Spare ribs

[pilfjd]

Before this past weekend, I always made baby backs. It was my first time smoking spare ribs. Picked up a pack from the market that looked nice in the package and labeled as "center cut". Here's my first question, does "center cut" mean St Louis cut? I assume it doesn't because the cooked ribs had some grizzle bits at the tips. My mistake, if so.

I had temperature problems the whole cook. Nothing major, but, I usually cook at 250-275. This cook was at 225-235 - again nothing big. But, I'm not sure I accounted for cook times appropriately. Because the temp was off from what I'm used to, I was knocking ash more often. I probably lost a lot of heat and adding time to my cook. I smoked for 2 hours, wrapped for 2 and then unwrapped for 1. The ribs were a bit more grizzly at the center of the individual rib bone (not the tip) than I'm used to. But, the meat seemed to be somewhat tender. Is this because the connective tissue didn't render out and I needed more cook time? Or, are spares more grizzly in general and connective tissue can't render out fully?

[ncsmoker]

Hi pilfjd spare ribs are usually cooked at 225-235, and are cooked with a 3-2-1 if you wrap. So you under cooked them a little first. You also need to do some trimming with spare ribs that you don't normally do with baby backs. There is normally a flap underneath that needs cut off. I cut it off and throw it on for snacks while waiting for the ribs. There is also the cartilage area that is trimmed off. I just trim the ribs up to look like a rectangle and again put these on for snacks. Finally you need to remove the membrane covering the bones just like baby backs.

I only do spare ribs now as one rib give my wife and I two or three meals while I can eat a rack of baby backs myself.LOL The test for doneness is when the meat is pulled back from the ends of the bones and when you lift them up in the middle the meat starts to crack away from the bone, not fall away. You can always cut off one from the big end and test it. Championship ribs do not fall off the bone but easily pull off when you bite on the meat. I also do not wrap as the SN keeps the ribs plenty moist in my opinion that with some mopping there is no need to do so.

As far as temp it was fine. You should not have been knocking ash off more often than every hour or so.

One hint when I do several racks of spare ribs I cut them into 4-6 rib pieces so I can fit them more easily around the grill and on the hover grill if I am using it.

If you have any questions please ask and hope this helps.

NC

[rangerone]

Hello pilfjd,

NC's advice is awesome, as always. I have always preferred the taste of spare ribs to back ribs, but I find the spare ribs to be less consistent. Some times I buy spare ribs and they are wonderful, and other times they have a lot of grizzle, and are not as enjoyable. Of course I have been buying my meat at the grocery store and not talking with a butcher. I need to get to know the butcher at my local BBQ and Deli spot so I can get help choosing the better cuts of meat.

Allan aka RangerOne

[ncsmoker]

Hi pilfjd, here is a video bbqpitboys.com/recipes/how-to-trim-for-st-louis-spare-ribs#.U-qoSM90ytU from a competition team that is basically the same as what I told you, but shows you the steps. Again they are trimming for championships so are trimming a little more like the heavy end to square it, you really don't need to do that. The thin end is up to you, I take it off depending on the thickness. If it is as thick as the other ribs leave it on. Again trimmings can be cut into smaller pieces and put on to smoke they will be ready after 2 or 3 hrs. for snacks while the ribs finish.

Tom aka NC

[pilfjd]

Thanks guys. Looking back, I did make lot of mistakes. I did trim the flap and remove the membrane, but I didn't trim the cartilage. When I took the ribs off, the meat had just started to pull back from the bones. They definitely were undercooked. I'd love to try spare ribs again, hopefully I'll get the courage to try them again. Again, thanks!

[ncsmoker]

Hi pilfjd, you only learn from trying something. I've had 30+ years of making mistakes and learning from them. LOL. Going to championships and talking to team members. Finding woods I like and don't like.

Right now pork is cheaper than beef around me so I can get spare ribs for $3-4 vs. $4-5 for beef. Pork butts are around $2.50 I look for ones around 4 lbs. usually so they only take about 6 hrs. Or I have the butcher cut the large ones in half or I cut them. Around here we also have a very good name brand pork named Smithfield you might look for something like that and talk to the butcher in your store about what you have in your area.

Keep on trying and good luck.

Tom aka NC