Spare vs. Baby Back


 
I did my first ribs (BB) on the WSM a couple weeks ago and they were OK. Too much run and a little to thick of meat for what I imagine a good rib is.

Our local grocery has hormel spares on sale tomorrow for 1.99/lb so I am going to hopefully find a couple frozen and bring home for later.
 
Thick meat? On backs? Almost by definition they are not thick. A key reason - the other being their leanness - I am not a fan.

Be careful of Hormel products. A huge percentage of them are 'enhanced'.

You're in Iowa. Some of the best growers for Niman Ranch are there. Some of the best non-commercial pork is there. Worth the price. (At $1.99/lb I wonder what's wrong with it - or how injected it's been.)
 
I buy my bb & spares from costco. The bb at costco actually have the membrane off which is nice. When I do butts I go with Smithfield, they all have turned ok good and never had any problems. I am wary of Hormel, when I do find them I notice that they have been frozen like at Albertsons and are on sale buy one get one free. I always run them at 275 in the wsm or performer.
 
Spares all the way. I get them at a placed called Cash & Carry, kinda like a Costco but smaller and cheaper. I can get spares three to a pack still in the cryo for just over $2 per pound. They have BB in cryo as well but they are closer to $3.50 to 4.00 per pound. I trim them up to a St Louis cut and cook everything at once. The trimmings are good and let you suck little pieces of goodness from between the bones and cartilage (best done with beer in hand) and the skirt plus thin end pieces will get early and provide cook snacks.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Todd H:
Spares all the way. I get them at a placed called Cash & Carry, kinda like a Costco but smaller and cheaper. I can get spares three to a pack still in the cryo for just over $2 per pound. They have BB in cryo as well but they are closer to $3.50 to 4.00 per pound. I trim them up to a St Louis cut and cook everything at once. The trimmings are good and let you suck little pieces of goodness from between the bones and cartilage (best done with beer in hand) and the skirt plus thin end pieces will get early and provide cook snacks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Couldn't have said it better. I'm always just a little confused when people talk about the "cuttings from St. Louis trimming" and "what to do with them".

Also don't quite get buying them already prepped St. Louis because I want those other parts, and they get cooked along with the prepped spares. Usually the trimmings go first but they are also great cooked in baked beans, chilli etc. Also when I do a good number of St. Louis I will actually pull the meat from the cooked trimmings for pulled rib sandwiches or for mixing in with pulled pork, which is especially good.

It's so easy to trim St. Louis, Chris has a great video on it in the reference section.

Even if BB and spares were priced the same - I would pick spares.

To each his own though. I like BB but like spares so much more for lots of reasons already mentioned. Add the price difference, flexibility (for trimming, forgiveness, flavor and thickness) and overall flavor I haven't looked to cook BB in a good several years.

I'll never push away a BB and cook them on occasion just for a change of pace.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chad_M:
I did my first ribs (BB) on the WSM a couple weeks ago and they were OK. Too much run and a little to thick of meat for what I imagine a good rib is.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Had a brother living in Nevada IA and the BB's he got from the Fairway? there had nearly half the loin attached to them. too much meat. you got into the whole wrong cut of meat thing to do BB's. I asked them one time if they would trim some of that off and I got a death stare that only a Minnesotan in Iowa gets
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris Bjork:


Had a brother living in Nevada IA and the BB's he got from the Fairway? there had nearly half the loin attached to them. too much meat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


That was my exact experience - fareway and so much meat they were like a loin.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Thick meat? On backs? Almost by definition they are not thick. A key reason - the other being their leanness - I am not a fan.

Be careful of Hormel products. A huge percentage of them are 'enhanced'.

You're in Iowa. Some of the best growers for Niman Ranch are there. Some of the best non-commercial pork is there. Worth the price. (At $1.99/lb I wonder what's wrong with it - or how injected it's been.) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I see a lot of people on here talk about cosco, sams club, cryo packaging, other big box stores - what type of meat do they sell? I assumed it would be similar to what is on sale here locally.

I try to support local meat farmers as much as I can, but I really only see them at farmers markets. There is a shortage of good butcher shops here in town.

chad
 
If the ribs had that much loin attached they shouldnt be sold as back ribs. Still, easy to trim.


There are few butchers - actual butchers - anywhere.

I am unable to copy links easily on my phone so do this: Google eat wild Iowa - those 3 words - and you should see the Eatwild.com page for Iowa farms that produce naturally raised lamb, pork,beef, poultry, etc.
 
Just noticed your other question. I don't shop at big box stores (and you ca n't pay me to go to Walmart) but, yes, they all buy essentially the same stuff from essentially the same packers. Ditto for most supermarket chains -- even local or regional ones.
 
theres only a few processing companies. Costco carries Swift, Sams carries IBP. Im sure others can chime in on the meat packers
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris Bjork:
theres only a few processing companies. Costco carries Swift, Sams carries IBP. Im sure others can chime in on the meat packers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The big boys are Smithfield, Tyson (IBP), ConAgra (Swift), and Cargill (Excel).
 
well i just cooked my first ribs on the WSM and they were the bomb! I asked for Baby Backs at meat market but don't think I got baby backs. These were too big and had lots of meat at the ends and dual bone. Not sure what the heck i got. But not to make all you guys jealous, but it was $29.00 for 2 slabs and the girl at cash register thought it was ground beef and charged me 2.00 LOL. I asked her and she was like "Ahh just take em". I got 2 packs of tortillas, 5 lbs of wings and 2 slabs of BB's or what I thought were BB's for $9.38
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> HEB is the place to buy your meats </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

HEB is as good as any other big box store. In context to how this thread has evolved; they are no better than WalMart. They sell Hormel brand ribs like all the others. Their Central Market stores (in competition with Whole Foods) might carry meat from other sources.

Paul
 
Hmmm are you sure? I've never had a meat from Wal-Mart taste better or as good as HEB's meat. In fact, Wal-Mart meat is some of the worst I've ever had. At least the ones down here.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
If the ribs had that much loin attached they shouldnt be sold as back ribs. Still, easy to trim.


There are few butchers - actual butchers - anywhere.

I am unable to copy links easily on my phone so do this: Google eat wild Iowa - those 3 words - and you should see the Eatwild.com page for Iowa farms that produce naturally raised lamb, pork,beef, poultry, etc. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kevin-

Thanks for that link! The farm I try to support at the farmers markets was listed:

http://www.foresthillfarmiowa....ll_farm/Welcome.html

I hate big box stores too, but don't always have convenient alternatives.

chad
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Hmmm are you sure? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In my area (Central TX), HEB doesn't carry anything special. Normally it's Hormel for spares. As Kevin posted, there's only a handful of processors and they supply virtually all of the large grocery chains. HEB carries the standard major processor's products (pork and poultry). And as he also stated those products are usually enhanced which means added salt and water. If HEB were to carry a higher quality product they would most likely have to charge more for that product; which they don't. I could be wrong, but I would think HEB would advertise the fact if they were carrying something better than the competition. I do know that some of their beef actually comes from Mexico which I find somewhat amazing seeing that Texas is such a big cattle state. I could have sworn they actually ran a TV ad promoting their TX beef not too long ago. One day I go into the store and the label on some beef read 'product of Mexico'. I asked the staff behind the counter about this indicating it was contrary to their ad. They stated HEB never advertised such a claim...

Paul
 
I recently switched from BB to Spares and I have to say I am kinda liking spares better. I have been buying Hormel St. Louis Spares from our local Jewel, they are not enhanced. Does anyone have anything against Hormel's or are they of lesser quality then say Costco spares? Jewel is in walking distance of us so that is why I get them there and they are on sale often
(or wait, reading more...are all Hormel St. Louis Spares "Enhanced"?) I had no idea
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top