Any good reason to cook a whole spare as is?

[BillN]

The whole rib tips I buy have bone only at one end and cartilage on the other end and just meat in the middle. Looking forward to seeing what you think about the finished product.

[EyeBurnEverything]

Originally Posted by BillN

The whole rib tips I buy have bone only at one end and cartilage on the other end and just meat in the middle. Looking forward to seeing what you think about the finished product.

Its going to be hard to judge. I just bought a Weber MT because i was tired of lugging out the WSM every time i wanted to smoke something. Plus i love all the attachments for the MT. I still need to drill a hole for the BBQ Guru but Temps should be a lot easier to maintain.

[Mike in Roseville]

Originally Posted by BillN

Below is what the packages look like, they call them brisket bones on the package and rib tips on the price tag. If you can find them give them a try.

Attachment 164650

I have cut more breast bones/brisket bones off pork ribs than most mortal people can fathom. Pretty sure, "a $hit ton" is a quantifiable number.

That said...

I can honestly say, I have never seen cryos in that fashion.

I have also never cooked the scraps I used to cut...so I'm absolutely intrigued at the final product!

[EyeBurnEverything]

Originally Posted by Mike in Roseville

I have cut more breast bones/brisket bones off pork ribs than most mortal people can fathom. Pretty sure, "a $hit ton" is a quantifiable number.

That said...

I can honestly say, I have never seen cryos in that fashion.

I have also never cooked the scraps I used to cut...so I'm absolutely intrigued at the final product!

You and me both!

[Nuco59]

I'm probably in the minority (I'm used to it) but I cut the full spares into SL cut. I don't cook them along side my main cook though. I save them until I have enough and just cook the rib tips. Seasoned with salt and pepper, I smoke them whole for about 2-1/2 hours. Yank them and cut them into 1-2" long chunks and braise them in a tightly covered pan with some thinned out bottled bbq sauce and back on the smoker for about 45 minutes. Pluck the chunks out - hit them with more thinned sauce then onto a veggie pan to firm up the sauce. (tried it without the veggie pan- lost several chunks to the Fire Gods- so tender they just slipped thru the bars). Sort of what I'd think pork burnt ends would be like. THESE I like better than my ribs

[frognot]

Guess I'm just a lazy farker (well documented) so the most I do is remove the membrane (sometimes), rub em and cook.

[16Adams]

Good read

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/bbq...-links-breaks/

[Monkey Uncle]

I buy whole spares and cut the tips off before I cook. I cook the tips along with the ribs, cut them into eatin' size hunks after cooking, and serve them along with the ribs. Doing it this way, I find that the tips and the ribs cook at about the same rate so that nothing gets overcooked. If I cook the rack whole, the thicker, more gristly tips take longer to cook and the actual ribs are overcooked by the time the tips are done.

Also, some people don't like the tips because it can be a little difficult to navigate all the little rods of cartilage that run every which way. When they are cooked and served separately, people can pick the parts they like.

But I never buy already trimmed STLs because those are more expensive per pound.

[16Adams]

Deleted

[Czarbecue]

Damn, two deleted posts in this rather short thread. Who knew spare ribs were so controversial??

Like others, I separate them and cook them on their own. They cook a hell of a lot faster that way and it’s what I use as appetizers at a gathering while everything else is holding. I chop them up between the bones so it’ll be what you get from the Chinese place if you order spare ribs.

[jasonjax]

Back when buying pre-trimmed to St. Louis style wasn't as easy as it is now adays I would always trim to St. Louis and DISCARD the rest. Yeah, I know. Serious waste, but I just didn't care for all of the cartilage.

I did cook a few full slabs with the 3-2-1 method as it was designed for full spares, so if you wanted to follow that method you'd probably do well with full-spares versus trimmed down.

[dadsr4]

I cook them untrimmed. the sternum just slices through after cooking. Even if you should choose to re-trim like STL spares, it's easier after they are cooked. Locally, they sell them with the sternum still attached, and with it removed. Not sure what you want in terms of pictures, but here are a few.

[dadsr4]

Originally Posted by EyeBurnEverything

I am looking at the package (store brand not cryovac) and the tip section looks like there is no bones in that section. It tapers from the rib tip section to the bone section. If that makes any sense. Tomorrow i will take pics when i open the package to smoke it.

Those appear to have the sternum removed, like the second picture I posted. Just slice between the ribs like you would do normally.

[sleebus.jones]

Originally Posted by Monkey Uncle

If I cook the rack whole, the thicker, more gristly tips take longer to cook and the actual ribs are overcooked by the time the tips are done.

This has been my experience. Trimming to STL style and cooking the tips separately is definitely my preferred method.

[ulc]

Originally Posted by Mike in Roseville

I have cut more breast bones/brisket bones off pork ribs than most mortal people can fathom. Pretty sure, "a $hit ton" is a quantifiable number.

That said...

I can honestly say, I have never seen cryos in that fashion.

I have also never cooked the scraps I used to cut...so I'm absolutely intrigued at the final product!

Costco Business Center sells rib tips in cryos separately. They call it pork spare rib brisket bones. I buy it when I can get it for $0.99 /lb. It's currently $1.39 /lb so it's not a deal when I can get whole spares for like $1.69 /lb.

Rib tips are great grilled, smoked, or in stews. It's extremely versatile cut of meat.