Sparerib Preparation


 
J

John Vale

TVWBB Fan
I have been cooking loin back ribs for a while and I am very happy with the results.

I would like to try smoking spareribs, but I am a bit intimidated by the process of trimming whole spareribs to remove the cartilage and the skirt as shown here using the Sparerib Preparation link.

My best local rib source is to buy whole spareribs in cryovac at Costco. My butchering skills are poor to non-existent, but I do know how to remove the membrane from loin back ribs.

My question is just how easy or difficult is it to trim the cartilage and skirt. Do I need a special knife other than an 8 inch chef knife?
Any advice based on you experiences will be appreciated.
 
I use a stiff boning knife and a chefs but a chefs alone will do.

Take your time. It's not hard. After you do it a couple or three times you won't give it a second thought.
 
There is no question that the prep is significantly more than loin backs, to wit: O vs a little work. However, I love the spares with their extra fat and meat.

The tutorial you were referenced to is very good. I think a chef's knife is a lot better for cutting through the cartlidge, but a small boning knife is very good for removing the skirt.

Once you free up the membrane, a paper towel is very helpful for pulling, and I suggest short pulls and then regrasping the membrance to get a better hold.

Hope you enjoy the spares.

Paul
 
Thanks for the advice. The tutorial is very helpful and just what I needed to try trimming whole spareribs.

John
 
Stupid question here:

What if you only remove the membrane and don't trim the skirt ?

Just harder to eat ? Uneven doneness ? Earth stop spinning ?

note: I have only done babybacks...
 
Do you remove the membrane on your babybacks? It makes them tougher to eat and can impact the smoke penetration in to the back of the ribs when you leave it on. As for the skirt, it's more of an appearance thing I think
 
I guess I'm going to be the contrarian here. I never take the mebrane off. I just score them along the rib lines. They shrink up and the fat inbetween the ribs renders out through the scoring. I put some rub on the rib side but I think it just washes out while the ribs cook anyway. I would only mess with the membrane if I was competing
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Stuart Osterweil:
Stupid question here:

What if you only remove the membrane and don't trim the skirt ?

Just harder to eat ? Uneven doneness ? Earth stop spinning ?

note: I have only done babybacks... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The skirt meat will overcook before the rest of the ribs are done. I usually remove the membrane and cut off the skirt, I rarely bother trimming the tip section off though.
 
I was kind of intimidated at first too (and, i'll admit, I was also someone who thought back ribs were "the one and only"). Now, I cringe at the thought of paying 50% more for back ribs. Try them...you probably won't go back.

O.k., i'm probably going to have tomatoes thrown at me here. I'm kind of embarrased to say it...but...once in a while, when nobody's around--I leave the membrane on the rack and coat it with rub. If you finish your ribs over high heat, it gets crispy and crunchy kind of like a cracklin'. My guilty pleasure.
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