Trimming Spare Ribs Video (Malcom Reed/Mark Williams)

[Michael_in_TX]

Malcom Reed has recently started a new video series called Out the Smoke in collaboration with his longtime friend, Mark Williams of Swine Life BBQ.

One of the twelve inaugural videos is one on how to trim whole spare ribs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6jQ3peuOmA

It's a quick watch and very clear. I probably will never buy St. Louis cut ribs again, now that I see how easy it is to trim a whole spare.....and whole spares are about half the price of St. Louis cut!

[RonB]

I'd trim my own if I could find whloe spares, but all my local grocery carries is baby backs.

[Burfman]

Great video. I have done this before but not a clean as the video shows. Thanks for sharing.

[ecowper]

I started buying whole spares, which I can generally get for anywhere from $1.29 to $1.59 a lb. Then I trim them and end up with SLC ribs, rib tips, and the rib sternum. Two slabs of spares give me 3 meals and the price is around $15.00

- 2x SLC ribs - works for us and our neighbors on a saturday
- rib tips from two racks works for my wife and I
- 2x rib sternums make a great pot of drunken beans

[Mr. Bones]

Do what yall gotsta do, I sez

I jus season em, pat it down nice an firm, an throw them spares in my smoker, check on em, after a bit....

[ecowper]

that sternum makes a mighty nice pot o' beans Bonesy

[Mr. Bones]

Yup. True Dat, Brother, an you, of all People, might happen to know I likeys me some Beans!
Specially, when it's already done been smoked up...

I jus bide my time, an separate em, when they's already gots em some Smoke all up in em, throw em into my beans...

[jfmorris]

It's not hard to trim spares to St. Louis cut, but does take me a few minutes per rack of ribs. And I am always left with all these scraps I don't know what to do with! If I have space, I smoke the flap meat and rib tips. Right now I have two zip lock bags full of those trimmings sitting in the freezer, from the last time I smoked 4 racks of ribs.

I always am left wondering if I really got a deal over buying the pre-cut SLC ribs, since I feel like I am tossing several pounds of scrap that are not part of what I am cooking.

[ecowper]

jfmorris either way :-)

[Mosca]

jfmorris yep, either smoke them, or sear them first.

[ecowper]

personally, I like some smoke on there to add to the beans. But if I'm in a hurry on a saturday, I just sear the trimmings in some bacon fat and call it good

[JeffJ]

I’ve always struggled removing the tips.

[ecowper]

This video is a good one, but this Serious Eats article is where I learned how to do it. I think it’s the de facto standard on how to do it.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-to-trim-pork-spare-ribs-st-louis-style.html

[Mosca]

Like ecowper , I buy full spares when I can find them, and use the trimmings for tips and other meals. But it’s hard to find them these days, everyone is selling semi-St Louis racks, they have the tips, flaps, and ends, but not the sternum.

[Mr. Bones]

hmmm, haven't encountered this particular phenomenon, as of yet...

[ecowper]

I think that’s a regional thing …. Here in WA state, I can find full spares easily, but SLC only at Costco

[JeffJ]

ecowper I've watched numerous videos for trimming spares. I suck at it. I don't know why. Other than this my knife and cleaver skills are very good.

[ecowper]

Dang man, not sure how to help other than post the Serious Eats article I posted. Any idea why?

[JeffJ]

ecowper Maybe it's a lack of repetition. I've only done it a small handful of times. Practice makes perfect?

[ecowper]

JeffJ my first time trimming spares wasn't pretty :-)

[Sweaty Paul]

I tend to buy full spares and cut them down. I do cook the rib tips too. The diaphragm flap I cook and have a mid-cook snack (cooks bonus). May try a brief smoke on the rib tips and add them to beans one of these days.