I do this for a couple of reasons.
- Even cooking - Spare ribs are irregularly shaped and unless trimmed, the tapered end will be more cooked than the wide end.
- Even portions - Each rib will be the same size.
- Faster cooking times - An untrimmed spare rib takes me about 6 hours to get smoked right. A trimmed spare takes about 5.
Don't worry, the trimmed portions do NOT go to waste. I have a great recipe for rip tips coming up this weekend.
If you need some ideas for firing up your grill this Labor Day weekend, check out Kingsford's Grilling.com.
Them is some purtay ribs Chris - nice video!
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to take a minute to say ST LOUIS SUCKS. Have you ever met anyone from there? Serious d-bags.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your time.
God bless.
You trim them, I'll eat them. :o)
ReplyDeleteI love St. Louis ribs. I've never trimmed them like this, but it seems like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteNicely done. I posted the same idea on my blog a while back, but without the video. I think people would enjoy their ribs more if they trimmed them, instead of having different parts over- and under- done.
ReplyDeleteI also think that there are several reasons that people should do the trimming themselves. First, they get a better understanding of how the rack is made up, and how there is some variance from one to another. Second, it’s much cheaper and you have all of the delicious trimmings to play with. Finally, racks that have been trimmed commercially are done really fast, and without much care, so by doing it yourself you can shape them just like you want them.
Good Job!
Were those cicada's I could here in the background? Was the smoke/fog from a nearby swamp? You could easily turn your video into a horror movie...cicadas, smoke, meat, bones, cleaver...do I need to say more? Kidding, your video was great and I just bought some ribs that were not trimmed, so now I know what to do! I didn't know trimmed ribs were called St. Louis style - but now I'll impress my friend with my VAST knowledge! On another note, I saw on the Cooking Channel last night on Foodography that some people make their own smokers out of garbage cans! That's my next project! xo, Nan
ReplyDeleteNice video... thanks for taking the time to shoot it. Love the locust soundtrack too.
ReplyDeleteNice job on the video and the trimming. I rarely cook spares and when I buy the whole thing I wasn't sure where to cut it and now I know.
ReplyDeleteMakes a very nice presentation...and I'm glad there's no waste!
ReplyDeleteExcellent POST!! Terrific for anyone looking for trimming information!
ReplyDeleteSo there is no need to cut any bones? That's what's kept me from trying this. I thought I'd have to hack ends of bones off.
ReplyDeleteAm I correct?
Nicely done! Thanks for the video. I need to pick up some St. Louis Style ribs.. those were the ones I set fire to a few weeks ago... they are now my arch nemesis and I must defeat them!! lol
ReplyDelete@Nan - yes, I had an orchestra of cicadas in our back yard! At night it is just as noisy from katydids.
ReplyDelete@ Brian - No, you are only cutting through meat and cartilage when you cut across. The cartilage can be tough so you do need a sharp knife.
Thank you for sharing the video!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the tips recipe too. The slow cook method you shared for the ribs at OKK looked excellent! Have a great long weekend :-)
ReplyDeleteexcellent tips! i do love ribs!
ReplyDeleteNice tutorial and some good looking ribs too!
ReplyDeleteThey really do look nice trimmed up. I sure wish I was your neighbor so I could get some tasty ribs!!!
ReplyDeleteJust watched the video. I've learned something very interesting today. That's enough, time for cocktails.
ReplyDeletei have won many rib championships and usually cook babybacks, but i shave been experimenting with the St Louis cuts lately..i really like them, i also judge many competitions during the year and i find out that more teams are cooking St Louis ribs than babybacks. i have (several times) got perfect scores on my ribs. i think im gonna jump ship...and cook St Louis for a while...perfect presentation also
ReplyDelete