Trimming Spare Ribs...What now?

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thunderdome

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Nov 19, 2009
1,034
27
Casa Grande, AZ
Thanks to the sticky, I've learned how to save quite a few bucks by buying spare ribs rather than the pre-cut.

I see that everyone saves the skirt, and the riblets. But what do they do with them?

I've had riblets somewhere, but how is everyone cooking these, seasoning, and eating these?

And as for the skirt?

I'd hate to waste something that I can turn into good food.
 
Rub both just like the ribs and smoke it next to the ribs, it will get done quicker, but it makes for tasty apetizers to snack on till the star of the show is done...it may not make the best eats for the guests, but for common folks doin the cooking its not too bad
 
Thats what most do, a little appetizer while the main course is smokin. I usually save mine until I get enough to make sausage then turn out some brauts or breakfast sausage.
 
or use the meat for dutches baked beans!!! most of it never makes it though... hungry cook yano how that goes...
 
Smoke it all right next to the ribs. Just as tasteeee as the ribs to me... little harder to eat around the grissle but mine go on the platter right with the ribs. Eaters choice.
 
tips are a cooks snack since they cook up quicker than the spares, skirt is also a snack, or goes in to some beans.
 
Definitely tastes good when added to a batch of beans
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I smoke em for 3 hours with the ribs. Then pull, make a sammy (or 2
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), rest get chopped up and tossed into a batch of Duch's Wicked Baked Beans! Adding them to the beans takes the beans from a side dish to a foodgroup of their own!
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As they all said. Those and the burnt ends can also be frozen and used in place of ham hocks in any recipe you choose. One less thing to buy, and they are NOT giving ham hocks away cheap any more!
 
I save all the trimmings from my beef and pork and smoke them all together . then i use the meat in a pastalaya.
 
Good question ...... try a RIB MEAT FATTY!

I know of a fella who used the trimmings to make a Rib Meat Fatty. It tasted real good ... very different than the usual fatty. It is a bit labor intensive, but worth it. He trimmed the meat from the cartilage and ran it through a meat grinder to make it into a sausage type consitancy. He then seasoned it with some sort of light Maple flavored rub and smoked it just like any other fatty. Good Stuff. I'll search my photo's when I get to my home PC and post a picture.
 
Ok...next question....

I read that the 3-2-1 method is for Spare Ribs and that Baby Backs should be 2-2-1.

If I trim my spare ribs, St Louis style, should I be using 2-2-1 or 3-2-1 (since brisket and skirt will be cut off)
 
Kinda depends on how you like your ribs - fall of the bone, or a little tug to get off the bone. If you like fall of then 3-2-1, if you like a little tug then 2-2-1 or 2-1.5-1. Just means you have to "practice a few times to get the consistancy you like.... oh darn!
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You can use either one. It really comes down to how you like them. I like ribs where you have a little tug to get the meat off the bone. The wife, likes em falling off the bone tender. The 2nd and 3rd numbers are going to really determine how they come out. The second number is how long in the foil. The longer they are in the foil, the more tender they will be, to a point. The third number is for firming them back up a bit. Things like smoker temps and even the meat will have a factor as how they come out. Starting out, give the 3-2-1 a try. You certainly won't go wrong with it. Then you can adjust the next time you do them. Want them a bit firmer, then drop the middle number and maybe increase the 3rd number. Nothing is set in stone. I personally do mine 2-1-1 and they come out just the way I like em, tender, but need a little tug to get them off the bone. I do the wifes ribs 3-2-1/2.
 
My wife likes them off the bone tender...so I'll give the 3-2-1 a try for my first go at it.

I'm excited to save some money on spares since I'm always buyin baby backs.
 
I was the same way, Allways bought BBs . Then i learned to trim and smoke the spares from here on the site ( THANKS FOLKS)
Now spares are all i buy.
 
I do Spares and Baby Backs. When I do Spares I only trim the skirts. I smoke them right next to the ribs and we call them " the cooks snacks" Because of that I am never alone next to the smoker, and the snacks never make it back in the house!
 
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