The Pork Rib Calculator calculates the number of racks of ribs you need to cook in order to feed a certain amount of people. Enter the number of people you need to serve and the serving size per person and you will get the amount of ribs you need to cook to meet that demand.
Photo by Steve Standeford
There are several facts that you can assume when figuring out how many racks to cook.
- If the ribs are the main dish with only light sides then figure 1/2 rack per person for average eaters. If there will be a lot of sides lower it to 1/4 rack per person.
- This calculator does not overestimate the amount of ribs you need, it is exact. If you wan't to have extra just in case of extra guests throw another rack in the smoker.
Pork ribs are in my opinion, one of the most delicious cuts of meat in the summer grilling arsenal. They need to be done right but once you learn it is really not that hard to get delicious fall off the bone ribs. Generally people will use one of two main methods. First is straight on the smoker until done. The other option is to wrap them in foil for at least part of the cooking time. This is the method I use most of the time and you can get great results.Start by peeling the membrane off the inside of the ribs. Then apply your seasonings and sauces. I like a Kansas city style with a good sweet/spicy rub with a lot of brown sugar in it and Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce. Wrap each rack up in a double layer of heavy duty foil and cook in the oven for 4-6 hours on 200-225 degrees. When they start to pull back from the ends of the bones they are done. Then remove and place ribs on a hot grill to crisp up the outside. Then brush on some more barbecue sauce and allow it to get a little charred and caramelized.
You can also use a smoker for the whole process, with or without initial foil wrapping them, but if you have a smoker then you probably already know what you are doing.
Here's a rib rub recipe similar to the one I use. I add more brown sugar.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rib-dry-rub-recipe-1915626
For a good resource on everything from lighting your grill to cleaning it up when you're done and all the grilling tips you need in between, check out How To Grill Outdoors from campingcooks.com
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