven with a high-heat finish
Traditional “prime rib” style with au jus
Why use it: This is the “everybody put their phones down and look at the roast” moment. Ideal when you’re hosting the whole family and want leftovers for steak sandwiches the next day.
Price: Big Night Splurge, but can stretch over a lot of plates. Lower cost than Rib Roast.
Feeds: About 10-12 people
Best For:
Roasting whole and slicing into thick strip steaks
Cutting into individual steaks and grilling for a smaller group
Why use it: All the classic steakhouse flavor, but you control the thickness, the doneness, and the budget. Great when you’ve got several steak fans at the table.
Price: Top-Tier Splurge – “we really like these people” beef
Feeds: About 8–10 people
Best For:
Roasting whole and serving with a sauce (horseradish, red wine, mushroom)
Cutting into medallions for a plated, fancy dinner
Why use it: Ultra-tender, mild, and perfect for guests who like lean beef. If you’re dressing the table up a bit, this cut plays very well with candles and real napkins.
Price: Budget-Friendly, especially for the amount of food you get
Feeds: About 12–18 people
Best For:
Low-and-slow smoking (Texas-style, Hi Bräu-style, your-style)
Slow roasting or braising
Why use it: Feeds a crowd, loves slow cookers and smokers, and makes incredible leftovers. If your guest list keeps growing, brisket doesn’t panic—it just keeps feeding people.
Price: Budget-Friendly in a smaller package
Feeds: About 8–10 people
Best For:
Smoking smaller batches
Oven-braising in a roasting pan
Why use it: All the flavor of a full brisket without committing to a giant packer. Great for smaller gatherings or when brisket is one of several meats. Use the Point for a fattier bite and the Flat for leaner meat with a quicker cook.
Price: Very Budget Friendly, but feels like a splurge
Feeds: 3–4 people as a main, more as part of a mixed spread
Best For:
Low-and-slow smoking until they jiggle
Braising until fall-off-the-bone
Why use it: Think “brisket on a stick.” Huge flavor, dramatic presentation. Perfect for a more casual holiday where people eat standing around the kitchen island, grinning. Easy to do multiple racks at once.
pork cuts for holiday crowds
Price: Budget-Friendly for the volume
Feeds: About 50-60 people
Best For:
Slow roasting, glazed in the oven
Serving hot for dinner, then cold for sandwiches
Why use it: Ham is the classic “there’s always more on the carving board” centerpiece. Uncured, pasture-raised pork means real flavor without the pink mystery. Plus, you can use the bone for soup stock later.
Price: Budget-Friendly, underrated gem
Feeds: About 4–5 people
Best For:
Smoking low-and-slow
Braising in the oven with veggies
Why use it: Great for smaller groups or as a second meat beside beef. Rich, porky flavor and perfect for pulling or slicing.
Price: Budget-Friendly workhorse
Feeds: About 10–12 people (pulled pork style)
Best For:
Smoking or slow-roasting until it pulls easily
Crockpot or Dutch oven for hands-off cooking
Why use it: This is your “feed the whole crew” cut. Set it up, let it go, and suddenly you’ve got a mountain of pulled pork for sandwiches, tacos, or plated with all the sides.
Price: Still Budget-Friendly, but feeds an army
Feeds: About 18–22 people
Best For:
All-day smoke session
Overnight low-and-slow in the oven
Why use it: When your guest list looks like a small town meeting, this is your friend. Great for big gatherings, church events, or the “we invited a few people” party that mysteriously turned into 25.
how to use hi Brau bone broth at the holiday table
Our Beef Bone Broth comes in 14-oz packages and is very concentrated, which means you don’t need much to make a big difference. Think of it as flavor rocket fuel for your holiday cooking and a secret ingredient that everybody will ask you about.
Here are a few easy ways to plug it into the menu:
Gravies & Pan Sauces
Add a splash (or dilute with a bit of water) to drippings from your brisket, picanha, or standing rib roast.
Whisk in while you deglaze the pan to build a deep, beefy gravy without using store-bought stock.
Braising Liquid for Beef or Pork
Use bone broth as part of the liquid for split brisket, pork brisket, or beef ribs. Our Beef Tallow also makes a great partner to help keep Brisket from getting dry in the smoker and is a secret of competition barbecue folks.
Mix with water, wine, or a little apple cider for a rich base that keeps the meat juicy and packed with flavor.
Moist & Flavorful Leftovers
Reheat sliced brisket, picanha, or pulled pork in a covered pan with a few spoonfuls of broth to keep it from drying out.
Great trick for next-day sandwiches when everyone “just wants one more bite.”
Soups & Day-After Comfort Food
Toss leftover meat and veggies in a pot with diluted bone broth for an easy soup or stew.
Add rice, barley, or beans and suddenly that holiday spread turns into another full meal.
Because it’s so concentrated, you can usually dilute it 1:1 (or more) with water and still get a strong, rich flavor. A little goes a long way.
If you’re planning your holiday menu and trying to match the cut to the crowd, you really can’t go wrong with any of these. Pick a big centerpiece, grab a couple packs of Hi Bräu Beef Bone Broth, and let the meat do the heavy lifting while you enjoy the people.
And if you’re torn between cuts? No judgment here - just grab two. It’s the holidays.
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