Trimming Spare's


 
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Russ Hazzon

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I've always done back ribs. I tried a rack of spares about a month ago and was not happy with the results. I've got a good feeling I didn't cook them quite long enough. I also didn't like the wrestling match to trim them St. Louis style.

Any tips on how to trim spares (simple - nothing fancy) and length of cook?

I'd really like to get away from back ribs. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!! Spares are definately more affordable and appear to be much more hearty than back ribs!
 
Make sure your knife is sharp. Only trim the obvious fat. Spares take 4-7 hours depending upon your cooking temperature and how tender you want them. I like a little texture so I cook towards the 5 hour mark.
 
Russ--

For the same reasons you express, I've started buying St. Louis style (in cryo) and we've been pleased. We like the Smithfield brand best, but also have gotten Hormel and Morrell brands. I find them here on sale for $2.50-2.99 per pound, and we don't do anything but take the membrane off.

Tom
 
There is a great explanation of how to trim your own spares on this web site. I have two 6lb slabs that I am going to trim and smoke this weekend. I was able to get them in cryovac for $1.38/lb.
Keith /infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bruce Cook:
[qb] Make sure your knife is sharp. Only trim the obvious fat. Spares take 4-7 hours depending upon your cooking temperature and how tender you want them. I like a little texture so I cook towards the 5 hour mark. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Actually Bruce, I'm trying to figure out the least amount to trim before cooking. I really don't want all the work involved in St Louis or Kansas City style. Can I leave the breast meat on or should it be removed? Do I need to remove the sternum, cut through it, or do anything at all with it?
 
The best reasons for trimming to St. Louis are:

1. Fit more product into the cooker.
2. Better presentation.
3. Easier to cut individual ribs for serving.
4. Easier eating.

The breast bone (sternum) runs perpendicular to the rib bones. Cutting thru it to make individual ribs is next to impossible-- a PITA at the least-- but you can easily cut thru the cartiladge connecting it to the rib bones when you trim St.L style. This is why a lot of packs you buy have it already cut off. I happily recently discovered a local source where they trim St.L style and do not include the trimmings hidden up under the folded slab in the styro tray-- I only pay for what I'm interested in cooking and eating.
 
Finally decided to throw the spares on whole. The butcher did a nice job of slicing 2 inch cuts through the top of the rack so cutting after the cook was a piece of cake. Again this was my first attempt at spares - I've always cooked loin back ribs in the past.

Spares stayed on the smoker (in a rib rack) for just over 7 hours - two full racks weighing 4 pounds each. Grate temp wandered between 210 and 225 for most of the cook. Meat seemed to have a pretty thick and tough bark. It pulled cleanly from the bone, but was as moist as I would have liked.
 
Russ,

What normally takes me 5 hours for BB's takes 7 for spares. Sounds like you have fallen into that range. Although the spares have much more meat and what seems to me to be a more intense flavor (maybe the fat), I still perfer BB's. Now that you've done both, which do you prefer?
 
Randy,
I'm not sure which ones I prefer. I definitely think BB's are easier to cook and less fatty, but the spares were much more flavorful. When I heated the spares for lunch the next day they were outstanding. I think I'll try spares again and bump the temps to around 250 and see what happens. I thought 7 hours on the last cook would be just about right, but they did seem somewhat dried out and tough.
 
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