St Louis Cut ribs vs whole spares

tbone30349 · 07-23-2013, 09:30 AM

Greetings and a thousand blessings to each and every one of you, my good people. Quick question. Which do u prefer, St Louis cut ribs or whole spares? I'm accustomed to buying and cooking whole spares, but haven't bought a slab of st Louis yet. What do yall prefer? Also, what about baby backs? I prefer spares over BB. What about yourselves?

Keep the mind attuned to a positive frequency

Byrd Man

marubozo · 07-23-2013, 09:33 AM

I prefer to buy whole spares and them trim them to St. Louis cut myself and cook the ribs and tips/trim separately, or sometimes just cook the ribs and freeze the rest for another time, make sausage, etc.

aawa · 07-23-2013, 09:38 AM

I buy whole spares over baby backs, but I trim them to St. Louis cuts. I prefer it because it cooks more evenly, and eats easier (no fussing with the cartilage when eating it). I do cook the trimmings the same time I cook the ribs for some snacks since they finish before the ribs do.

jamus34 · 07-23-2013, 09:38 AM

I don't have a preference specifically as here it is kinda buy what you find that looks halfway decent.

That said, I like getting full spares and trimming. Rib Ends are awesome have quite a few uses (one of my favorites is using it in pork and beans).

QansasjayhawQ · 07-23-2013, 09:43 AM

Add another to everything said above - the racks already trimmed up seem to be quite a bit more expensive than the full racks plus you get the rib tips to cook after you've trimmed them up. I like to cook the tips in chili made in the slow cooker.

J-Rod · 07-23-2013, 09:47 AM

I always go for full spares at about $2.49lb vs. St. Louie's at around $3.99lb. Trim em up St louie style and save the trimmings for other stuff. Takes more prep time, but getting more meat for less dough is always a good thing.

tbone30349 · 07-23-2013, 09:50 AM

Presh8 the responses, all of which make perfectly good sense. I've only trimmed em once, but I think I'm gonna make it a habit

John Bowen · 07-23-2013, 09:52 AM

I like buying spares and triming them down to St. Louis cuts myself. I have the worst time with crazy crooked bones when I buy St. Louis cuts pre cut. The last St. Louis cut I got from RD had bones I swear were shaped like an "S".

I wish I knew a better way to tell about the bones.

2000milesofsmoke · 07-23-2013, 10:02 AM

Personally, I prefer spares to BB. For the money, just not enough meat on the bone for BB. I like to buy whole spares and trim them down to St. Louis myself. I will cook the St. L and rib tips seperately, usually giving the tips to the neighborhood kids....

ac30 · 07-23-2013, 10:07 AM

I trim the spares myself and give the leftover cuts to my wife for spaghetti sauce.

legendaryhog · 07-23-2013, 10:38 AM

Yup, I'm with the majority. Buy the whole rack and trim it yourself before or after your cook. I'm an after guy as I love riblets. Plus the price is so much better. Whole spares are $1.68/lb on sale where I'm at, while St. Louis are usually around 2.99/lb. That's almost double the price for a 30 second trim job and 1/3 less meat.

Buy a whole rack, flip it over and find where the bones meet the cartilage (it's really easy to see) and run your knife all the way down. Done and done.

Blah64 · 07-23-2013, 10:39 AM

I prefer untrimmed spares.

I would rather have loin back ribs than St. Louis ribs.

fantomlord · 07-23-2013, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamus34

I don't have a preference specifically as here it is kinda buy what you find that looks halfway decent.

That said, I like getting full spares and trimming. Rib Ends are awesome have quite a few uses (one of my favorites is using it in pork and beans).

^^that

GMDGeek · 07-23-2013, 11:19 AM

I usually end up getting St Louis cuts but last couple times I've been able to get Full Spares for decent price. Been learning and practicing the art of the trim to St Louis (not as easy as it sounds if you've not done it before) and giving my wife the left over meats for her Filipino dishes. Works out better in the long run.

1. Cheaper
2. More Meat
3. Different meals
4. Plus if you ever make it on Pitmasters you'll be able to trim your ribs up. LOL

Know Bull · 07-23-2013, 11:26 AM

I think you should trim to St Louis. People eat with their eyes first.

Today went to a local BBQ restaurant that trims their ribs to St Louis cuts. A full slab is priced at $20.99, which is competitive. Then the "rib tips" are priced at $6.99 per pound. There is always a sign in the store that advertises the rib tips "while they last". And they hawk the product as the best deal in the house. The pitmaster gets a better looking product, gets a more even cook across the more uniform sized slab, plus increases his net revenue per slab. And there is probably only 2 minutes per slab of extra labor in both the trimming and cooking of the rib tips.

07-23-2013, 09:30 AM	#1
tbone30349 Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 01-30-13 Location: Atlanta, GA	St Louis Cut ribs vs whole spares Greetings and a thousand blessings to each and every one of you, my good people. Quick question. Which do u prefer, St Louis cut ribs or whole spares? I'm accustomed to buying and cooking whole spares, but haven't bought a slab of st Louis yet. What do yall prefer? Also, what about baby backs? I prefer spares over BB. What about yourselves? Keep the mind attuned to a positive frequency Byrd Man

07-23-2013, 09:38 AM	#3
aawa Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-03-12 Location: Virginia Beach, VA	I buy whole spares over baby backs, but I trim them to St. Louis cuts. I prefer it because it cooks more evenly, and eats easier (no fussing with the cartilage when eating it). I do cook the trimmings the same time I cook the ribs for some snacks since they finish before the ribs do. __________________ ~Ren~ Fat Kids Club Founding Member

07-23-2013, 09:38 AM	#4
jamus34 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-09-12 Location: Milford, NJ	I don't have a preference specifically as here it is kinda buy what you find that looks halfway decent. That said, I like getting full spares and trimming. Rib Ends are awesome have quite a few uses (one of my favorites is using it in pork and beans). __________________ Proud owner of: 22.5 OTS, 22.5 WSM, SJG (and soon to have the tamale pot mini-WSM conversion built) Stealth gray Thermopen

07-23-2013, 09:43 AM	#5
QansasjayhawQ is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-21-06 Location: Lawrence, Kansas - The Great American Outback	Add another to everything said above - the racks already trimmed up seem to be quite a bit more expensive than the full racks plus you get the rib tips to cook after you've trimmed them up. I like to cook the tips in chili made in the slow cooker. __________________ We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it. - Abraham Lincoln ------- One Moocow UDS! (Thanks, Shane!) http://www.moocowbbq.com/ Two Weber 22.5" kettles One Brinkmann Smoke'N PitMaster Deluxe One LARGE WSM! (special black glossy finish) w/Stoker! WooHoo! KCBS Member/KCBS Master CBJ #24295 Sweaty, smokey and enjoying every minute.

07-23-2013, 09:47 AM	#6
J-Rod is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-15-12 Location: Irish Hills, MI	I always go for full spares at about $2.49lb vs. St. Louie's at around $3.99lb. Trim em up St louie style and save the trimmings for other stuff. Takes more prep time, but getting more meat for less dough is always a good thing. __________________ Okie Joe offset, UDS, Akorn, Weber Kettles, I'm JD.

07-23-2013, 09:33 AM	#2
marubozo is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 06-25-11 Location: Mishawaka, IN Name/Nickname : Jeremy	I prefer to buy whole spares and them trim them to St. Louis cut myself and cook the ribs and tips/trim separately, or sometimes just cook the ribs and freeze the rest for another time, make sausage, etc.

07-23-2013, 09:50 AM	#7
tbone30349 Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 01-30-13 Location: Atlanta, GA	Presh8 the responses, all of which make perfectly good sense. I've only trimmed em once, but I think I'm gonna make it a habit

07-23-2013, 09:52 AM	#8
John Bowen is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 01-09-13 Location: Tupelo, MS	I like buying spares and triming them down to St. Louis cuts myself. I have the worst time with crazy crooked bones when I buy St. Louis cuts pre cut. The last St. Louis cut I got from RD had bones I swear were shaped like an "S". I wish I knew a better way to tell about the bones.

07-23-2013, 10:02 AM	#9
2000milesofsmoke On the road to being a farker Join Date: 06-23-13 Location: San Diego, CA	Personally, I prefer spares to BB. For the money, just not enough meat on the bone for BB. I like to buy whole spares and trim them down to St. Louis myself. I will cook the St. L and rib tips seperately, usually giving the tips to the neighborhood kids....

07-23-2013, 10:07 AM	#10
ac30 Got Wood. Join Date: 05-13-09 Location: Williamsville, New York	I trim the spares myself and give the leftover cuts to my wife for spaghetti sauce.

07-23-2013, 10:38 AM	#11
legendaryhog is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 03-08-13 Location: LawrenceFarkingKansas	Yup, I'm with the majority. Buy the whole rack and trim it yourself before or after your cook. I'm an after guy as I love riblets. Plus the price is so much better. Whole spares are $1.68/lb on sale where I'm at, while St. Louis are usually around 2.99/lb. That's almost double the price for a 30 second trim job and 1/3 less meat. Buy a whole rack, flip it over and find where the bones meet the cartilage (it's really easy to see) and run your knife all the way down. Done and done. __________________ -jeremiah LG BGE-Brinkman Cimmaron-Custom Pull-behind (old grade school boiler)-Weber Kettle-DCS 30" some say he's dead...some say he never will be.

07-23-2013, 10:39 AM	#12
Blah64 On the road to being a farker Join Date: 06-19-13 Location: Palo Alto, CA	I prefer untrimmed spares. I would rather have loin back ribs than St. Louis ribs.

07-23-2013, 11:19 AM	#14
GMDGeek is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 10-10-12 Location: Wylie, TX	I usually end up getting St Louis cuts but last couple times I've been able to get Full Spares for decent price. Been learning and practicing the art of the trim to St Louis (not as easy as it sounds if you've not done it before) and giving my wife the left over meats for her Filipino dishes. Works out better in the long run. 1. Cheaper 2. More Meat 3. Different meals 4. Plus if you ever make it on Pitmasters you'll be able to trim your ribs up. LOL __________________ Bib Up and Dive In! [URL]http://divepigs.blogspot.com/[/URL]

07-23-2013, 11:26 AM	#15
Know Bull On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-19-12 Location: Broken Arrow OK	I think you should trim to St Louis. People eat with their eyes first. Today went to a local BBQ restaurant that trims their ribs to St Louis cuts. A full slab is priced at $20.99, which is competitive. Then the "rib tips" are priced at $6.99 per pound. There is always a sign in the store that advertises the rib tips "while they last". And they hawk the product as the best deal in the house. The pitmaster gets a better looking product, gets a more even cook across the more uniform sized slab, plus increases his net revenue per slab. And there is probably only 2 minutes per slab of extra labor in both the trimming and cooking of the rib tips. __________________ Know Bull