Spare Ribs - Trimmed or Whole

The last couple of three packs I've done, I've done two racks trimmed in a P shape, like Donnie shows in his weeping video, and the third trimmed full St. Louis style. This allows me to fit all three flat on the top rack of my UDS. The two P shaped ones fit the shape of the drum and the St. Louis down the middle. :-D

Edit: Around 4:00
http://www.youtube.com/user/PitmasterT?feature=watch#p/u/36/kMDdQ6ZoiKw

It actually looks like I've been doing the opposite! I trim the thin lose stuff off the other end w/o cartridge. Good sausage meat. Just a diagonal cut along where the bone and cartridge stops. I'm not an expert, but I think this works well.
 
I have friends that don't like meat off the bone...I know, what the hell are they thinking, but I use the top part to serve away from the bone, so they are pleased as well as others. Sacrilegious if you ask me though, how could you not like meat from the bone. Just my opinion
 
there are also enthusiasts that use the top parts to make sausage.
 
Trimmed or untrimmed, that is the question. Success either way.
picture.php
 
If I get them at sam's club they come with the brisket bone removed so I trim them so we can have a snack. If I get them at the market with the brisket bone I cook them whole. People do prefer the longer ribs though.

020512161114.jpg
 
I have a little different take on why we like ours trimmed. If you look at the meat that is trimmed off the ribs when they are cut to make St. Louis, it's actually running a different direction than the ribs themselves. As such, I find that to get that tender takes longer than the ribs themselves.

We trim them up and make rib tips. Just take the trimmed pieces and cut out the cartlidge that is there. Season and smoke. As some point, cut them into bite sizes pieces and foil/pan/overcook them until tender.

When I cook full racks, it always seems that to get that trimmed end tender makes the rib portion too tender and dried out.
 
We only trim the brisket bone. We cook the brisket bone and sell it as tips. You can also use those trimmings in a big pot of collard greens after you smoke them.
 
Pappy said:
Looks good, but what does that do? Help with cooking or just make it fit better?
Click to expand...


It does a couple of things. For one, as SmokinOkie said, I find that section takes longer to get tender than the ribs themselves. This exposes more surface area in this section to the heat.

The other reason is that there's a good bit of fat hidden in that area where the ends of the bones meet the cartilage. This helps that fat to render more easily.
 
I always thought that part was fatty and the meat was tough. I like it. That's how I'm going to make my "Whole Spares" on Saturday. Let me be the first to answer, "Happy Phriday Pharkers,what's Smoking this Weekend?"
2 Slabs of Spare Ribs untrimed using Chris Lilly's Four-Stage Barbeque Ribs method, low & slow on the UDS.
 
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