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Did my butcher rip me off

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    Did my butcher rip me off

    Bought about 4 lbs. of Beef Short Ribs off the plate - followed the recipe here - NOTHING but fat - and I mean nothing - tasty, but inedible - i'm pretty experienced (just joined the pitmaster s club's free trial, but have been smoking/barbecuing off Amazing Ribs free recipes for years - pretty good at pork ribs, brisket, turkey, etc. - but this was my first try at Beef Ribs - and it was a "training" cook for a party we plan for next Saturday. But total failure (well, the dogs liked the bones).

    My questions are - did the cow die of diabetes, congestive heart failure, etc. - did my butcher rip me off - or was I just a total doofus on this? (I mean, it LOOKED like there was some meat after I trimmed the visible top fat off the ribs - but after cooking to an internal temp of 203 and following the Texas Beef Ribs recipe to the letter on my trusty Weber kettle - there was literally NO meat at all, just cooked fat/gristle?

    The cut, btw, was allegedly "USDA choice" - $ 14.55/lb. - $ 55 bucks from a butcher, but perhaps I got ripped off?
    Last edited by TomStava; July 3, 2022, 02:36 AM.

    #2
    I've had similar issues with short ribs. You have to really look them over. I only buy them now from a butcher shop. I just had a similar situation with a rack of ribs. Always got fantastic racks from the butcher. This last rack was pure fat. When i opened the smoker for the first time after four hours the rack curled to a U shape. Never seen this before. We do a bit of rotisserie chicken and every once in a while you get a tough bird. It just can happen. I would have a polite conversation with your butcher and explain what happened and take it from there. I know the frustration, had our best friends over for that disastrous rack of ribs, embarrassing but $%$=%%%# happens.

    Comment


      #3
      $14.55/pound for choice seems pricey to me fat or no fat. Prime beef plate ribs are $11.48/pound at Wild Fork Foods as a comparative example. Better have that talk with the butcher. Or choose a new butcher.
      Last edited by Jfrosty27; July 3, 2022, 08:38 AM.

      Comment


      • TomStava
        TomStava commented
        Editing a comment
        I agree - but this is rip off city where I live - Las Vegas - I've used this butcher before (for a full brisket - delicious). There are other butcher shops, but the problem is that they are MORE expensive. Since this was a "test" cook I used the less (but not least) expensive butcher shop - if it worked out I intended to buy from the better quality butcher who will probably charge $ 17/lb or more for "choice". Thanks.

      #4
      I’ve only made beef ribs a couple times , due them always being just so fatty,

      Comment


        #5
        Welcome to The Pit.

        Comment


          #6
          Generic answer to the generic question: Did my butcher rip me off

          Probably, yes.

          Comment


            #7
            I would have taken a few back to the butcher and asked what he or she thought of them.

            Comment


            • TomStava
              TomStava commented
              Editing a comment
              I once complained on an airline flight about two flight attendants who were chattering about their boyfriends right behind my (delayed) business class seat all the way across the Atlantic - and almost got arrested as a terrorist. I never even raised my voice - since then I hardly ever complain about lousy customer service. I'll make a brief exception here - if you're ever in Las Vegas - do NOT buy your Beef Ribs from The Butcher Block (two locations- I used the one on Centennial Parkway)!

            #8
            Get any pictures? I used to run a butcher shop.

            Comment


            • TomStava
              TomStava commented
              Editing a comment
              Nope - should have - but I was in such a funk over the wretched outcome that I just gathered up all the debris (gristle, fat, etc.) wrapped it in the butcher paper and tossed it all in the garbage can - and I'm not in any mood to go rooting around in there to take it out and photograph them.

            • bbqLuv
              bbqLuv commented
              Editing a comment
              SheilaAnn you're right, No Pics didn't happen--LOL

            #9
            At those prices, I would consider ordering from Porter Road, Creekstone, or Click Akaushi in the future.

            Comment


            • Steve R.
              Steve R. commented
              Editing a comment
              For most other cuts I would say the same thing. But beef ribs are one of those things I prefer to see in person before buying. Same with brisket, although I do have a Click brisket that I took a chance on recently.

            • TomStava
              TomStava commented
              Editing a comment
              We live in Las Vegas (Eastern California). Our prices reflect the Strip - ripoffs - that Butcher shop was the second cheapest we have. Also, I probably should have mentioned the one difference between the recipe and my post - yesterday the outside temperature here was about 105 all afternoon, with a steady 15 mph wind. Even though I followed the weber video pretty closely, it only took 4&1/2 hours to reach 203 internally. So it probably cooked a little faster than it should have.

            #10
            UPDATE - Bought a package of Beef Ribs from Costco - smoked on Weber Kettle (with Slow & Sear) following the Texas Rib Recipe here - success - should have photographed, but we had 12 guests that night, no time for suchlike. But I wasn't taking chances after my first experience with Butcher meat, so I also smoked four racks of St. Louis style pork ribs. The occasion was the 64th birthday celebration of my principal hiking pal (it's all downhill from here - hell on the knees), and my wife's (no sane man EVER discloses the age of his wife) birthday the following day.

            SUCCESS - the beef ribs turned out PERFECT. The Costco meat was labelled "choice" just like the butcher meat which was the source of this original post - and it was delectable. About 10 ribs in the package - 4.5 pounds - less than twenty bucks. Smoked the meat over Kingsford original briquets with cherry wood chunks for about 6 hours (at about 225F) - I did test the internal temp with a probe, and pulled them off at 203F. Not all the guests got to enjoy those ribs (mostly the men) and there weren't enough for me or my wife - but of the 6 males and one female who ate, the reviews were unanimously raves and disappointment that I hadn't cooked more.

            The pork ribs (last meal recipe) were, as usual enormously popular with all the guests. I even got to eat my share of those. All the guests left having gained significant weight, and will have to hike off the surplus. There were no leftovers of either meat.

            My takeaway is this - why pay a blasted crooked butcher four times as much for fat & gristle (which the SOB should have known), when Costco's meat seems uniformly superior (out here, at least) to the likes of me. Same cook, same cooking technique - inedible (butcher), succulent and tasty (Costco). I'm pretty sure there may be a disappointment down the road for me with Costco's meat quality, but the disappointment with the butcher's meat is behind me, and I won't be going that way again. (The place was/is called "the Butcher Block" on Centennial Parkway parallel to the 215 Beltway in northwest Las Vegas - don't darken their doors unless you're in the mood to get ripped off, or can't find what you're looking for anywhere else). (Incidentally - prior to my failed test cook of beef ribs I checked Costco's meat department, and they weren't carrying beef ribs that week - so I suppose one of the future disappointments may be that they don't have what I want when I want it - but this time, they get a huge thumbs up from me!).

            Cheers!

            Comment


            • STEbbq
              STEbbq commented
              Editing a comment
              Costco meat is typically outstanding and very cheap. One the best reasons to be a member in my view. Glad things worked out!

            • Steve R.
              Steve R. commented
              Editing a comment
              I understand the disappointment with the butcher's ribs, but did you at least give him a chance to make it right?

            • Finster
              Finster commented
              Editing a comment
              Glad it worked out for you.
              Interesting that you were able to find beef ribs at Costco. The only ones I've ever seen there are already sliced. Good for Korean style grilling, not so much for smoking.
              Overall, Costco meats are usually pretty good.

            #11
            Yes, cheers! Great that everything turned out all right.

            Comment


              #12
              I dunno, a butcher buys a quarter of beef on the assumption it’s all meat his customers will enjoy, he doesn’t have x-ray vision.
              In hind sight you should have returned them and voiced your displeasure and if he wasn’t a chiseler hopefully got a refund or equal value of some kind.
              Butcher shops have gone the way of the dodo bird around here so I don’t have this problem. We have a chain up the street that has great meat and stand by it.
              I get the 64 plus thing, it can be hard to bounce back some days....

              Comment


                #13
                I was thinking about your question in this thread. I then thought about the Bearded Butchers video on beef ribs and how they are cut from a side of beef. For my next beef rib smoking adventure will it be short, plate, dinosaur, flanken Ribs?
                Here is a video on beef ribs, and the answer to your question may be found at 8:50 into the video.

                What are Beef Ribs and What are the Different Styles | The Bearded Butchers - YouTube

                Comment


                • Jfrosty27
                  Jfrosty27 commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Incredible. I learned so much in that short video. A couple thoughts:

                  I have never seen chuck/Dino ribs so thick!

                  Also never seen short ribs of that quality.

                  Man their knives are sharp!

                  How/where do I buy meat from THEM!

                  Thanks for sharing.

                • bbqLuv
                  bbqLuv commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Bearded Butcher Blend Seasoning is gluten free, made with no preservatives, and completely clean ingredients that will have you addicted to our smoky, savory, seasoning blends. Use it on everything!

                  Give them a call

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