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Spare Ribs - Trimmed or Whole

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Pappy

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Does anyone just smoke the whole spare ribs or is it better to just trim St Louis style?

When I trim, I don't care for the part that gets cut off. I just toss it.
I'm thinking if I left it whole, I might get some good off of it.
 
There is no problem with spare ribs cooked without being trimmed. In fact, many of the "meccas" in Texas don't trim spare ribs at all. I cooked four racks of untrimmed spares a couple of weeks ago and the people I cooked them for loved them. Go for it and post pron.
 
I cook them both ways, can't go wrong either way IMHO. The reason I sometimes cut them into St Louis ribs is because I like to grind the trim into sausage. If my freezer's full of sausage, I cook them whole.
 
Whole ribs are messier to eat, but I thing they self-baste and end up juicer.
 
I like to trim them up - I still cook the trimmings to add to beans and what not.
 
I like to trim my ribs just because I think they cook more evenly. The trimmings, "rib tips" I sometimes use to roast with saurkraut!
 
I trim mine and smoke the tips right with the ribs. Then I cool down the tips and save the for the next day. Put them in a crockpot at work with some sauce on high for about 3-4 hours and my co-workers drool all over them.

Yea you have to eat around the cartilage but it's not too big of a deal.
 
If I'm just making one slab, say for a Saturday snack, I'll usually leave them whole and cook them in the Kettle.

When I'm doing multiples slabs, I'll trim them up and fire up the WSM. Then I can do anything I want with the tips (cook's snack, beans, etc.)
 
I've been leaving them whole lately. Maybe i'm just lazy, but i feel better eating a whole rib and then having to eat around a little cartilage at the end rather than dealing with the cartilage for just a little bit of meat. Does that make any sense? If you really want the tips for beans or something you can always trim off the tips after they are cooked.
 
Peronally I like the trimmed. I have a buddy that does alot of car shows, holiday weekends and other events and he sells the heck out of them whole.
 
I started trimming them at first, then took a shot on smoking them whole one time. Just about everyone I know that eats mine now prefers them whole.....me included.....:becky:
 
Last edited:
You could do this.....

ad8326f4-1aa2-f10b.jpg


I call it the Louisiana Cut! :D
 
Done it both ways but prefer whole now. If I want them trimmed for what ever reason I'll do it after the cook. Cheers!!!
 
I hate seeing good money go in the trash. When you trim down to St. Louis that big piece of brisket should be good to cook into bean meat. If you chuck it, all of a sudden your $2.25 a pound ribs cost like a $3.95 a pound Baby Backs.
 
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