When it comes to cooking ribs for family and friends, one of the hardest things to do is to calculate how many racks of ribs to buy so that you will have enough food for everyone. The best way to do this is to figure out how many ribs to smoke per person. This article will provide you with some general guidelines so that you can be confident that your guest won’t go home hungry.
Types of Ribs
There are three main types of ribs that can be smoked to perfection on your pellet grill, and each has its own characteristics in terms of size, flavor, and tenderness.
Spare Ribs
Baby Back Ribs
Beef Ribs
Rule of Thumb
Follow this simple rule for serving sizes when smoking ribs:
Spare Ribs: 3 or 4 ribs per person
Baby Back Ribs: 5 or 6 rib
Beef Short Ribs: 1-2 ribs per person
How Many Ribs in a Rack of Ribs?
A typical full rack of pork ribs will generally have between 10-12 ribs. A half rack of ribs is simply one half of a full rack, about 5-6 ribs.
Different Types of Pork Ribs
The most common type of smoked bbq rib is pork ribs. There are two main types of pork ribs baby back ribs and spare ribs. Although both of these types of ribs are pork, they come from different areas of the pig and have slightly different look, flavor, and texture.
Spare Ribs
Spare ribs are my favorite and are the only pork rib that I put on my pellet grill when I am cooking for my friends and family. I prefer spare ribs over baby back ribs because they are bigger and have more flavor.
I like to trim my spare ribs up a bit so that they are St Louis style. This does not involve a lot of work but creates a more visually appealing finished product. A finished rack of St. Louis cut ribs look like a perfect rectangle.
Spare ribs are a variety of ribs cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones and also between them.
Spare ribs are bigger and flatter than the curved baby back ribs. Spare ribs contain more meat and more fat than baby back ribs, which helps make them more tender.
Since spare ribs are pretty big, a good rule to follow for serving the size of pork spare ribs is 3 or 4 ribs per person.
Baby Back Ribs
Baby back ribs are shorter and more curved than spare ribs. The rack is also shorter at one end than the other. The shortest bone is typically only about 3 inches and the longest is about 6 inches. A typical full rack of baby back ribs will have 10-13 ribs.
Baby back ribs are cut from the top of the rib cage between the spine and spare ribs, right below the loin muscle. Although baby backs are smaller than spare ribs, they have lots of meat between the bone and on top of the bones.
Since baby backs are smaller a good rule to follow for serving size of baby back ribs is 5 or 6 ribs per person.
Beef Ribs
Although pork ribs are the by far the most popular type of ribs to smoke on a pellet grill, beef ribs are also a delicious option. Beef ribs have a completely different taste and flavor profile than pork ribs. I like to think of beef ribs as brisket on a bone, but better. A rack of beef ribs has incredible marbling which results in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth piece of beef.
Beef ribs are much bigger than pork ribs and each rib has much more neet. The beef ribs are much more marbled with delicious fat, but also have a lot more connective tissue that will need longer to smoke.
The big drawback to cooking beef ribs is the cost. There is some variation in price depending on the type of beef rib you purchase, but you can expect to spend between $10-20 per pound for beef ribs. Compared to pork ribs that cost $2-3 a pound, that is a huge difference. However, if you’re only cooking for a few people, or celebrating a special occasion they are definitely worth it.
Different Types of Beef Ribs
Essentially there are two major types of beef ribs: short ribs and back ribs. If you would like to read everything about the different types of beef ribs check out my article Everything to Know About Different Cuts of Beef Ribs.
Short Ribs
Short ribs are the preferred cut for smoking low and slow on your pellet grill. They are flat ribs that measure up to 12″ and can have 2″ of meat on top. Typically you will find short ribs in the grocery store that are cut into small chunks for braising. Typicall one rack of short ribs will only consist of three or four 3 or 4 ribs. One rack is a great option for a main course for a few people. If you cant find them in your grocery store head over to your local butcher and tell them you are looking for a whole rack of “Plate Short Ribs”.
Since short ribs are so large the number of ribs needed to keep your guests full is very low. I typically plan for 1 rib per person, or at most 2 ribs per person if I know I am cooking for big eaters.
Back Ribs
Back ribs are cut from the top dorsal area of the steer behind the shoulder and are from the same area that prime rib roast is cut from. The rib roast is a primo cut of beef so you will be getting great quality beef. Most of the meat on the back ribs is in between the bone. They are also much smaller, only 6-8 inches.
Back ribs are also delicious when cooked low and slow on the a pellet grill but you will be getting a much smaller amount of meat than short ribs. You can plan to cook 3 back ribs per person.
Factors to Consider When Buying Ribs
Price
Your budget is a major factor that may decide what type of rib you plan on cooking. Not everyone has an unlimited budget and unfortunately, meat is typically the most expensive thing to buy when cooking. If you are cooking for a large crowd serving ribs is a great choice, but you should calculate how many ribs per person to help you decide what type of rib to buy.
Grill Space
If you are tight on grill space beef short plate ribs are a great choice. Each short rib is a giant portion of meat so you can estimate only one rib per person.
What are the best sides to serve with ribs?
When serving ribs there are several delicious side dishes that complement the flavor of the meat. Here are a few of my favorites:
Coleslaw: homemade creamy coleslaw made from shredded cabbage and carrots is a classic side dishes for ribs. It provides a nice crunch and fresh contrast to the smokey ribs.
Cornbread: A big ole slice of moist and sweet cornbread goes great with pork or beef ribs. Add some butter and you have a perfect treat.
Corn on the cob: boiled corn on the cob is a simple and cheap side that is absolutely delicious with some butter and salt. Corn on the cob is
Macaroni and Cheese: Creamy, cheese macaroni and cheese is a comfort food that goes very well with ribs. This is my kids favorite, but adults always come back for seconds.
Potato Salad: Potato salad is one of those cool and creamy side dishes that always reminds me of summer.
How many side dishes to serve with ribs?
Typically I will cook two or three side dishes served buffet style that complement my smoked ribs. I love offering plenty of options for my guests to mix and match. The more side you offer typically the fewer ribs that may be eaten, which may be a factor if you are on a tight budget. If you make more sides you may be able to cook fewer rib racks.
How to Serve Ribs
If I am serving ribs for a large party I will slice each rib and serve them in a big pile in a disposable aluminum tray. But if I am only cooking for my family I usually only break the rib racks down into half a rack (four or five ribs) for each person. Just how many ribs you serve really depends on you and your family’s eating habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use apple or cherry pellets to smoke pork spare ribs. When I am smoking beef ribs I like to use a pellet that has a stronger flavor, like hickory or mesquite.
The cooking process and smoking time will vary depending on the temperature and type of rib. Generally, pork ribs take 4-5 hours and beef ribs can take up to 8 hours to smoke low and slow. You can also cook ribs hot and fast on your pellet grill, but I never do that and don’t really recommend it, since low and slow produces such a better flavor.
I always remove the membrane when I smoke pork ribs. When I smoke beef ribs I leave the membrane but I like to slice the membrane along each rib. This helps keep meat on the bone but allows the bones to be separated easily once the cook is complete.