Bob Haskins
TVWBB Member
Anyone like cooking and eating spares whole? Drawbacks? Haven't tried spares yet just BB's but the price is right and they look tasty as hell. Don't know if I feel like doing all that trimming. Any thoughts? Thanks!!
Spares
- Thread starter Bob Haskins
- Start date
I do spares almost exclusively and really prefer them to loin backs - price may have something to do with that
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The ones they have at Sam's have the breast bone removed, but there still is prep involved. I guess I've done it so many times I don't really see it as a big problem. You will need to adapt your cooking technique. I usually have a 45 min. interval in foil during the cook and then finish without foil. Seems to yield a very tender, but not too tender product and does so in a reasonable period of time - around 6 hours most often. Without the foil it can be 7 to 8 hours for big spares.
I don't cook an entire slab whole, but after they're prep'd I cut them in half to fit my rack. I think others may roll them.
Paul
The ones they have at Sam's have the breast bone removed, but there still is prep involved. I guess I've done it so many times I don't really see it as a big problem. You will need to adapt your cooking technique. I usually have a 45 min. interval in foil during the cook and then finish without foil. Seems to yield a very tender, but not too tender product and does so in a reasonable period of time - around 6 hours most often. Without the foil it can be 7 to 8 hours for big spares.
I don't cook an entire slab whole, but after they're prep'd I cut them in half to fit my rack. I think others may roll them.
Paul
I did them whole most of the time, until recent cooks. I do trim a lot now, but that is just so I can save all the trimmings for a "scrap" cook on the kettle.
I never had any issue with doing them whole. It does take longer like Paul said, but they are not a problem. I think you do get better results if you pull the membrane off. I don't like to roll them. I used some threaded rod, washers and wing nuts to rig up another grate above the top grate to give me extra room to lay them flat, but that's just the way I like it. I prefer spares to loin also.
I never had any issue with doing them whole. It does take longer like Paul said, but they are not a problem. I think you do get better results if you pull the membrane off. I don't like to roll them. I used some threaded rod, washers and wing nuts to rig up another grate above the top grate to give me extra room to lay them flat, but that's just the way I like it. I prefer spares to loin also.
Russ Hazzon
TVWBB Pro
Spares definately have a meatier, bolder taste than loin backs. I'll pick the spares each and every time. I do trim them pretty tight when I cook. I find it more enjoyable to do the grunt work at the prep table, not the dinner table. Eating spares is an experience. When you serve them whole your guests have to work around the bones in the tips of the ribs. The skirt meat also gets in the way when trying to bite a rib, but makes for a great treat about half way through the cook. As for membranes - I ALWAYS remove them. They serve no useful purpose and once again take away from the *experience* as a whole. I also cut my racks in half to fit them in a rib rack on the WSM.