Whole Hog Ribcage


 
RCBaughn

RCBaughn

TVWBB Super Fan
So I was given an entirely whole frozen section of the ribcage from one of the hogs that my uncle slaughtered last winter and I have no idea what to do with it. This thing is huge, it's the entire rib from the spine down! Does anyone know or have any good pictures or videos of how to divide a whole hog ribcage up? I figure it's going to be some tasty ribs, I just gotta figure out how to cook it. Can't beat a hog that was raised from birth on a farm you know and have worked around. Probably gonna need access to a bandsaw though before I can use it.

If this is the wrong section feel free to move it BTW, I just thought that since ribs are always smoked that the barbecue section would be the best place to post this.

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Wow, that's a lot of rib. I guess it's the spares with baby backs still connected. What does it weigh?
 
If you end up trying to cook the whole rib I would put the thickest end up and cook to just close to the bend test. Let the fat baste the small end and let the spares take the punishment, they can take it.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to get them cut somehow. No way they'll fit on the Mini and that's all I got for smoking. I wonder if a cleaver would be good enough for splitting rib bones cleanly? I kinda don't like the idea of using a bandsaw since I feel like bone dust might get in the meat forever. I gotta figure out exactly where the division line is for spare and baby back ribs too.
 
Great idea with the performer Bob. I've never used it before for smoking but with all the trouble I have getting high heats in it that may be the best thing for me to try and use it for. :p

And Jon I was really wanting to separate them so I can get two meals out of them. To me there is nothing better than ribs right off the smoker. They just aren't as juicy and awesome when they are reheated to me at least. Be nice to get two meals out of them too since they were free. Stretching meat for a long time is something that I try to do A LOT around my house. LOL, college grocery mindset I guess.

I may try a cleaver. I need to go buy one anyways, I'll just have to figure out exactly where to try and split them. I guess it won't matter that much, but I may try to ask a butcher how you can tell where the divide is between a baby back and spare rib cut. I don't plan on taking off the ribs tips though if they are still on the spares. Not really sure how to tell what the tips look like anyways really.
 
RCBaughn said:
And Jon I was really wanting to separate them so I can get two meals out of them. To me there is nothing better than ribs right off the smoker. They just aren't as juicy and awesome when they are reheated to me at least. Be nice to get two meals out of them too since they were free. Stretching meat for a long time is something that I try to do A LOT around my house. LOL, college grocery mindset I guess.

I may try a cleaver. I need to go buy one anyways, I'll just have to figure out exactly where to try and split them. I guess it won't matter that much, but I may try to ask a butcher how you can tell where the divide is between a baby back and spare rib cut. I don't plan on taking off the ribs tips though if they are still on the spares. Not really sure how to tell what the tips look like anyways really.
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I was thinking of splitting them before you cook, but cut between instead of across the bones. You should be able to do it with a standard chefs knife.

If you go to the Cooking Topics section here, or search YouTube for the Good Eats rib episode, you'll get a pretty good grasp of pork anatomy. You probably have back and spares with the tips, which could be separated into a rack of baby backs, a St. Louis rack, and tips.
 
Yeah I would just split them like you said between the bones but they are too long to even fit on my mini WSM! Big ole long things for sure, and I bet you're right that they have the tips on them. I'ma thaw em out and just give them a once over. They should be okay in the fridge for a few days till I figure out hot to separate them. I may go buy a hacksaw and just return it after I get the ole things cut. :cool: Either way though I'll have to split them in half width wise. The mini is not very big for sure, but man does it hold temps. Never used my Performer though for smoking, but I bet I'd get better results off the mini.

Y'all do baby backs HnF or low and slow? I've seen methods for both being pushed and both sides saying that you get better, more tender ribs. Any thoughts?
 
If you're going to try a hack saw, I'd keep them frozen until you cut them otherwise the meat won't cut with the saw very well. If they're thawed, you'll need to use a knife to cut the meat and just cut bone with the saw.
 
Thanks for that tip Steve. I am afraid that if I use a cleaver that I'll get a lot of fragments in the meat where it's cut.

I also thought that using a hacksaw and blade from Home Depot may not be a great idea since they are painted and that paint tends to come off with its first few uses. Don't know how hard it would be to get that off the meat or whether it would imbed permanently.
 
Circular saw and sawzall blades aren't painted, but the cleanup would be pretty bad. I have a turkey in the freezer I'd like to saw in half and having the same dilemna.
 
Yeah I don't have any tools here at college so I think I'ma take the one hammer I have and a cheap chefs knife and go to town. Aren't prok bones soft compared to beef bones? I know that beef bones are like dang rocks.

I just don't wanna thaw these things out till I know I can get em apart and cook em. Be a shame to see em go to waste because I can't get them broken down properly. I bet since they were farm raised they'll be good. Maybe he'll give us last years leftovers from the hog killing again. It's nice to have even more pork that what we get from our hog killing in the fall. We usually only kill one, and he kills a dozen or so I believe.
 
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