Peoria Packing Etiquette (Chicago)


 
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Jamieson S

Jamieson S

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Just had a few questions. I like to get spare's at Peoria Packing as it is only 3 miles from my home and you can't beat the price and selection. For anyone that has been there, do you have them cut the slab on the saws for ya?
If so what do you have them do?
I bought 3 slabs a few weeks ago and had them cut though the chine bone and cut the tip of the slab off so I had a long piece of rib tips and a slab of ribs St Louis style. As I really only wanted the ribs, is there a way to leave the tips or are ya stuck with them?
Also, as I am getting my first WSM this weekend, how many of these slabs of spares can you fit easily? Last time 3 whole slabs weighed ~21 lbs, so without tips can 3 slabs a grate fit?
Anyone living in Chicago, look for tons of smoke in Bucktown this weekend /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
What time should we be there?

I would never go without taking the tips, although I cut them off myself. They make great appetizers while the ribs are cooking. They cook faster so you get a preview of your process if you do everything the same (marinade, rub, etc) for the tips and the ribs.

Those are pretty big slabs at 21 pounds. I would look for somewhat smaller ones, if I were you.

My process at PP is to wear a coat, get a shopping cart, and examine each and every slab, looking for good meat coverage, fat marbling between the bones and on the top, straight bones, and not TOO big. There are scales there, I look for 4 lbs and under, closer to 3 pounds the better.

In my opinion, you cannot do better than PP in Chicago. They usually have 100 or more slabs to choose from. There are some bad cuts, but there are always some pretty meaty, juicy cooking spares to be had for the best prices in town.

If you cut the slabs in half, depending on the capacity of your rib rack (mine has 7 slots), you can hole 6-7 slabs on the WSM (with 2 racks). You need to position the longer "halves" towards the middle and be extra careful about rotating and basting, so they kinda cook evenly, but it is doable.

Others do more by curling the slab into a circle, but I have never been please with the results--appearance wise.

Dale
 
Have not been there. Where is that? We are talking about PP in Chicago on Lake Street. I went to Moo and Oink in Chicago a couple weeks ago. Anything you could want for BBQ, but mostly they offer frozen meat or they pick out the fresh stuff for you.

Dale
 
Yeah if you live in Chicago area, you MUST try Peoria Packing for your smoking meats. It is on 1300 W Lake Street, just west of the Loop (312-738-1800). Believe they are open 6am-6pm M-Sa, but call to check.
I wasn't sure what to expect my first trip there (I was expecting butcher counter with meats behind glass) but when the sliding doors open and you realize that the whole meat section is one huge refrigerator with meat piled on long metal tables you will understand why it is so popualr. Simply grab a pair of gloves and some plastic shopping bags and start flipping meats around. When I was there for memorial day they had to have 250 slabs of spares on a table.
Also, I noticed the baby backs were frozen. Is this normal or was it due to the demand around a holiday?
Anyways, give that place a shot. Last time Spares were $1.69/lb and baby backs were $2.59/lb (I think). They also have anything else related to pork, beef or chicken you could imagine (and many thinks I couldn't until I first walked in).
They are cash only (or Link card) /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Side note: Does anyone ever use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauces? It is one of my favorites, especially the hot and spicy. I also like to simmer it with a jar of pineapple preserves, some horseradish and mustard and what ever dry spices I feel like. Makes a great finish to chicken.
 
To answer my own question:
I was in Peoria Packing last night grabbing 4 racks of spares and there were barely any people in there so I was able to actually talk to the guys behind the counter when they were trimming my ribs. After he cut the rib tips off for me he asked if I wanted the chine bone cracked and I told him I really didn't realy even want the tips, and if I had to take them. He said I didn't have to take them and he just handed me the ribs.
So, if you ever go there and don't want the tips, looks like you don't need to take them.
Jamie
 
So, are you saying you paid only for the weight of what you took, or for the pre-trimmed weight? (Not that I'll be shopping there anytime soon-- just curious.)
 
I just paid for what I took, and they put the tips out in a pile on the table next to the full spare racks. After you get the ribs trimmed you take the bag and go to a separate part of the store (the non-refrigerated side), where they actually weigh and charge ya.
So I probably saved myself a decent amount of money by only having to pay for what I took as the tips probably totalled 6 lbs at $1.59/lb.
 
Jamieson,

Love Sweet Baby Ray's. One of the best commercial sauces I have bought. Couple other suggestions....Bonesuckin' Sauce; Jack Daniels Grillling Sauce; Billy Ray's BBQ Sauce, and Head Country (Original, Hickory, or Spicy either one...great)
 
Peoria Packing is open on Sundays as well. One thing you must remember is they only accept cash or some sort of food stamp card. I went with a credit card and no go. I do believe they have an ATM on site though. I'm going over next Friday and meeting Mr. 2 Ton WSM himself for breakfast, grocery shopping, and a Thai lunch.
 
Bruce,

Looking forward to meeting you for lunch, but I did want to point out, and this is more for Jamieson than you, that having the Peoria Packer butcher cut off the tips and then leave them at PP most likely is not the norm. If spare ribs cost $1.69 and rib tips .89c, then PP is leaving .80c on the table, literally, and I highly doubt that is common practice at PP.

When you cut the tips off of spare ribs you, as you know, have, what is commonly referred to as, Saint Louis cut ribs and they are often as expensive as baby back (loin back) ribs. Once again, I am only basing that Jamieson's experience was out of the norm at PP on my personal experience over the last 6 or so years, I have never actually posed the question, though I have had PP trim spares for St. Louis many a time, though I actually prefer to do it myself.

I guess we will find out next Friday, either way, looking forward to seeing you on your whirlwind Chicago visit.

Regards

Smoking in Chicago,
Gary
 
Gary-
I have never seen this there (maybe I never noticed) but when I was at PP last time, they had a big pile of rib tips on the table next to the spares. Since I have never seen them sell pre-trimmed spares I am wondering how they would get such a pile of tips? Certainly they don't come without the spares. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
If you are there this Friday ask them if you can leave the tips and see what they say. Also, last time I asked the butcher to give me a St Louis cut, he cut the tips off then cut the spare ribs in half (as in through the bone), so I guess their definition of "St Louis" is different than mine. Luckily I asked him and he just put the trimmed one's back and let me pick fresh spares.
Jamie
 
This is probably one of those situations where you do not want to ask the question of guys doing the work. Their job is to just cut the meat. If they go ask a supervisor, then a decision would be made probably in favor of Peoria Packing. If they respond that it will cost xxx then you can make a decision. I'm hoping that Friday morning at the end of the month is not their busiest day.

I'm looking at picking up 100lbs of ribs, and a some pork chops. I'm bringing at least 2 large coolers. But now that I'm thinking about it maybe I should bring some more coolers.
 
Jamieson,

PP always has a big pile of rib tips cut from spare ribs even though they do not sell St. Louis cut ribs. Even if PP, as a matter of course, put back on the sale tables in-house butchered rib tips that were trimmed off customer spare ribs this would not account for 1/1000th of PP's rib tip sales.

The PP retail operation is but a small part of the overall PP business, they have a wholesale and butchering operation directly across the street that represents the majority of PP's business. The rib tips come from the wholesale butcher operation, which does sell St. Louis cut.

As far as PP cutting the St. Louis down the middle, that happened to me once, so I now specify how I want them cut. I think that the butchers do not, and this is pure unsupported supposition on my part, speak English well and when you ask for spare ribs cut they cut them in the style that is most commonly requested.

It is my understanding that the down the middle cut for spare ribs is popular with Mexican home cooks and also the small restaurant operations that buy at PP and used mainly for slow simmered dishes. I have had ribs prepared in this fashion at many local Mexican restaurants, Nuevo Leon on 18th being one, as Mole, very delicious.

Anyhooooo, no matter how you cut it, or actually, how PP cuts it, they are one hell of a good place to buy pork, especially for the BBQ enthusiast.

Regards

Smoking in Chicago,
Gary
 
You guys are making me jealous talking about a meat place like Peoria Packing. I kind of get that feeling on a small scale when I walk into the cooler at Cash & Carry...I can't imagine what it must be like to walk through PP.

Does anyone know if there's something similar out here on the West Coast? Maybe I could work a visit into my vacation plans... /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Regards,
Chris
 
Maybe I will take my digital camera and take a few pictures. My bet is that the Health Dept. in California wouldn't let this happen.

I'm kind of surprised that it can stay open. I'll take as advantage of it as I can.
 
Bruce,

I asked, once, if I could take a few pictures, the answer was an unequivocal no. I tried to schmooze Larry, the manager, a bit and he said if he let me take any pictures he stood a good chance of being fired.

He did not seem to be kidding, so I, in deference to his job, did not try to even sneak a pic or three.

Regards

Smoking in Chicago,
Gary
 
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