So how much TRIM do you get from a St. Louis Cut Rib?Pics

[MKEvenson]

For those of you that have not trimmed your own Spares into a St. Louis cut, here is what I got yesterday from 3 spares.
First the finished St. Louis cut:

The whole spares are cheaper by at least $1/lb. And you get the added benefit of a lot of extra meat. How much? Well in my estimation the edible trim from 3 spares weighs more that the finished St. Louis Cut.
Here is the smoked trim:

Last night I used some of the trim meat for a delicious stir fry. The other options for use of this meat are only as large as your imagination.
Save some money and don't buy pre cut St.Louis ribs. Buy the whole spare and cut it yourself. It's easy and fun and the trim is delicious.

Mark

 

[JSMcdowell]

I've got the trim off of 6 racks sitting in my freezer now. You might have motivated me to throw them on after one of my 2 butt cooks the next couple weekends.

 

[Noe]

Mk, i always buy whole spare's alot cheaper, i like to make pulled pork with the extra's. Cook the trimmings for about 1.5 hrs then wrap in foil for the remainder of the cook, fall of the bone easy pulled pork delicious sammys.

 

[Marc]

Great post because the first several times I was trimming down to a St. Louis cut I kept thinking this can't possible be right. Essentially, almost, more (delicious) trimmings then the rack.

 

[D. L. Whitehead]

Howdy hi Mark,

Looks like you put the trim to very tasty use! I most often grind my trim and make fresh breakfast sausage or, sometimes, fresh Italian sausage.

You are so right. Lots of ways to use the trim!

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[Bob Correll]

All of the local store chains, as far as I know, in the St Louis, MO area sell the whole slabs already trimmed into STL cuts, and include the tips.
Straight St Louis cuts (w/o the tips) are about a buck more per pound.
Guess that's how they got the name.

Can't imagine Not cooking the tips along with the slabs.
Mighty fine 'tide me over' snacks!

 

[DaleW]

I love these ideas! First time I trimmed for a St Louis cut, I saved the trimmings, and asked our friends whose last name is Aguirre what to do. Ms. Aguirre said, "give it to me and come over Tuesday." She just called it Mexican pork. I called it GOOD!

 

[John Heutz]

Chili....dice those smoked trimmings up and put them in your favorite recipe for chili!!!! Mmmmmmm good!!!!!

 

[Bob Sample]

I never trim my sides just smoke them as is. I prefer the tips so when I smoke a bunch I make the sacrifice of giving the ribs to the guests and eating that nice taste chunk of meat myself. Hope none of them ever figure it out.Ok off to the store now to buy some sides.

 

[Jim Lampe]

Trim??!! as in haircut??
well, i have no hair to cut OR trim.
And when it comes to spares, leave um whole so there's soo much more for me to eet...
and if you know me, i kinda like to eet.

Nice post Mark, thanks for making folks aware that sometimes you DO get more for your buck, and in this case, a LOT!

 

[Tom Hinkle]

I usually leave the breast bone, but I trim the skirt and flaps. I smoke them, then dice them and throw them in the beans.

 

[Gary H. NJ]

I'm with you Mark. I buy whole and trim to StL myself. I smoke the trimmings and freeze 'em. Each spare trimmings gives me enough to add to a pot of baked beans. Good stuff.

 

[Bill_W]

I have to agree with Jim Lampe's post. I just don't trim spares anymore. I cook it all and enjoy it that way with nothing to throw away or store to cook later. Cook it all together and enjoy the meal.

 

[MKEvenson]

Well that's one way to do it. There are other considerations tho, ie. if your cooking on a 22" kettle and want to do 3 racks and your space is limited then trimming is essential. If you are doing comp then trimming is essential. If all your cooks are practice for comp, them trimming is essential. If all else fails, trimming is perdyier

Mark

 

[r benash]

All the stuff everyone says above. Here's the thing though, and I put the cooked trimmings in lots of other cooks, beans, pulled rib sandwiches, chili, burgers, etc. But - thing is they often aren't leftover all that often unless I make up like 6 racks or so.

Weekend before last I cooked three smallish racks. Marianne and I ate all of the trim first (over a couple days) and the three cooked "racks" got vac sealed and into the freezer for later use. Go figure.

So I look at it this way - what's the confusion? If I didn't St. Louis trim I would be eating all of this along with the ribs. Why would I have any "trouble" figuring out what to do with trimmings, when you really just eat them along with the ribs and cook them the same

It's not left over, just cooked separately. You do the same thing you would do with left over whole spares IMHO. St. Louis to me is really just about presentation "ease of eating", faster cook time at a given temp, nothing more. But that's just my opinion.

On this last cook, we were "chafing" to get at them so bad we didn't even bother with a glaze. I'll do that when I pull the ribs out of the freezer in a few days or so.

I did put the flap meet into a #6 DO of beans during the cook - everybody loves the rib meat cooked with beans. I do that often instead of using bacon. Brown/sear then into the pot. You can do the same (and I have) with any of the other cuttings.

When I start out with St. Louis, it's no different to me than when I am parting out a chicken. I'm not trying to figure out what to do with "left overs" It all gets cooked at the same time and eaten at the same time and whatever is left - is left over. It's just rib parts is all.

St. Louis is a convenience, presentation thing to me, that's it. If I do up say 6 racks then I have a lot of "parts" and will use the space to cook the ribs. Now I have raw "rib parts" that just get frozen for other uses as above - or simply get thrown on the smoker later to eat just as I would the "ribs".

It's all "ribs" in the end IMHO