Our Homepage | Donation to Forum Overhead | Welocme | Merchandise | Associations | Purchase Subscription | Amazon Affiliate |
|
Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
|
Thread Tools |
09-11-2009, 06:53 AM | #1 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 07-14-09
Location: Lake Sinclair, GA
Name/Nickname : Hance
|
Contrast BB's and St Louis cut Spares
I grew up eating spare ribs cooked BADLY, so no surprise that growing up
I thought I hated ribs. In my early 20's, with some serious arm twisting, I tried a decent rack of baby backs, and thought to myself "I dont hate ribs afterall". It was many years later that I was invited to judge a MIM contest and was then I learned that heaven on earth could be delivered via. a baby back rib. WOW. I've been hooked ever since. The few spare ribs that I've had along the way were botched and were not St Louis cut. All were the old grill-em in 20 minutes variety. Could someone that really knows ribs and enjoys ribs contrast a properly cooked BB and a St Louis cut Spare?
__________________
Hance - MiM/MBN/GBA CBJ and comp cook Lake Sinclair, GA (strategically about an hour from darn near anywhere) My competition daze are probably behind me now; I pretty much cook for family, friends, and frankly the peace and solitude I get from smokin' on an offset... Was Lang 84DX, now Bubba Grills 250R and many Weber grills |
|
09-11-2009, 07:21 AM | #2 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-14-06
Location: At home on the range in Wyoming
|
Spares are my favorite ribs. When properly cooked, I think they have a more pronounced pork flavor than loin ribs. In part, this comes from the longer cook time used and the higher fat content of the meat. To me it's kind of like the difference in flavor between a pork chop and a (shoulder) pork steak. If you cook the whole slab, you get the advantage of getting a little texture change as you eat your way toward the the brisket end of each rib (which is my favorite end) Because of their weight and leanness, BB's are easier to cook and of course take less time than belly ribs. Trimming a slab of spares into a St Louis rack is no big deal, plus it gives you some excellent snackin' when you are cooking. When I do trim them I try to get the strip for myself.
__________________
~thirdeye~ Barbecuist ~ Charcuterist ~ KCBS Master Judge & CTC Big Green Eggs, Big Drum Smokers, Big Chiefs, Weber Smokey Joe "Custom Tall Boy" Oil Patch Horizontal, SnS Deluxe Kettle Visit my Cookin' Site by clicking HERE Barbecue is not rocket surgery “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it's hard to verify their authenticity” ~ Abraham Lincoln
|
|
09-11-2009, 08:13 AM | #3 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 07-02-09
Location: Hattiesburg, MS
|
I have to agree with thirdeye on this one. The only thing I haven't done is try to learn how to trim the spares into St Louis style. I usually find them cut that way in the markets if I'm lucky. I've been reading and studying the pron so I guess it's about time to try my hand at it. Wish me luck.
__________________
Weber 22.5 Silver, Weber 22.5 Gold Weber 22.5 Performer, Weber 22.5 WSM Weber Smokey Joe & Weber Smokey Joe Mini WSM Kenmore Elite Gasser w/ Rotisserie Cajun Cooker (3) UDS In Progress [COLOR=#0000ff]BLUESMAN[/COLOR] Splashproof [COLOR=#0000ff]BLUE [/COLOR][COLOR=black]Thermapen :bow:[/COLOR] H D FXSTD |
|
09-11-2009, 08:17 AM | #4 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 04-14-04
Location: Choctaw, OK
|
BB's used to be my favorite pork rib. Then I learned to cut and cook St. Louis-Style spares... Spares tend to be a little more greasy because of that extra fat content, and that makes it harder for me to eat my weight in them, but cooked properly...mmmm.
__________________
Arlin MacRae Primo Oval Junior, Traeger Model 075 Pellet Pooper, Big Chief, Kingfisher Kooker 14" gas/wood combo, PBC Brethren Edition, Pit Boss NASCAR Tailgater Home Brewer, Murderer of Squirrels, Armadillo Inspector Flaming Pig Head Mod Certified KCBS Master BBQ Judge |
|
09-11-2009, 09:08 AM | #5 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-14-06
Location: At home on the range in Wyoming
|
Quote:
By the time you trim your second slab, you will be a pro. There is a flap of meat on the bone side that gets cut off too.
__________________
~thirdeye~ Barbecuist ~ Charcuterist ~ KCBS Master Judge & CTC Big Green Eggs, Big Drum Smokers, Big Chiefs, Weber Smokey Joe "Custom Tall Boy" Oil Patch Horizontal, SnS Deluxe Kettle Visit my Cookin' Site by clicking HERE Barbecue is not rocket surgery “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it's hard to verify their authenticity” ~ Abraham Lincoln
|
|
|
09-11-2009, 10:49 AM | #6 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 06-27-09
Location: belleville,mich.
|
Ok, so this threads got me thinking. Baby-backs have been my favorite for a few years now, but I keep hearing that the spares have more flavor. I'll have to do some thread searching to find some more info on properly prepaired and properly cooked st. louis style ribs....Gonna be a pretty hard argument to win me over though....Especially if I can consistantly purchase the same baby-backs I bought for last weekends cook(21 slabs). The meat was at least an inch thick in places, and had a fat content that kept them super moist and yummy throughout. All for 2.68lb....I'm still in heaven.
firecrackerjack |
|
09-11-2009, 10:51 AM | #7 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 05-03-07
Location: New Baltimore, Mi.
|
I get the same in spares for $1.49. Try em!
Quote:
|
|
|
09-11-2009, 10:56 AM | #8 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 03-01-08
Location: Akron, OH
|
I like spares better, and I get the tips left over for beans or braise with sour kraut.
Jeff
__________________
You do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do! Ole Hickory Ultra Que 2 18" WSM 18" Weber OTS Primo Oval XL NB American Gourmet offset smoker UDS Big Chief Smoker Turkey Fryer |
|
09-11-2009, 10:57 AM | #9 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 06-27-09
Location: belleville,mich.
|
|
|
09-11-2009, 12:05 PM | #10 |
Got Wood.
Join Date: 08-01-09
Location: Portland Oregon
|
First ~thirdeye.....great pictures.
Okay dumbassed question number one. So what is the deal on cutting down a rack of ribs. What is being trimmed off (yea I see in thirdeye's photos what it looks like) but what is in that part that you don't care for Why do it
__________________
~Randy 22" WSM and a little cheap portable table top gasser |
|
09-11-2009, 12:15 PM | #11 | |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 08-03-09
Location: Highland, CA
Name/Nickname : Dave
|
Quote:
(a) off the bones so it does not eat or look like traditionally known 'ribs' (b) of different thickness so it cooks much faster and ends up way over done by the time the 'ribs' are tender (c) is a different texture of meat My experience tells me that for the same reason different cuts of meat need to be cooked differently and are prepared differently even if they are right next to each other inside the animal (think brisket flat and point), spares need to be trimmed to get the BEST cook for both the ribs and the trimmings. After all, bbq is all about getting the BEST cook and flavor for a specific piece of meat, even if best takes all day to do and years of perfecting one's technique. Hope that helps |
|
|
09-11-2009, 12:29 PM | #12 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-14-06
Location: At home on the range in Wyoming
|
Quote:
A full slab takes a little more patience to cook correctly because they are not a uniform width or thickness. I actually prefer to cook them whole, partly to show off and also because the full length rib is a treat to serve. They can be 6 or 7 inches long. The part that is cut off to make a St Louis rack is the lower portion, and is called the strip or brisket. It has a series of small bones that are softer like cartilage is. Some folks just don't like fooling with those little bones, but like I mentioned ..... the meat in the strip is delicious and my favorite part. (of course I like barbecued neck bones too) The small end is usually cut away too just to square up the St Louis rack. There is some loose meat on the backside called the flap, and it cooks too fast, so it is removed (even when cooking whole slabs) and just cooked on the side.
__________________
~thirdeye~ Barbecuist ~ Charcuterist ~ KCBS Master Judge & CTC Big Green Eggs, Big Drum Smokers, Big Chiefs, Weber Smokey Joe "Custom Tall Boy" Oil Patch Horizontal, SnS Deluxe Kettle Visit my Cookin' Site by clicking HERE Barbecue is not rocket surgery “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it's hard to verify their authenticity” ~ Abraham Lincoln
|
|
|
09-11-2009, 04:25 PM | #13 | |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 03-14-07
Location: Culpeper, Virginia
|
Quote:
Well then let me be the one to tell you they dont. I agree spares have more fat and in general I subscribe to the more fat the more flavor, not in the case of BB vs Spares. To me BB's have much more flavor. And as far as BB being eaiser to cook, I would disagree, lost less forgiving than a Spare rib and smaller window for accuracy!
__________________
Certified Master Judge #5382 What is best in life? "To crush your BBQ opponents, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." |
|
|
09-11-2009, 04:51 PM | #14 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: 04-08-04
Location: Marianna, FL
Name/Nickname : Tim
|
I cook both for home and Comp.
Depends on the QUALITY of the ribs I can find at the time. A poor quality slab of either type will be surpassed by a quality slab of the other. Amount of meat, fat, with or without enhancement, size, and other variables make up the final quality. Then, you have to cook them the way you personally like them. Cook them both till you either like them both or pick one over the other. It is all good to eat while you are testing TIM
__________________
"Flirtin' with Disaster" BBQ Team (RETIRED)
FBA and KCBS Cook and Judge. Former owner of a WSM, a Smokey Joe, a Charbroil Commercial gasser (junk), the legendary "StudeDera", a FEC100, a Fast Eddy PG500, and Sherman the Wonder Trailer. Just sold Yoder YS640 due health New Ninja Woodfired Grill for Christmas 2023 |
|
09-11-2009, 05:02 PM | #15 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 05-03-06
Location: Ventura, CA
|
I need everyone to stop comparing the two and enjoy their individual attributes. Sometimes I want spares, sometimes I want BBs. It just depends!
__________________
Peace and Smoke, BBS Powered by the West Coast Offense: Big Poppa Smokers and Simply Marvelous BBQ - "Walk with Us" My weapons: Humphrey's Smokers |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
How to cut St Louis Style Spares (Tutorial) | Mister Bob | Q-talk | 138 | 06-16-2023 07:42 AM |
Babybacks vs. St. Louis cut spares - a side by side cook and taste test | Mister Bob | Q-talk | 37 | 12-07-2011 01:31 PM |
St. Louis cut spares w/ Corky's and Montreal Steak Seasoning | 42BBQ | Q-talk | 21 | 01-07-2011 10:46 AM |
Where to buy St. Louis Cut Spares?-Chicagoland area | gotwood | Q-talk | 18 | 08-16-2010 02:32 PM |
Ned help making a St. Louis cut on Spares | MilitantSquatter | Q-talk | 11 | 11-12-2005 09:38 PM |
Thread Tools | |
|
|