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Rib Calculator
How many ribs per person and how many racks to buy, whether ribs are the main event or one thing among several.
Your results
Ribs to cook
32
Racks to buy
3
Raw weight (approx.)
4.2 kg (9.3 lb)
BBQ sauce
0.6 L
Four ribs per person when ribs are the main course, three when there is also chicken or sausage on the grill. A rack of baby backs feeds three people properly, or two if nobody is being polite.
Baby backs run 1.2 to 1.6 kg a rack and take about five hours at 225°F. St. Louis spares are meatier and heavier and want closer to six. Beef short ribs are a different animal in every sense — two or three bones is a full plate.
Ribs are done at 195-203°F (90-95°C), when the meat has pulled back from the bone ends and the rack bends and cracks at the surface when you lift it from the middle. The bend test tells you more than any timer.
Questions people ask
How many ribs per person?
Four as a main course, three alongside other meats. Half a rack of baby backs per person is the simple version of the same answer.
How many racks of ribs for 20 people?
Seven racks of baby backs as a main course — 80 ribs at twelve a rack. Buy eight; a spare rack has never gone to waste.
Should I remove the membrane?
Yes. The silver membrane on the bone side never softens, blocks the rub and makes the rack chewy. Lift a corner with a knife, grip it with paper towel and pull.