INFO
Name: Chris
Location: Prairieville, LA (suburb of Baton Rouge)
Hometown: New Orleans
Helpers: Nessa (yellow lab) and Brooks (catahoula/lab mix) SMOKERS AND GRILLS
I cooked for 3 adult males, 3 adult females, and 6 teenage boys Sunday.
I cooked 6 racks of back ribs at 3lbs/rack and had two racks leftover. They plenty other sides with some fried chicken as well. I sliced up the remaining racks in 4 rib sections and explained to them how to reheat them.
With sides, easily 4-5 people per rack, especially if mixing in kids and what not.
I usually plan on 3 to 4 ribs per person. Remember, if its a large gathering. There will be other food available for people to eat. Try to figure about 1/2 lb of meat per person. But with ribs I say 3-4 bones.
I usually cook baby backs. Two 3.3 lb. racks can feed eight assuming there are a variety of side dishes available. In terms of bones per person, women usually have two and the guys maybe three if they're hungry. BBRs are meaty.
I don't know how we estimate the quantities. I got hooked on spare ribs when I was at the IAEA in Vienna all through the 90s. Our favorite place for ribs was called the Strandcafe, which was right at the river's edge on the AlteDonau. (Old Danube). The platter pictured was dinner for one (there's 2 platters). Came with 2 sauces, and a pile of fries, usually underneath the 2 racks of ribs. Maybe it was the beer, but everyone (male or female) usually finished their dinner.
When I spent a year in Dallas, we'd go to a Tony Roma's for ribs, and they served 2 racks as well.
I used to always eat a full rack at home, but now it's less than 1/2 the rack. Old age or something. For the 12 people that Jerod had (including 6 teenagers), I would definitely have cooked 6 racks, just like he did. But he had leftovers. Maybe the racks are bigger than they used to be.
How many racks can you cook at once? Cook more than you need and let people chow! Spinaker noted there will be other vittles. If someone wants to go to work on ribs (does anyone have kids? They aren't human, and mine darn sure don't eat "3 ribs".
Cook lots. Display your Q dominance to your guests.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ"
Cookbooks to check out - Raichlen's "Brisket Chronicles" and anything by Adam Perry Lang.
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
I am known for cooking way too much meat for my summer gatherings. That said, my rule of thumb is that I count how many heads I'm going to have and figure 1/2 lb of meat or 1 lb of ribs. But, I usually don't cook just ribs. So, what happens is that I do 1 rack of ribs per 3-4 people PLUS about 1/3 lb of other meat per person. For example, the last big backyard party we did was Labor Day. We had 20 people ..... I did 6 racks of back ribs, 2 flank steaks and 4 chicken breasts. That's about 8 lbs worth of steak and chicken, plus 1/3 of a rack of ribs per person.
INFO
Name: Chris
Location: Prairieville, LA (suburb of Baton Rouge)
Hometown: New Orleans
Helpers: Nessa (yellow lab) and Brooks (catahoula/lab mix) SMOKERS AND GRILLS
Space is not a worry for me on the smoker. I'm just trying to get a ballpark estimate. I'll be having 7 male adults, 7 female adults, 2 under 10 kids and 2 female teens.
It changed hands in 2015, although the new owners left if pretty much alone as far as staff and food. It was looking a little tired, so at the end of last summer they closed it to do a remodel and bring it back to looking as nice as it had been. Something went wrong, and they're behind on the renovations. Scheduled to open still in the spring. I still have friends over there, so as your time to travel gets closer, remind me and I'll find out 1) if it's reopened 2) if it's as good as it always has been.
You can monitor it yourself for reopening by watching their web page. http://www.strandcafe-wien.at/?lang=en (without the lang=en you'll get the Deutsch page)
It's right on the old Danube (The Danube was rechanneled to the current Donau for ships travelling Europe), with a great view towards Vienna. In the shadow of the VIC (Vienna Internationale Centre) which is the United Nations complex.
When are you going? How long will you be there? Business or pleasure? Lapsed time I lived there for about 4.5 years (over a 6.5 year period) so my view is more of a resident than a tourist. I can recommend a lot of things if you're interested.
Be sure to make reservations, as they get crowded. You can sit on the dock outside if the weather is OK, but they also have a large area indoors. Be sure to order the Budvar Frisch vom fass.
Phone from US 011 43 1 203 67 47
From in Vienna just 203 67 47
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ"
Cookbooks to check out - Raichlen's "Brisket Chronicles" and anything by Adam Perry Lang.
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
jgg85234 .... Going for pleasure. I'm having a birthday that can be divided by 10 ..... we are going to Berlin, Prague and Vienna, July 3-20. I was stationed in Fulda and Erlangen in West Germany during the Cold War era. But never got to Berlin or Prague (obviously). And all of my time in Austria was spent in Tirol, skiiing.
Budvar Frisch vom fass ..... I've been dreaming of that for years now!
I'd love some recommendations for the 5 days we are in Vienna!
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