First Rib Cook - Spares - Kansas City Style....Questions

[Guest]

I've cut my slabs Kansas City style as outlined by Chris in the prep section. I see that Chris indicated that the skirt meat will be fully cooked in an hour or two. I've also noted others indicating that the main spare slabs will take around 6 hours at 225 - 250 degrees. My questions:

1. Does the approximate 6 hour cook time also apply to the meat attached to the sternum? I'm presuming that this meat will take almost as long as the main slabs, correct?

2. I presume people roll the sternum meat section and connect with a skewer just like I will be doing with the main slab section, correct?

3. For the skirt meat, I presume that I just lay such flat on the cooking grate, correct? Do you think the cooking time will be closer to 1 or 2 hours to fully cook the skirt meat?

4. I have 6 Kansas City style slabs, 6 sections of sternum with meat attached, and 6 sections of skirt meat. Will I need to use more than 2 chimney's of Kingsford Charcoal? I'm thinking I may need to use more like 2 1/2 chimneys or so.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jim Minion]

I thought maybe I was reading this wrong so I went and looked at the two style as described.
I have to agree until we get to the part about the flap. St Louis cut the flap is off where KC it is left on, at least that is how I have always known it to be the case.
Here is a site that talks about it.
http://www.ribman.com/abtribs.html

That said the skirt will cook in a couple of hours no need to roll it, the rib tips as they are known will take closer to the same time as the spares.
Jim

 

[Chris Allingham]

Jim,

This thing of St. Louis style vs. Kansas City style has always been confusing to me. In fact, in the pork rib article I wrote, I spend 3 paragraphs discussing the confusion!

Even on the Ribman site, it's inconsistent. At one point on St. Louis style, it says "Skirt meat is removed", then further down the page, "Skirt meat can be removed. If left on, the outside edge of the skirt should be trimmed". Well, which is it?

And under Kansas City style, there's no mention of the skirt at all, just bone removed and squaring of the slab.

To muddy the water even further, in Paul Kirk's video on ribs, he defines St. Louis style as skirt on and Kansas City style as skirt off.

So I don't know exactly what to think! /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

Regards,
Chris