Recipe Costing

The process of calculating per-portion costs by pricing out every ingredient and portion size in a dish preparation recipe.

Plate Cost — The total ingredient cost for preparing one serving of a menu item, including every component from proteins to garnishes.
Portion Control — Standardizing serving sizes to ensure consistent food costs, customer satisfaction, and plate presentation across all dishes and service staff.
Yield Percentage — The ratio of usable product weight to original as-purchased weight. Higher yield items like vegetables are more cost-efficient than lower yield cuts.