Help identifying meat!

[DrPips]

sorry, strange thread I know, but I’ve been reading so many American blogs cookbooks and forums that I naively turned up at my butchers today to get some ribs and brisket thinking I’d have a choice between babyback and St. Louis ribs, huge briskets I can take my pick off etc. However I forgot I was in England! I’m sure there are butchers who have a wider variety of stuff, but although mine has great quality meat, they only had “ribs” and boned and rolled brisket.

With the ribs, can you tell me whether I have st Louis’s or babyback?

With the brisket, it’s only about 4 pounds, but it doesn’t really look like the ones I’ve seen in books and stuff. Have I got point, flat or both?

Any help much appreciated.

Dom

 

[browneyesvictim]

What you have there are not quite St louis cut from full spares. Do you see there is a joint and cartilage where St.Louis ribs are typically cut? But these are cut from the lower portion of the ribs. Baby Backs are the upper ribs cut closest to the spine.

The "rolled" brisket is another British cut
https://binged.it/2jNYjG5

 

[DrPips]

Ok, so there’s nearly a full St. Louis rib on the left hand side, but not much of one on the right?

Will I still be ok smoking according to this method? https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/perfect-ribs-every-time-this-really-works.240916/

Will I still be ok cooking the brisket in a normal way? Low and slow for a long time until the IT is right? Is what I have all flat? Or does it not equate?

Never smoked brisket before, we always pot roast it over here, hence the boned and rolled.

There’s an online butcher that does proper racks and brisket.

 

[jbellard]

Definitely a form of spare ribs with a kind of St. Louis cut on it. You can tell by the back slash line across the ribs. This is where they cut the yummy meat from that you find on a full rack of spare ribs.

 

[DrPips]

Ah, so my ribs aren’t as meaty as they should be?

 

[jbellard]

That piece of brisket will still take a while to cook but not nearly as long as a “normal” brisket cause it’s not thick at all. You still will want to get the IT to 205 or so but it won’t take that long to get there.

 

[browneyesvictim]

Ok, so there’s nearly a full St. Louis rib on the left hand side, but not much of one on the right?

Will I still be ok smoking according to this method? https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/perfect-ribs-every-time-this-really-works.240916/

Will I still be ok cooking the brisket in a normal way? Low and slow for a long time until the IT is right? Is what I have all flat? Or does it not equate?

Never smoked brisket before, we always pot roast it over here, hence the boned and rolled.

There’s an online butcher that does proper racks and brisket.

You have a couple of choices... You can trim them further into St. Louis ribs or just leave them as they are. Either way, you can cook them just like in Al's post. If you don't trim them, there will be some cartilage and end pieces left on the ribs rather than uniform equilateral ribs. What you decide to do with the trim is a matter of personal preference wheather to put them in beans, or just snack on as "cooks privilege".

I haven't done a rolled brisket before, but what I would do, is roll up and truss the brisket like in the video. Then cook it low and slow like a regular brisket. It may smoke well leaving it flat too if you have a large enough cooking space in your smoker or cut into uniform sizes

 

[DrPips]

I’m doing it on a gas bbq with a smoke box so there’s plenty of room. Because it’s so thin, should I try and pull it rather than slice it or just use it all for burnt ends?

 

[browneyesvictim]

mmmmm... Sounds delicious any way you go. Your choice is the RIGHT choice. But please follow up with pics!

 

[chopsaw]

Looks like a nice fresh rack of ribs . Cook them up and enjoy . Show some pics .

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

Hiya I'm from England too.
I'm having a similar problem. Apparently our supermarkets think it's okay to package ribs as 'pork ribs' no mention anywhere on what kind of ribs.

I have managed to find brisket though not the rolled kind
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-hereford-beef-flat-brisket/879595-294349-294350
https://www.ocado.com/webshop/produ...at+brisket&parentContainer=SEARCHflat+brisket

Hope this helps
Charlotte

 

[DrPips]

That looks good thanks. Gotta love Waitrose. That piece is only 1lb though. Barely worth all the effort!

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

That looks good thanks. Gotta love Waitrose. That piece is only 1lb though. Barely worth all the effort!

Your welcome...
Did you try the ocado link thats the bigger one :)

 

[nanuk]

in Canada, we have:
"Back Ribs", these are the ribs from under the loins, after removing the back chine bone and feather bone,
"Side Ribs", these are the rest of them and usually include the breast bone, unless stated
and "Baby Back Ribs" which are just back ribs from younger pigs.

back ribs are curved, side ribs are far more flat. that line of meat that has been removed, that you see in Pic 1 is from where the diaphragm connected to the rib cage.

usually side ribs are far better than back ribs, as back ribs tend to be trimmed of meat too much.

But now that belly is getting so expensive, I think we'll see the trend of over trimmed side ribs soon