Trimming Ribs

Atlasman · May 6, 2013

Is this just a cosmetic thing for all you guys?? Making a nice straight cut down a full rack to create a St. Louis rack or is there more to it then that??

What I mean is can you get disqualified for trimming ribs wrong and leaving some of the breast plate in there or even any additional cartilage pieces at all??

I was offered a rib by a FINE cook with lots of trophies and wins and it had some cartilage in it past the end of the rib bone. I thought this was a major no-no.

Thanks.

bignburlyman · May 6, 2013

It would not be a violation of the rules to turn in untrimmed spares. It "might" hurt the appearance if they don't look good in the box. The judges would probably take their bites from the main bone part of the rib so the cartilage would not affect tenderness, at least my opinion. You may get judge #6 and get punished for it though, lol.

Edit to add: At least not a violation for KCBS, I don't know the rules of the other governing bodies.

mobow · May 6, 2013

What he said. keith

hogzgonewild · May 6, 2013

I've always been taught, start at the top of the tallest rib bone and make a straight line all the way across, so the rack is as tall as the tallest bone.

That would mean that every other rib in that rack would have some cartilage past the end of the bones.

Wampus · May 6, 2013

Yup.... ^^^THAT^^^ is how we trim spares too. When they're all squared off, you're going to have some bones shorter than others and as a result, there will definitely be some cartilage in the rack.

You can trim that off, of course, but then you don't get consistently same sized bones in the box. I don't think that scores as well for appearance.

Trimming Ribs

Atlasman

Full Fledged Farker

bignburlyman

is one Smokin' Farker

mobow

is one Smokin' Farker

hogzgonewild

Full Fledged Farker

Wampus

somebody shut me the fark up.

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