Do y’all removed the rib tips or leave them alone. I am unsure where to make the cut when you remove them. I will take all the advice and opinions on the subject.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
This video shows you how to trim spare ribs to SLC ribs …… I do this and then use the various left over pieces for things like rib tips and meat in my beans :-)
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
Man, you're messing with me. If you say St. Louis ribs, you're ( @Panhead John) implying the rib tips are removed. St. Louis rib cut just presents a beautiful presentation and uniformity. It also helps with cooking the ribs evenly.
Me, I'd cut them off and serve as St. Louis cut. Rib tips and skirt could be made into an appetizer of some sort. Or saved and used for soup.
Pit Barrel Cooker
Weber Master-Touch
Blackstone Omnivore 4 Burner Griddle
Thermoworks: Signals, Billows, Thermopens, Thermopops, Nodes, bunch of silicone stuff, and more!
OnlyFire Rotisserie w/ Basket attachment for the Weber
Vortex for the Weber
Both of Meathead's books!
Way too many BBQ related accessories, tools, and doo-dads!
What LA Pork Butt said. I leave them on, but the trimmings and off cuts become chef’s cuts
since they finish sooner.
Edit: After re-reading some of the posts here, I think you're starting out with Spare Ribs, which, as others have mentioned, when cut down St. Louis style, typically will have the tips removed. At least the one's in the stores do.
I buy spares and trim them myself. Around here, they're cheaper and you get some nice offcuts to play with on the grill.
Last edited by dpearce; November 10, 2025, 08:29 AM.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I leave the tips on, but it’s not something I’d quibble over. I just like tips. I’ve done St Louis, and, well, what’s not to like? They're ribs, they’re great.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I’m confused by the entire question. If you have rib tips to trim off, they are full spares. Saint Louis cut have those trimmed off. I may have had a slab of the pre trimmed ones that left a little rib tip at one end to square things up, but I usually buy full spares and trim them down myself.
Jerod Broussard My experience is the same as yours. All the St. Louis ribs I have purchased still have some rib tips left. While it was about trimming spares I thought the Malcom Reed video was helpful for trimming.
Rib tips were also the first real deal BBQ that I ever ate from a now closed place next that was between the scrap yard and the asbestos dump in Waukegan, IL, so they have a special place in my heart. Ma also made the best fried chicken I have ever had.
Tons of good advice, follow it. Some one mentioned savin the trimmins fer “chefs cut”. Yup, I trim a slab and since I’m usually the chef, I eat the trimmins before everthing is served. Tasty they are!
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