Baby Backs vs Spares

[che22879]

I cooked baby backs for the first time this week end and I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. I smoked them for 4 hours unfoiled and they turned out great!

 

[SmokinOkie]

Aren't loinbacks and bb's the same thing? The bb's I get weigh 3-3.5 lbs each...:wink:

Sorry didn't see this.

They are and they aren't. Loin backs are big BB's and need to be over a certain weight. Loin back term is specifc, means the rib has more loin meat on it (the loin being right above the back rib).

BB is a Marketing term from the Danish GOv't years ago to sell us those little 1.25/1.5 lb baby backs.

Baby has nothing to do with the real term.

Why are they liked?

As someone said, it's marketing. With the Chili's BB song, everyone singing it, people know it and want it.

Ask most non-bbq'ers and they can't even tell if they're eating one or the other.

 

[Cook]

Aren't loinbacks and bb's the same thing? The bb's I get weigh 3-3.5 lbs each...:wink:

As already stated...yes & no.

Baby backs, true BBs, are extremely small jems of bone and meat scraps. Most folks now, myself included 75% of the time, call loin backs by the name baby back.

95% of the baby backs you see are loin backs.

Many folks will understand what I'm saying, and the rest are internet babies who will have no idea what I'm talking about...the same folks who believe foiling is required for good bbq because they read it on the internet. :crazy:

 

[dadsr4]

Baby backs take a smaller pot!

Pot? Is this now the Boiled BBQ forum?
Spares for me, I think they have a much better flavor, and you can get that "Henry the 8th" thing going with your hands all greasy. BB's remind me of those Danish ribs they used to sell in a box. When you opened the box, they were all bones.

 

[bigabyte]

I've always been a trimmed spares guy...but lately some good meaty loin backs have been hitting the spot big time. Not sure what that's all about. I guess it's just a change of pace or something.

 

[Wampus]

When I go to our local BBQ restaurant, I order BB's. If they were the same price, I'd robably buy and cook BB's. As it is, I buy spares all the time because I can get twice as much meat for less money. I always cook up the tips and trimmings with the ribs. Plus, spares lay flatter and fit in the rib rack better.

Can't say I prefer one over the other. I'm just cheap.:becky:

 

[NBBD]

at home we are spares.. trimmins in greens, beans, smoke some leave some raw, vac seal and freeze. etc Sometimes use as a mid smoke snack... plus price per lb makes more sense to me...

 

[Shiz-Nit]

I do both and love both, just BB are always on sale here it seems like

 

[DLR]

I still haven't tried spares yet,they definately seem to have more meat but I also thought they had more fat.

 

[Gore]

Spares are fattier and have more "bits" in them. Most of the members of my family don't like these aspects, so getting BBs is a much more enjoyable experience. Lately, we've been having trouble finding BBs. My wife found a package at Costco last Friday for the first time in weeks and bought it immediately. We're all very thankful. They were delicious.

 

[jrstout]

I usually do spares trimmed to St Louis but this weekend BBs were on sale so I did a rack. I was surprised at the meat on them. I think overall they were meatier then the spares I get but I missed the trimmings you get from the spares. I like spares better overall.

 

[bigabyte]

Oh, just in case I haven't replied in this particular "BB's vs Spares" thread yet, I prefer Spares.

 

[bigabyte]

OK, I changed my mind...Back ribs can be mighty nice too. So I'm going to go with BB's.

 

[bigabyte]

Nope, spares.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I had not done any bbs in a couple years until last weekend and forgot how good they can be. I prefer spares, but now will be doing more bbs this year.

 

[mmmmeat]

i like spares... for the most part what i have seen, BB's are more expensive, for less meat, and i like spares all the way anyways...

 

[Ag76]

Why does everyone that does not take BBQ seriously prefer baby backs over spares? Is this really the case? What makes baby backs better than spares? What do you prefer?

I take my Q very seriously, and I just prefer baby backs over spares. They taste better to me. Nothing wrong with spares, however.

 

[bigabyte]

Now I'm leaning towards BB's again.

 

[JD08]

I've done both, but the best ones I ever did were baby backs. My wife preferred spares because they had more meat, but lately the baby backs here have been comparable as far as meatiness.

I'm going to stick with baby backs for now.