So how does meat pricing work?

[ammaturesmoker]

I only ask this because I do not understand it at all. If I buy uncut pork spare ribs, it runs about 2 bucks a pound. But if I buy the St. Louis style ribs, its 2.68 a pound. They are the same except the St Louis is cut out of the spare ribs yet the spare still has more meat. Are they saying it's more valuable because we don't have to cut it? Same with beef short ribs. Meat not one the bone is cheaper than meat on the bone. I am no butcher but I think they are laughing at the general public.

 

[tropics]

 
I only ask this because I do not understand it at all. If I buy uncut pork spare ribs, it runs about 2 bucks a pound. But if I buy the St. Louis style ribs, its 2.68 a pound. They are the same except the St Louis is cut out of the spare ribs yet the spare still has more meat. Are they saying it's more valuable because we don't have to cut it? Same with beef short ribs. Meat not one the bone is cheaper than meat on the bone. I am no butcher but I think they are laughing at the general public.

Going bye what you are saying.A butcher would have to work for nothing to give you the cut you want.

 

[ammaturesmoker]

I didn't say that.....I am asking how it works from what I have noticed.

 

[jcbigler]

You have to factor in the labor of the butcher trimming the spare ribs down to St. Louis cut. They don't cut them off the hog as a St. Louis cut. They come off the hog as a spare cut and then have to be trimmed even further.

 

[ammaturesmoker]

OK....Then why do boneless beef short ribs cost less than on the bone cuts? If you factor in labor one should be more.

 

[wimpy69]

Because their not ribs, but cut from the chuck eye. Short ribs are taken to size on band saw=labor.