At a Backyard BBQ, most will assume when you say “Ribs” are on the menu, you mean Pork.
BUT, beef ribs do taste good, they’re just more expensive.
Pork Ribs are ALWAYS Cheaper than Beef
The $/lb is from Willd Fork Foods (9/13/2024):
| Pork ($/lb) | Beef ($/lb) |
|---|---|
| Baby Back Ribs – $3.28 | Dino Ribs – $11.98 |
| Spare Ribs (Whole) – $2.38 | Back Ribs – $4.98 |
| Spare Ribs (Trimmed) – $2.98 | English cut Chuck Short Ribs – $7.33 |
These numbers are similar to my grocery store, only pork is even cheaper.
While Beef is Bigger, The Serving Sizes Aren’t Much Better
From my Rib serving size calculator – found here.
A “Big Appetite” is someone that can eat a whole rack of ribs on their own.
A “Normal” Appetite:
- Baby Back Ribs: 1/2 rack per person.
- Spare Ribs: 3 or 4 ribs per person.
- Beef back ribs: 1/2 rack per person.
- Beef Short Plate Ribs: 1/2 rib per person.
Appetizers are roughly 1/4 of a rack or a few ribs per person and assumes that other meats and sides are being offered.
You can feed the same OR more people when offering pork ribs AND for cheap.
Beef Ribs are far more rich and in most cases a person can take 1 bite and be satisfied.
Unless they’re beef back ribs, I can eat the whole rack below on my own:
Beef Ribs are Easier to Prepare and Season
Beef ribs require:
No membrane removal, no silverskin cutting, no binders, no trimming, etc. No nothing.
Take them out of the package and season and smoke.
Beef rub ingredients are simpler and most people have them:
- Coarse black pepper
- Seasoned salt, kosher salt, table salt
- Garlic powder, Granulated garlic
That’s really all it takes to season beef.
With Pork you’ll often see sweeter rubs and sauces used and the ingredients list can be never ending; If you like to experiment, pork ribs are a good way to do just that.
With pork ribs people will typically remove the membrane or score it.
If they bought spare ribs they might trim to a St. Louis cut.
Beef Ribs are Incredibly EASY to Smoke but Take Longer
| Rib Type | Estimated Smoke Time |
|---|---|
| Beef Back Ribs | 3-5 Hours |
| Dino Ribs | 7-9 Hours |
| Pork Baby Back Ribs | 4-5 Hours |
| Spare Ribs | 5-6 Hours |
If beef ribs weren’t so expensive, more people would tell beginners to smoke them.
You can smoke them fairly hot and fast (300F+) and still have super juicy and flavorful meat.
Basically you’d be hard pressed to overcook them and even if you do there’s so much fat to “save” you.
Since most beginners stink with temperature control, this is beneficial too.
Which Tastes Better, Beef or Pork Ribs?
This is super subjective.
Do YOU like beef or pork more?
Personally I like beef more than pork.
If I’m at a BBQ, I’d rather eat beef back ribs than any other rib.
Dino ribs are a fun 1 time thing for friends and family too but are WAYYY too expensive.
Pork ribs are reliable, cheap, and most people like them.
