How to cut St Louis Style Spares (Tutorial)

Mister Bob · 01-08-2011, 06:55 PM

This may be old hat for many of the veterans out there, but for those who are interested, here is a step by step tutorial on how to take a big old rack of spare ribs and turn them into a St Louis style rack with rib tips and a special bonus too!

Two racks in a cryovac weighing a little over 10 pounds.

Open them up and put the first rack on the cutting board.

Flip it over and take hold of the flap.

Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and slice off the flap as close to the bones as possible. Make sure you save the flap and all your trimmings!

And this is how they should look with the flap removed.

Now carefully slide a butter knife between the bone and the membrane.

Lift with the back of the knife to separate the membrane.

Using a paper towel for grip, grab the membrane and carefully start to pull it off.

With a little practice, it will come off in one piece.

Now locate the longest bone on the rack and insert the tip of your knife.

Cut down the length of the rack to get a nice even slab.

Repeat the process with the other rack, remove the breast bones and trim all the loose ends from the rib tips and this is what you should end up with.

So, what will we do with all those trimmings?

Maybe sausage, maybe meatloaf, maybe meatballs...that will be a post for another day!

I hope you enjoyed the pics!

el_matt · 01-08-2011, 07:13 PM

Nice tutorial. It took me forever to figure out how to do it, now it's second nature.

Matt

Wampus · 01-08-2011, 07:14 PM

Yup.....that's how I do it.

Quick question, though.....
I usually rinse all meat out of the cryopack under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. I've done this with chickens, turkeys, ribs, butts, brisket......EVERYTHING. I think I read that somewhere when I got started trimming/cooking meat.

I notice you didn't mention it here. I've always considered it a real PIA step. Not necessary?

ALSO.....when you say cut out the breastbone on the cutoff.....you just cut that portion complely off and trim the meat off, right?

GREAT tutorial. This will be a big help for those new to spares.

BBQ Grail · 01-08-2011, 07:20 PM

Farking awesome tutorial! Great job!

Johnny_Crunch · 01-08-2011, 07:43 PM

Nice tutorial, thanks!

BBQ_MAFIA · 01-08-2011, 07:51 PM

Very nice tutorial

bluetang · 01-08-2011, 07:56 PM

Great, clear tutorial!

jestridge · 01-08-2011, 08:00 PM

good job that the way I do it.

JS-TX · 01-08-2011, 08:43 PM

Very nice thank you. This will be bookmarked

BBQ Bandit · 01-08-2011, 08:51 PM

Very well documented and explained.

K I N G P I N · 01-08-2011, 09:07 PM

Thanks brother, good job.

Mister Bob · 01-08-2011, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wampus

Yup.....that's how I do it.

Quick question, though.....
I usually rinse all meat out of the cryopack under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. I've done this with chickens, turkeys, ribs, butts, brisket......EVERYTHING. I think I read that somewhere when I got started trimming/cooking meat.

I notice you didn't mention it here. I've always considered it a real PIA step. Not necessary?

ALSO.....when you say cut out the breastbone on the cutoff.....you just cut that portion complely off and trim the meat off, right?

GREAT tutorial. This will be a big help for those new to spares.

I don't rinse raw meat with tap water unless I'm going to cook it fairly soon. I personally believe I would be adding more germs than I would be removing, especially if it just came out of a cryovac. I'm no expert in the field, but it just seems to make sense to me. Maybe a Brethren more informed on the subject would like to weigh in?

As for the breast bone, yes, I just cut it off and trim and save the meat. I also save the bone sometimes for browning and adding to my tomato sauce for flavor.

JasonBB · 01-08-2011, 10:04 PM

awsome thx for showing me how its done i never knew this!!!!

Big George's BBQ · 01-08-2011, 10:21 PM

Very Nice Thank You for the Tutorial

gtr · 01-08-2011, 10:26 PM

Nicely done - great pics, all that. That's my favorite type of ribs - thanks!

01-08-2011, 06:55 PM	#1
Mister Bob Babbling Farker Join Date: 06-15-09 Location: Scituate, RI	How to cut St Louis Style Spares (Tutorial) This may be old hat for many of the veterans out there, but for those who are interested, here is a step by step tutorial on how to take a big old rack of spare ribs and turn them into a St Louis style rack with rib tips and a special bonus too! Two racks in a cryovac weighing a little over 10 pounds. Open them up and put the first rack on the cutting board. Flip it over and take hold of the flap. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and slice off the flap as close to the bones as possible. Make sure you save the flap and all your trimmings! And this is how they should look with the flap removed. Now carefully slide a butter knife between the bone and the membrane. Lift with the back of the knife to separate the membrane. Using a paper towel for grip, grab the membrane and carefully start to pull it off. With a little practice, it will come off in one piece. Now locate the longest bone on the rack and insert the tip of your knife. Cut down the length of the rack to get a nice even slab. Repeat the process with the other rack, remove the breast bones and trim all the loose ends from the rib tips and this is what you should end up with. So, what will we do with all those trimmings? Maybe sausage, maybe meatloaf, maybe meatballs...that will be a post for another day! I hope you enjoyed the pics! __________________ Mister Bob, Pitmaster - Smokestack Lightning, Bad Ass Barbecue. KCBS CBJ #31759 - IMBAS Certified MOINK Baller
	7 members found this post helpful.

01-08-2011, 07:14 PM	#3
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN	Yup.....that's how I do it. Quick question, though..... I usually rinse all meat out of the cryopack under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. I've done this with chickens, turkeys, ribs, butts, brisket......EVERYTHING. I think I read that somewhere when I got started trimming/cooking meat. I notice you didn't mention it here. I've always considered it a real PIA step. Not necessary? ALSO.....when you say cut out the breastbone on the cutoff.....you just cut that portion complely off and trim the meat off, right? GREAT tutorial. This will be a big help for those new to spares. __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

01-08-2011, 07:20 PM	#4
BBQ Grail somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-11-03 Location: Rocklin, CA	Farking awesome tutorial! Great job! __________________ Larry Soon to be a Texafornian. For a limited time I will be issuing Moink Ball Certificates. I'm working on a special COVID 19 Verson. Email me for details.

01-08-2011, 07:43 PM	#5
Johnny_Crunch Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-03-10 Location: Cypress TX	Nice tutorial, thanks! __________________ J Crunch

01-08-2011, 07:51 PM	#6
BBQ_MAFIA somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-10-05 Location: NORTH BERGEN, NEW JERSEY	Very nice tutorial __________________ Guido Lang 60 Lang 84 Deluxe Warmer with Chargrill Large Spicewine Large BGE XL - BGE Med. BGE ( Bought it for my son Vincenzo) Brinkman Snp Brinkman ECB GOSM Weber Kettle Kenmore Elite Gasser Camp Chef Outdoor Stove Blackstone Pizza Oven Blackstone 36" Griddle 1-Banjo

01-08-2011, 07:13 PM	#2
el_matt Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-08-09 Location: Turlock, California	Nice tutorial. It took me forever to figure out how to do it, now it's second nature. Matt

01-08-2011, 07:56 PM	#7
bluetang somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-06-10 Location: Stuart, Fl Name/Nickname : Mike	Great, clear tutorial! __________________ Homey, the Homegrown frier, 22" WSM, 18.5" Elderly(but not retired) WSM,Homegrown Electric, Weber gasserrrr,Weber Performer, Gravity feed smoker, Blackstone, Indisputably Fastest [COLOR=purple]Purple[/COLOR] Thermapen, SAI Satay Grill Avatar by landarc, thanky!

01-08-2011, 08:00 PM	#8
jestridge somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 12-28-07 Location: annville ky	good job that the way I do it.

01-08-2011, 08:43 PM	#9
JS-TX is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 02-17-10 Location: San Antonio, TX	Very nice thank you. This will be bookmarked

01-08-2011, 08:51 PM	#10
BBQ Bandit Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-15-08 Location: Harrisburg, PA	Very well documented and explained. __________________ Custom Klose Backyard Chef... of Snot, and a 22.5 WSM Former smokers; Lang 84 Deluxe kitchen, Lang 60 Mobile - The Damsel II, Lang 48 Patio - The Damsel, Bubba Keg Grill - RIP, Double Barrel Smoker and a BSKD

01-08-2011, 09:07 PM	#11
K I N G P I N Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-25-08 Location: West Islip, NY	Thanks brother, good job. __________________ XL BGE WEBER SMOKEY MOUNTAIN WEBER PERFORMER FOUR SEASONS GASSER Yellow thermapen AKA-Crusty DippinTush http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pinsgasser.jpg

01-08-2011, 10:04 PM	#13
JasonBB Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 12-02-10 Location: Canada	awsome thx for showing me how its done i never knew this!!!!

01-08-2011, 10:21 PM	#14
Big George's BBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 02-07-08 Location: Framingham, MA Name/Nickname : George	Very Nice Thank You for the Tutorial

01-08-2011, 10:26 PM	#15
gtr somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA	Nicely done - great pics, all that. That's my favorite type of ribs - thanks! __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Spitjack XB85, 22.5 WSM, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, WRK, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Kanka Grill, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. "Relax, it's only BBQ." - Bigmista, 2013 "Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one." - Miles Davis Avatar by my son! WTFWGALD?

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