View Full Version : Ribs are on !
vabbq
03-12-2005, 10:50 AM
Ok, spareribs are on. What is it about getting all the prep work done and having everything on the smoker at temp. that makes a cold beer seem like such a good idea ?
jshively
03-12-2005, 11:03 AM
Ok, spareribs are on. What is it about getting all the prep work done and having everything on the smoker at temp. that makes a cold beer seem like such a good idea ?
Cold beer goes good anytime buddy.
How many were you able to get on the WSM?
TAR RIVER RAT
03-12-2005, 11:14 AM
Yep, it's not just for breakfast anymore :D
Tar
vabbq
03-12-2005, 02:12 PM
How do you usually cut up whole spare ribs (just for family, not competition) ? Cut it St. Louis style either before or after cooking or cook the whole spare rib and just cut individual ribs through the breast bone serving it all ?
TAR RIVER RAT
03-12-2005, 02:29 PM
Cook the whole rack and cut after it's done. Easier to handle, etc.
Tar
VAbbq,
I usually buy my pork ribs at SAMS and either ST Louis cut them then do the rub prep thing or just cook the ribs without any trimming and give the pieces that normally come off when you ST Louis, to the dogs! They love it and so do I! I tell you that is some good tasting meat to be throwing away, if you are.
vabbq
03-12-2005, 04:02 PM
Hey Mac - So when you cook them whole without any trimming, are you St. Louis cutting them cooked before you serve them or just leaving the bottom on and slicing thru the bone / cartlidge ?
If I do a ST Louis cut I do it prior to rubbing and cooking. 8)
If I don't do a ST Loius cut then I rub them down and cook everything. 8)
Both ways are great but some say that trimming makes them look more visually appealing. I don't have an opinion about that cause they are gone usually before I can consider how they appear! :lol:
vabbq
03-12-2005, 05:24 PM
jshively - I got 2 Sams Club spares cut in half on a 4 slot rib rack. That filled up most of the top shelf.
bigwheel
03-12-2005, 05:28 PM
Well cant find nutting to argue with Mac about on this one. Think he dead on the money. If you want St. Louis style ribs..its a function of prepping them that way before cooking..or else buying already prepped. For family I vote for cooking and serving the whole thing. Makes em go a lot farther and like the man say..there is some good tasting meat going to waste if you aint careful. If it was me I would do em like this. Flip em bone side up and make you a scoring type cut with a real sharp knive twixt each bone with the object being to slit the lung lining but not dig down too deep into the meat. Then the you got the little valley of meat on the bone side which is whut I always call a brisket flap for some reason..cut it crosswise every inch or so so to just break up the membrane a little. Cook as usual and when it time to serve cut em up as best you can. Just give you a longer rib wth a funny end.
bigwheel
Bigwheel,
Just don't seem like a real thread without some controversy betwixt some members! :shock:
I forgot to say in my post to VAbbq that I remove as much of the thin membrane as I can prior to rubbing them down. If done this way then scoring between each rib might not need to be done, if all your meaning to do is shrink up the membrane for pulling later. I'm assuming that is the purpose of the scoring. :?
bigwheel
03-12-2005, 07:58 PM
Well I dont skin eating ribs..it too much trouble and sides I heard of some granprize winners which dont bother the brane at all. Honestly I cant tell much difference one way or another when it come times to eat. If I hit some unchewable brane I just either swallow it whole or spit it out. Old butcher pal from Albertsons do a trick of flipping bone up and cut everywhichaway like zorro so to break up plane so to speak. That works good too cept it dont look real eye appealing. You could skin ok for a small amount..but if you doing a party..that is a bunch of skinning for fat lazy boys who sweat a lot.
bigwheel
Zeeman
03-12-2005, 08:30 PM
Does anyone know how the KCB judges like to see ribs for judging?
St. Louis style cut or the whole rack? :?:
z
Woodman
03-12-2005, 08:38 PM
St Louis Style for certain there! Va, look at the photos on the cover page of this site. That is how you want to serve a whole spare! they will be about 6-8" long. The meat on the tips is the best part IMHO! Woody
Zeeman
03-12-2005, 08:43 PM
I agree with the best part! When cutting spares into St Louis cut, do you remove the flap on the under side also?
z
bigwheel
03-12-2005, 09:00 PM
Yeppers cut that flap off too if you striving for comp. Now sometimes them butchers trying to make a few bucks will leave it on the store bought St. Louis ribs..or sometimes they will just "square it up"..which I aint sure whut they means but do think it involves cutting off some but not all. KCBS you got to have 9 invididual pieces so it wouldnt work to mount a full attached rack onto the wet lettuce and cruly endive and watercress and stuff. Now IBCA or LSBS they looking for meat only usually 7-or 9 ribs too. Problemo on un-St Louis styles it hard to get them in the turn-in tray cuz they too long. I have seem em win a few times though. Not sure how they got in the tray cept maybe it was a baby hawg of some type. Maybe a guinea pig.
bigwheel
gordo
03-13-2005, 09:21 AM
Bigwheel- I agree on doing the St.Louis style for KCBS comp, They also allow you to use baby backs (loin back ribs) and that may explaine why they had small ribs. They require 6 pieces in turnin tray, but seem to always ask for more, to feed the contest reps and helpers. Another thing Ive found is, I think they like the sauce better than the meat, put sauce on everything, I seem to even get sauce on the cook, or better said- get the cook sauced!! HA
later
gordo
bigwheel
03-13-2005, 09:45 AM
Hear you talking on the sauce and sauced deal. Now bbqmom and her purty daughter Laura always say at the cooks meeting, "This is a meat contest..not a sauce contest." I always interpreted this to mean use a bunch:)...and of course cant expect a cook to cook right unless they are sauced too. Now this might not apply to yankees. I aint sure.
bigwheel
Woodman
03-13-2005, 12:20 PM
Yeah they like sauce, but IT CANNOT BE POOLED!!!
bigwheel
03-13-2005, 12:49 PM
Right o cheerio. You got any sauce pooled or puddled in the bottom that be giving authority to bbqmom to whup your haid and make you take em back and dry em off. Now maybe this is where the KCBS wet lettuce ritual work out good. Now who gonna root around and ruin all that artsy fartsy floral greenery decorations to see if there is any Kraft sauced puddled up on the bottom. I take back everything I have said about dumb yankees.
bigwheel
Yeah they like sauce, but IT CANNOT BE POOLED!!!
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