Curved Ribs

2LiveQ · Jul 5, 2010

Are curved ribs a characteristic of pork or does it only happen with a certain breed or way of processing them? I keep finding this with RD ribs, Smithfield, etc. I talked to a organic butcher shop in VA and they told me that it happened because of the way Smithfield processes the animal. I am wondering if this could be true or it is just how pig ribs grow.

I ordered some from Snake River Farms and they were curved as well. Is it pretty typical that they are curved?

antoant · Jul 5, 2010

Think about your ribs. Are they curved? Now think about the ribs of a pig or a cow or any animal for that matter. Should they be curved?

The short answer is yes.

All ribs are curved if you pick up a slab that starts from the spine and goes all the way to the cartilage. What most butcher's do is break up the rib in two parts. The baby-backs and the spares. The baby-backs are closer to the spine, the spares are closer to the cartilage. By braking up the ribs in two you lose a lot of the curvature. But not all of it and how much you lose depends on where the butcher decided to make the cut between baby-backs and spares. Or so I think ...

Captain P.J. · Jul 5, 2010

I think antoant has it right. Here is a link to a site that has a diagram that you can see where everything comes from... http://www.askthemeatman.com/hog_cuts_interactive_chart.htm

Hope it helps!

2LiveQ · Jul 5, 2010

I've had trouble at comps cutting them. When I place them on the side and cut down they are curved and it doesn't look as good as it could in the box. A butcher in DC claimed that this was happening because I was using Smithfield and they curve the ribs when they cut them on a bandsaw. This shop claimed that their ribs weren't curved. Well...wouldn't ya know it I have a few rack of their spares and they are all curved except one. I think they fed me a line. I cooked two racks from Snake River Farms yesterday and they were curved. I think maybe it is just lucky (or a good eye) when you find ones that are straight.

antoant · Jul 5, 2010

If you really need straight ribs you need to find a good butcher that will give you what you want or buy a cleaver and start chopping. But remember you will always have some curvature unless you go for really small, in length, pieces.

Curved Ribs

2LiveQ

Guest

antoant

Knows what a fatty is.

Captain P.J.

Full Fledged Farker

2LiveQ

Guest

antoant

Knows what a fatty is.

Similar threads