How much carnitas should you order per person?

On the phone people ask us a lot how much to order. Nobody wants to come up short in front of guests, and nobody wants half a kilo left in the fridge either. Don Hugo works it out with a simple rule.

The rule: 150 to 180 grams per person

An adult eats between 150 and 180 grams of carnitas in one meal, so a kilo feeds about 6 people. A small child counts as half an adult, and a big eater as one and a half.

Table: how much to order by number of guests

People	Carnitas	Package that fits
1 to 2	¼ to ½ kg	Craving (¼ kg)
2 to 4	½ to ¾ kg	Family (½ kg)
4 to 6	1 kg	Generous (1 kg)
6 to 10	1½ to 2 kg	Generous plus an extra kilo
10 to 15	2 to 3 kg	Order by the kilo, call a day ahead
20 or more	3½ kg and up	Order by the kilo, call two days ahead

Three adjustments

1. If there's a starter, go lower

If charro beans, soup or something filling comes before the carnitas, plan for 120 to 150 grams per person.

2. If it's the only dish, go higher

If carnitas are the main course with nothing but guacamole and tortillas, plan for 200 grams per person. People in Monterrey eat.

3. From 8 people up, round up

With 8 guests or more, Don Hugo always rounds up: if you got 1.8 kg, order 2. Leftovers get fried in their own fat the next day and go into tortas.

Don't forget the guacamole

A longtime customer, a neurologist, orders 3 or 4 kilos of carnitas and 5 guacamoles every two weeks. When we ask how many people it's for, he always says the same thing: "for the grandkids".

One guacamole serves 4 to 6 people, so for 8 guests order two. The same goes for charro beans.

If you'd rather not do the math

• Craving Package, $155 traditional or $170 special: ¼ kg of carnitas, a small drink, tortillas and salsa. For 1 or 2 people.
• Family Package, $535 or $565: ½ kg of carnitas, guacamole with chips, ½ liter of charro beans, melted cheese, tortillas and salsa. For 2 to 4 people.
• Generous Package, $870 or $930: 1 kg of carnitas, guacamole with chips, 1 liter of charro beans, melted cheese, tortillas and salsa. For 4 to 6 people. The most ordered.

For something bigger, call +52 81 8347 2312, ideally a day or two ahead, and we'll put together an order by the kilo.