% 'loss' trimming spares to St Louis cut

longwayfromhome · 03-07-2015, 10:17 PM

Hi there

I am in an education process trying to get butcher's down this way to provide decent spares - lots and lots of challenges, the fundamental one being that they can get 20% more for pork belly than for decent spare ribs.

Anyway, can you give me your experience in the % reduction in weight when trimming regular 'spare' ribs to 'St Louis cut' ribs? Would there, on average, be a 20% reduction in weight (not saying loss, because you can use the trimmings)?

TIA.

smoke ninja · 03-08-2015, 05:10 AM

I would guess aprox. 40% loss. Maybe slightly less. Spares can come somewhat trimmed. Sometimes the breastbone is already removed, ive even seen the flap cut off. i know your in NZ, but maybe the aussie brethren can help in how they trained butchers or where they went to find American cuts. I know its a diff country but id imagine things to be close being the same part of the world.

sunrise · 03-08-2015, 11:48 AM

I dont know how it is there, but I buy my ribs at Sam's, and trim them myself. I used to just dispose of the trimmings, leading to a lot of waste. Now I take most of the trimmings, grind them and make my own sausage. It cut way down on the waste, and has given me another product. it's still pork, and still good meat. My waste is down to about 10%

longwayfromhome · 03-08-2015, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunrise

I dont know how it is there, but I buy my ribs at Sam's, and trim them myself. I used to just dispose of the trimmings, leading to a lot of waste. Now I take most of the trimmings, grind them and make my own sausage. It cut way down on the waste, and has given me another product. it's still pork, and still good meat. My waste is down to about 10%

If you weighed your spares before trimming and then the St Louis ribs that resulted from the trimming, what would be the % reduction?

smoke ninja · 03-08-2015, 01:56 PM

Here's a rough pick of a rack trimmed. You end up with a st louis rack and rib tips, or what is sometimes called the brisket. just as good as the ribs, some say better.

Jason TQ · 03-08-2015, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longwayfromhome

If you weighed your spares before trimming and then the St Louis ribs that resulted from the trimming, what would be the % reduction?

The full spares I get from restaurant depot (their "medium" labeled) are around 5lbs each rack. After trimming off the tips the St. Louis rack is around 3-3.5lbs. So 30-40% loss. But I keep the tips. If I owned a joint of my own I would also sell the tips and not consider it a loss.

The racks vary of course but this is my best "average estimate". You may vary depending on the size you get locally.

jdbh · 03-08-2015, 05:00 PM

mine r 50 percent from spares to st louis

longwayfromhome · 03-08-2015, 07:49 PM

Thanks everyone, getting a feel for it now.

landarc · 03-08-2015, 07:54 PM

Are you planning on selling ribs by weight? Normally, ribs are sold either "by the bone" or "by the rack". Weight rarely factors into the equation of selling cooked ribs.

I would bet you lose closer to 60% total raw weight, if you count removal of the flap, membrane (whether you remove it or burn it off), ends and moisture loss to cooking.

longwayfromhome · 03-09-2015, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landarc

Are you planning on selling ribs by weight? Normally, ribs are sold either "by the bone" or "by the rack". Weight rarely factors into the equation of selling cooked ribs.

I would bet you lose closer to 60% total raw weight, if you count removal of the flap, membrane (whether you remove it or burn it off), ends and moisture loss to cooking.

No, I just needed to explain to the butcher some differences between the various cuts and this was one way. It is a real battle down here. I was just forced to accept 10 racks of ribs that were basically bone-in pork bellies with the skin taken off. In trimming these down I lost over 50 per cent. The Percentage I was after here was just explaining legitimate loss to him. Thanks for your input everyone.

poorolddan · 03-09-2015, 09:34 AM

Around here most that sell spare ribs consider the trimmings a bonus. We can sell them for much more per pound than we get for the ribs. In some stores the tips sell for 20% more than the trimmed ribs go for. Show the butchers there is profit and it might work for you.

voidecho · 03-09-2015, 10:38 AM

Little off topic, but I smoke the trimmings, shred or chop them and put them in my beans.

TailGateJoecom · 03-12-2015, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landarc

Are you planning on selling ribs by weight? Normally, ribs are sold either "by the bone" or "by the rack". Weight rarely factors into the equation of selling cooked ribs.

I would bet you lose closer to 60% total raw weight, if you count removal of the flap, membrane (whether you remove it or burn it off), ends and moisture loss to cooking.

Some of the newer places popping up in NYC are going the market/fast casual route and pricing their meats all by the 1/2 lb, including ribs. People will still order ribs by the piece, but it is weighed and priced according to weight. This seems to be the safest way to sell, especially when you are dealing with expensive short rib beef plate ribs.

bizznessman · 03-12-2015, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voidecho

Little off topic, but I smoke the trimmings, shred or chop them and put them in my beans.

I was reading along in your reply and I thought you were going in a WHOLE nother direction there........and was wondering what type of paper you used to "roll" them with.......LOL

Skip · 03-12-2015, 02:35 PM

Butcher paper of course!

03-07-2015, 10:17 PM	#1
longwayfromhome Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-05-13 Location: Auckland, NZ	% 'loss' trimming spares to St Louis cut Hi there I am in an education process trying to get butcher's down this way to provide decent spares - lots and lots of challenges, the fundamental one being that they can get 20% more for pork belly than for decent spare ribs. Anyway, can you give me your experience in the % reduction in weight when trimming regular 'spare' ribs to 'St Louis cut' ribs? Would there, on average, be a 20% reduction in weight (not saying loss, because you can use the trimmings)? TIA. __________________ Ralph in Auckland... with a WSM 22", a FireMagic 24S, a BQ Grills pig cooker, an LSG 24 x 60 offset ... and a hopeful attitude. ... but for all that, I left my heart along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway ... Last edited by longwayfromhome; 03-07-2015 at 10:42 PM..

03-08-2015, 05:10 AM	#2
smoke ninja somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-03-14 Location: Detroit michigan	I would guess aprox. 40% loss. Maybe slightly less. Spares can come somewhat trimmed. Sometimes the breastbone is already removed, ive even seen the flap cut off. i know your in NZ, but maybe the aussie brethren can help in how they trained butchers or where they went to find American cuts. I know its a diff country but id imagine things to be close being the same part of the world. __________________ Let's all just calm down and smoke a fatty

03-08-2015, 01:56 PM	#5
smoke ninja somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-03-14 Location: Detroit michigan	Here's a rough pick of a rack trimmed. You end up with a st louis rack and rib tips, or what is sometimes called the brisket. just as good as the ribs, some say better. __________________ Let's all just calm down and smoke a fatty

03-08-2015, 05:00 PM	#7
jdbh On the road to being a farker Join Date: 08-03-10 Location: Rochelle,IL	mine r 50 percent from spares to st louis __________________ Hicks BBQ Concession and Catering 2017 26 ft Concession Trailer Ole Hickory CTO DW Stump Clone Big Green Egg XL UDS (RED) UDS (Black) HYBRID OFFSET TRAILER GREY THERMOPEN LIME GREEN THERMOPEN

03-08-2015, 07:49 PM	#8
longwayfromhome Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-05-13 Location: Auckland, NZ	Thanks everyone, getting a feel for it now. __________________ Ralph in Auckland... with a WSM 22", a FireMagic 24S, a BQ Grills pig cooker, an LSG 24 x 60 offset ... and a hopeful attitude. ... but for all that, I left my heart along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway ...

03-08-2015, 11:48 AM	#3
sunrise On the road to being a farker Join Date: 10-04-10 Location: Ventura CA.	I dont know how it is there, but I buy my ribs at Sam's, and trim them myself. I used to just dispose of the trimmings, leading to a lot of waste. Now I take most of the trimmings, grind them and make my own sausage. It cut way down on the waste, and has given me another product. it's still pork, and still good meat. My waste is down to about 10%

03-08-2015, 07:54 PM	#9
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	Are you planning on selling ribs by weight? Normally, ribs are sold either "by the bone" or "by the rack". Weight rarely factors into the equation of selling cooked ribs. I would bet you lose closer to 60% total raw weight, if you count removal of the flap, membrane (whether you remove it or burn it off), ends and moisture loss to cooking. __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

03-09-2015, 09:34 AM	#11
poorolddan Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-01-11 Location: Was Gretna NE now Lincoln NE	Around here most that sell spare ribs consider the trimmings a bonus. We can sell them for much more per pound than we get for the ribs. In some stores the tips sell for 20% more than the trimmed ribs go for. Show the butchers there is profit and it might work for you.

03-09-2015, 10:38 AM	#12
voidecho Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-18-14 Location: Bay Area, CA	Little off topic, but I smoke the trimmings, shred or chop them and put them in my beans.

03-12-2015, 02:35 PM	#15
Skip is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 07-24-07 Location: Wantagh, NY	Butcher paper of course! __________________ Yeah it looks good...but how does it smell? "you're eating tree RAT, tree RAT, you're eating RAT!" -- landarc