Rib $$ Question


 
Matt Falk

Matt Falk

TVWBB Member
Hey, what do you guys usually pay for spareribs? I found a great little grocery store that has a good butcher shop. But they want $5.29 per pound for spareribs. I thought that seemed high. I've seen them at Costco or other grocery stores for $2 - $2.69 per pound, on average. I like supporting local businesses, but geez that's quite a markup...
 
$5.29 seems high but are you getting meaty, unenhanced ribs for that price? It might be worth asking the butcher for some details.

My local grocery carries Farmland and Premium Farms unenhanced pork and spares generally seem to run in the middle to upper $3s per pound when not on sale.

What's the name of the store? I have a friend in Urbandale who'd probably like to know about it if he doesn't already.
 
5.29 does seem high for spareribs. That's usually the price of baby-back ribs at my butcher. Baby-backs are normally more expensive because they are in higher demand
 
If there's a BJ's near you, check it out. I forget the exact prices, but I know that baby backs are approx 3.50 and spares 2.60. I think their quality is fine
 
The $2.50 to $3.00/lb price usually includes having to buy the sternum, skirt and cartilage filled pieces of the whole spare rib. If they're trimmed St. Louis style, I'd say that price is not bad.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt Falk:
Hey, what do you guys usually pay for spareribs? I found a great little grocery store that has a good butcher shop. But they want $5.29 per pound for spareribs. I thought that seemed high. I've seen them at Costco or other grocery stores for $2 - $2.69 per pound, on average. I like supporting local businesses, but geez that's quite a markup... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Does seem pricey - which shop is it?
 
B & B Grocery on the southeast side. I bought them before and they were really good, but I thought they seemed a bit expensive.

I ended up buying ones from Costco tonight. They were $2.99 a pound. And Fareway has them for $2.69 a pound. Those aren't St. Louis style, but they will trim them for you if you ask. I'll let you know how these turn out.
 
Well small independent butchers can't compete price wise with Costco or any chain store. Where they usually far exceed those other places is the quality of their product. Plus there are getting to be fewer and fewer good butcher shops around so we need to help support them.
 
I have read stuff lately about small butchers making a come back. People getting tired of mass produced meat.
 
The problem is their ribs aren't like their beef. Their beef comes from local cattle and is cut fresh. Their ribs all come cryovac'd and look like the ones you can get pretty much anywhere around here. Even Fareway (a local grocery store chain) who gets primals from IBP and cuts their meat fresh was only charging $2.69 a pound for spares.

I like B&B and will continue to shop there. Their beef is great and their pork butts look good (and reasonably priced) too. But I can't justify paying double the price for ribs when they look like the same product I can get many other places. *shrug*
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I have read stuff lately about small butchers making a come back. People getting tired of mass produced meat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Except that many butchers, small or otherwise, purchase meat from the same places the big boys do. It's not as if there are small FDA-approved slaughterhouses all over the place from which local butchers can buy. That said, it's best to ask where they get their meats. Though many buy from IBP/Tyson, Smithfield, ConAgra and the other big packers, some don't - and/or can specify particular quality and/or cuts and/or sources from the packers. As Matt notes, some can get one type of product locally, but not others. Ask.
 
Where I live, the usual price is $2.59/lb. Price will vary between $1.49 and $2.99/lb. I love ribs, but now I usually only cook them for myself. If I am feeding a crowd, I will usually go for a more economical cut like a pork loin, butt, etc...
 
I sometimes find cryovac ribs, listed as back ribs, at Costco or (a Canadian chain,) Loblaw's. The main thing is what was mentioned above: there's a heck of a lot of sternum, and hunks with those annoying little cartilage pieces in them, as Steve said. I even got some that said "St. Louis style" and it was the same stuff. Next time I think I'll pay more and get what I pay for.
 
At the local Sam's, it cost about $33 for 3 racks of spares cryovaced. I trim them to St. Louis after purchase.
 
We have two different "smallish" grocers in our area, both of which have very good meat departments.

I believe that "Store-A" buys their meats from more common sources, but is picky about what they order / buy.

"Store-B" buys sides / quarters of beef and pork and cuts it up themselves.

I find that at Store-A, I get two prices for ribs:
-One for individual ribs from behind the counter
-one if I buy whole vac-pacs
(both originally come in the vac-pacs - the stuff behind the counter has had some prep work done on it and is usually purchased in smaller quantities that justify the higher price.)
Moral of the story: It probably would not hurt to ask if you can get a better price if you purchase a whole vac-pac.

I also find that when buying ribs for on the smoker, I prefer big, fatty ones. Usually, the stuff that people buy for more traditional grilling - they want smaller and leaner. So, at the smaller butchers you can tell them what you're looking for and sometimes you can negotiate for a bit better deal - particularly if YOU will be doing the prep-work / removing the membrane, etc.
 
Paid $1.74/ for medium full spares last week at Rest Depot. That was after a $0.30 case price discount, so the price would have been $2.04. Medium & light were the same price.

Usually they have pre cut STL spares at $1.00-$1.50 more.

Also the ribs I got last week were the thickest ribs I have ever cooked. Each 4 packed weighed over 45 lbs before trimming.

Sam's Club usually has them for $2.25 - $2.75.
My local farmer's market has all Berkshire Pork, and their spares run $4.00+ a lb, STL $5.00+, and baby backs are $6.50.

As Kevin mentioned, a lot of these smaller places get the exact same IBP or Smithfield pork you get elsewhere. Ask to see them in the cryopac and they will have a label on there.

I like to support the smaller butchers, but usually when I am buying for dinner, not large cooks.
 
That is about what I pay for Spareribs because I like to always buy meat from local pasture raised animals. that seems too high for factory farmed meat.
 
Here in Buffalo, NY I am happy to get BB for $3.99/lb. Spares aboot (eh?) a buck less.
But, I have found that the cut-rate grocers (Aldi, Sav-a-lot) sell very thin spares for $2.79/lb or so. After trimming, these will Q up very much like wider babys for less $, plus you can save the trimmings for your beans.
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