Big box store cryo spares only contained tips

[B-More BBQ Junkie]

I picked up a cryo 4-pack of Smithfield "Pork Spare Ribs" from BJ's Wholesale last week, and when I took them out of the pack to trim them Saturday morning, I realized that all 4 of the rib sections were just the trimmed tips. No actual st. Louis ribs in the whole pack. I already had the coals going in the chimney, the wife was out shopping, and I was watching my almost 2-year old, so I couldn't leave the house to return them. I figured I would make the most of it and they turned out great. Hands-down the best ribs I have ever made, aside from the fact that they wern't actually "ribs". Used the 3-2-1 method, with Plowboy's Yardbird, some Simply Apple apple juice in the foil, and a light brushing of apple butter BBQ sauce for the last hour. Smoked on KBB and some hickory chunks and apple chips, top open vent open completely, bottom vents open 1/4 of the way, and it ran at a constant 240-250 for the enire cook. The only real bummer was that I was hoping to be able to watch my son go to town on some bones, but we couldn't do that because of all the small pieces of cartlidge, so we ended up cutting them up and eating with a fork.

At BJ's, Next to the packages of "Pork Spare Ribs" that I bought, there were packs of "St. Louis Cut Pork Spare Ribs" for $1 more per lb., so I imagine that's what happened to my actual bones. I'm on the fence about calling BJ's to talk to a manager about it, but I'm not sure if I'm simply ignorant to the fact that "Spare Ribs" are sometimes sold as just the tips without explicitly indicated as being so. What are your thoughts? Enjoy the food PrOn!

P.S. That is some home made corn bread cake that I came up with, and the wife's redskin taters.

Fresh on the 22.5" WSM




At the 3-hour mark


Foiled


Almost there




nom-nom-nom-nom-nom

 

[daninnewjersey]

I would be on the horn with the manager ASAP. Explain why you didn't make it back to return and let him/her know how pissed off you are. I'd bet the farm you could turn this into something for the "unhappy customer" :mrgreen:

 

[aawa]

I love me some rib tips.

 

[Mikeinctown]

I would call the manager and explain what happened. tell him how you had to cook them but that he or she needed to know because rib tips are NOT spare ribs. IIRC rib tips when i have seen them here are fairly cheap, something like $1.59 a pound or less.

 

[LYU370]

Unless they were dirt cheap, I'd be pissed. Spare ribs are the tips AND the St. Louis ribs all in one big piece.

 

[toymaster]

Unless they were dirt cheap, I'd be pissed. Spare ribs are the tips AND the St. Louis ribs all in one big piece.

Ditto. You should not have to pay St. Louis rib prices for rib tips.