Rib Confusion

mdboatbum · Aug 12, 2015

Joe Black said:
Yes, ribs can be probed for temp, but why bother? The bend method and toothpick method are just too easy. Just my $0.02.

Yes, those methods will tell you when the meat is done, but they won't tell you precisely when it's "almost done, or exactly how far away it is from being done. The bend test is dependent on the thickness of the ribs, the length of the rack, whether or not the membrane has been removed etc... The toothpick test is a question of feel, which, by its very nature is subjective. I'm not trying to insult anyone. If those methods work for you, that's great. I just like to remove as many variables as possible and to be able to repeat results. Shooting for a specific temperature makes it very simple. I like simple.

stevetheteacher · Aug 12, 2015

My local grocer has made my decision for me by process of elimination ... spare ribs it is

cedar eater · Aug 12, 2015

stevetheteacher said:
My local grocer has made my decision for me by process of elimination ... spare ribs it is

Spare ribs can be tricky if you don't do the St. Louis cut. They have so much fat around the sternum that you can end up with unrendered globs of fat unless you cook them until they fall off the bone. The St. Louis cut trims the sternum off, removes a ton of fat and the diaphragm meat, and removes the membrane from the lung side of the ribs. I recommend that you google it. Save any meat that you trim off. It's great for soups, burritos, etc.

gwschenk · Aug 12, 2015

Steve, my first ribs were baby backs. No foil, 265 degrees by the stock WSM thermometer, 5 hours. Threw some sauce at them for 20 minutes. They were great. I think yours will come out fine. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

jcollins · Aug 12, 2015

Exactly i call those pices the rib tips ive seen people smoke them seprately here is a good picture

20140502-291811-how-to-trim-st-louis-ribs-guide.jp

jcollins
Aug 12, 2015

Most spare ribs are already cut though

cedar eater · Aug 13, 2015

jcollins said:
Most spare ribs are already cut though

That hasn't been my experience where I live. Even those sold as "St. Louis style" have needed extensive trimming. This link shows the process I've had to go through with spareribs.

Rib Preparation

jcollins · Aug 13, 2015

Cedar Eater said:
That hasn't been my experience where I live. Even those sold as "St. Louis style" have needed extensive trimming. This link shows the process I've had to go through with spareribs.

Rib Preparation

This is a great walk through in the pictures alone. Normally i can find St. Louis cut ribs that are trimmed up pretty well. the only trimming i ever do is the flap on the back or the "Skirt" as called in that walk through and the membrane. i guess i just get lucky that they are pretrimmed pretty well.

mummel · Aug 13, 2015

jcollins said:
Exactly i call those pices the rib tips ive seen people smoke them seprately here is a good picture

20140502-291811-how-to-trim-st-louis-ribs-guide.jp

jcollins

Aug 12, 2015

Most spare ribs are already cut though

Costco sells their ribs with all the bits. I dont know guys, I enjoy it. I eat every last piece of it.

for-q cookers · Aug 13, 2015

mummel said:
Costco sells their ribs with all the bits. I dont know guys, I enjoy it. I eat every last piece of it.

Me too.... after I cut away the flaps and square em up, I apply the rub to em and put em on next to the ribs.... Great snack an hour or so later...

cedar eater · Aug 13, 2015

mummel said:
Costco sells their ribs with all the bits. I dont know guys, I enjoy it. I eat every last piece of it.

There are three advantages to the St. Louis cuts. 1) You don't have to cook the meat completely off the bone to get all the fat rendered. There's a flavor component in unrendered fat that triggers a gag reflex. Some are more sensitive than others, so even if you don't mind the excess fat, your guests may not appreciate it. They will have to expend effort eating around the part that makes them feel sick. 2) The cook time is quicker and more consistent. You don't have the meat on the skinny end way overcooked when the meat on the fatty end is barely done. 3) You get the meat that's cut off for other purposes. You can even render the lard if you're interested.

Bearcarver · Aug 13, 2015

I personally like my Pork Spares untrimmed. I think I get a juicier rack of ribs that way.

All I do is remove the Membrane & any loose excess fat. I never square them, until me teeth get there.

We like them FOTB, but I seldom get them quite that far.

However---They're Great all ways!!

Just my 2 Piasters,

Bear

mummel · Aug 13, 2015

Bear as you know my 3-2-1 spares came out great the other day. However, if I wanted to push it and get them even more FOTB, should I increase the foil time, or the braising time? So say 3:2.5:1 or 3:2:1.5? I assume cooking then longer will make them more FOTB correct?

cedar eater · Aug 13, 2015

For-Q Cookers said:
Me too.... after I cut away the flaps and square em up, I apply the rub to em and put em on next to the ribs.... Great snack an hour or so later...

Thanks. I'll have to try that with the larger pieces. I usually trim the trimmings after I get the ribs into the smoker, and then put them into a crockpot. But there are some nice meaty bits that would be well smoked long before the ribs and mmmm, mmmm, good.

schlotz · Aug 13, 2015

Steve, by now you've read plenty and probably have come to the conclusion that there are multiple ways to successfully smoke spare ribs. Some require more attention and effort than others.

If kind of new to this, I would recommend starting as simple as possible:

Per jcollins, trim them as shown.

Remove the back membrane getting it loose at the end by sliding a butter knife in between it and the bone. Grab it with a piece of paper towel and pull - pretty simple.

Put on your rub(s) of choice

Smoke between 225-250° (I tend to say around 225)

It then becomes relaxation / lubrication :) time. You are looking for meat pull back off the bone of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Depending on the meat, temp, etc.. that can be anywhere from 4--6 hours but I usually see it around the 5+ hour mark.

BTW: I do spray them with apple juice every 40 min or so starting with hour 3.

If you want to sauce them, do so with approx 30 mins left.

Matt

Bearcarver · Aug 13, 2015

mummel said:
Bear as you know my 3-2-1 spares came out great the other day. However, if I wanted to push it and get them even more FOTB, should I increase the foil time, or the braising time? So say 3:2.5:1 or 3:2:1.5? I assume cooking then longer will make them more FOTB correct?

You have to experiment what works good for you.

My Step by Step came out pretty good using 2.5--2.5--1. If that doesn't give you the FOTB like you like, try 2.5--3--0.5.

Bear

chef jimmyj · Aug 13, 2015

I too buy full racks and cut into St Louis ribs. I then remove the meat from the cartilage,making boneless rib tips. From 2-3 racks we get enough rib tip meat to get another meal out of, usually marinated into Chinese Char Siu. In the pic below, you can see the boneless meat I got from these racks...JJ

Chinese BBQ Ribs and boneless Char Siu...

2013-03-25 14.48.11.jpg

chef jimmyj
Mar 27, 2013

mummel · Aug 14, 2015

Im so hungry right now...

Rib Confusion

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