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Spare Ribs Gone Wrong...

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    Spare Ribs Gone Wrong...

    So I completely failed on my spare ribs attempt on the 4th in the oven. So much so that I pulled the trigger and got my first pellet smoker this week lol

    Do I need to trim spare ribs into a "st. Louis" cut before smoking?

    I definitely didn’t trim anything before I made them in the oven and they were so chewy and cooked unevenly. I guess I had been buying "back ribs" before but the spares are usually on sale so I want to master attempt at spare ribs in the pellet smoker are very much welcome. #ribs
    Last edited by Jwater412; July 9, 2020, 07:39 AM. Reason: Trying to add a tag

    #2
    Take a read of this article on the AR free site:

    Mastering smoked ribs -- whether they are St. Louis style ribs, spare ribs, or baby back ribs -- with our comprehensive tutorial and recipe will make you a backyard all star.


    I think you will find a lot of guidance on how to smoke a great rack (or two) of ribs(spare, Saint Louis or Baby backs).

    Have fun!

    Comment


      #3
      I trim to a St Louis cut for ease of handling in the cooker and ease of eating. The rib tips cook a little faster and they require slurping and picking to eat so they usually get taken off early and enjoyed as a cook's treat. I don't think you'd have to trim, however, if you really didn't want to.

      I'd have to say if your ribs are too chewy, you might want to tweak your method. In addition to GolfGeezer's suggestion, see also Troutman's thread on cooking beef and pork ribs --

      Of all the smoked and barbecue meats, nothing beats the deliciousness of ribs. No more is that emphasized than in the naming of this site, Amazing Ribs !!! We eat with all of our senses; obviously we smell and look at our food long before we eat it, of course we taste and have the tactile feel within our mouths, but for ribs I


      For an alternate method of cooking ribs, see --

      Blasphemy Ribs Here is a new way to cook ribs that I am calling Blasphemy Ribs. Normally we smoke a whole rack of ribs, low and slow, for 5-6 hours. Then we cut

      Comment


        #4
        I never trimmed ribs either until lately
        It did help to get the overall fineness I was looking for.
        I prepared the off cuts like the racks and put them on too, tasty little samplers thru out the cook to let you know what was coming

        Comment


          #5
          I recently bought a pellet smoker and have done both baby back and St Louis style. Both were awesome. Followed a 3-2-1 approach the first time and it was awesome. Also followed the recipes on here just a straight cook with the odd spritz, that worked well too.

          Think the pellet grill helps, even if it is lazy :-)

          Comment


            #6
            Congratulations on the new pellet smoker. You are going to enjoy the added smoke flavor from cooking on it. If you don’t already have one, consider getting a thermometer with remote probes so you can actually know the temperature in the smoker where your meat is cooking. Your next cook will be much better and soon you will be a whiz at ribs. As far as trimming, I do and cook the trimmings separately since their timing will be different from the ribs.

            Comment


              #7
              Yeah, trim the spares up and cook the tips separately. I have gone to spares exclusively lately. Put em on and let em go.

              Comment


                #8
                Congrats on the new smoker. We require pics of said smoker, as well of pics of ribs that come off it!

                I normally buy baby back or st louis cut. Both turn out well. You don't HAVE to trim spare ribs, but I think it helps.

                I also like to trim the skirt off the back of the ribs, stack a few of them on a skewer and smoke for a treat, just for me.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I have cooked full spares many times, although I mainly trim to St. Louis cut because they fit better in my cooker, especially if doing multiple racks at once. Full spares have always come out good, as long as you cook them until they're done. For me that is about 195° internal or they pass the bend test. Full spares usually take between 5 and 6 hours, depending on cooker temp and other factors, so make sure you start checking for doneness before that. If you are planning to wrap them for part of the cook, that will significantly change the cook time, IMO.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I either buy them as St. Louis Ribs or cut them into St. Louis ribs. Here are a couple of questions about your cook to help decide whether the problem was the ribs or the cook time and temp. What temperature did you cook them at and for how long? Did you wrap them or not?

                    Comment


                    • Jwater412
                      Jwater412 commented
                      Editing a comment
                      I cooked for about 3 hours wrapped in the oven at 275. Then tried to cook for another hour after cutting the ribs.

                    • LA Pork Butt
                      LA Pork Butt commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Jwater412 I am a little bit at a loss as to your results other than to say they may have been a little under cooked or as everyone has experienced no two pieces of meat cook the same way. I haven’t done full spareribs in a long time, but when I do St. Louis Ribs unwrapped they are usually finished in 5 hours or less. It is possible you oven temp is off and 275 isn’t really 275.

                    #11
                    I've either bought full spares or St. Louis, and just cook 'em the way I bought 'em.

                    If the ribs were chewy.... there's a good chance they were actually under-done. The ribs, like the boston butt (shoulder) need to reach anywhere from 195 to 205 internal meat temperature to render all the connective tissue and become fully tender. Any time I've ever had tough and chewy ribs, its because I pulled them early, because folks were hungry and demanding food before it was ready.

                    I've used a digital thermometer to monitor my house oven - an electric oven - and found that when set to 225F, it swings anywhere from 190 to 250. It may average 225, but I think it is on the low side of that. Even though your household oven might have a digital readout, does not mean it is necessarily accurate. You likely were cooking at a lower temperature than you expected, and needed more time than expected. Depending on what pellet smoker you bought, you may find it to be more accurate than your household oven. BUT, you won't know unless you have a thermometer to check it with.

                    I highly recommend you get two types of thermometer for outdoor and indoor cooking:

                    1. Digital Instant Read

                    You use this to get quick readings of done-ness on thinner cuts of meat such as steaks, chicken, or about anything you are cooking, inside or outside. I would recommend the Thermoworks Thermopop if on a budget, or the Thermoworks Thermapen Mark IV if not.

                    2. Digital multi-probe leave-in monitor

                    This lets you monitor the actual grate level temperature of your cooker, or oven, or grill, and also monitor one or more pieces of meat, such as a roast, boston butt, brisket, turkey, whatever. I have the Thermoworks Smoke. Another good one is the Maverick XR-50, or the Fireboard.

                    Good luck with the new cooker!

                    Jim

                    Comment


                    • Jwater412
                      Jwater412 commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Thanks I think your right about the low temp...I turned the temp down to try to avoid the ribs from falling off the bone. Now I think the lower temp, larger ribs and shorter cook time may have been the issue too.

                    #12
                    Thanks for all the replies! I’m definitely going to officially join this club.

                    This is my new and first smoker outside of a smoke box with wood chips on a gas grill. Pit Boss 700...they pretty much paid me to buy this grill, lol, it was so cheap less than $200 on clearance!!

                    I plan to do my first cook this weekend, I will post pics!
                    Attached Files

                    Comment


                    • Jfrosty27
                      Jfrosty27 commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Wow! What a deal! Good luck and keep us posted!

                    #13
                    Lookin forward to yer contributions, amigo...

                    Always willin to help, when I'm able to.

                    Sláinte!!!!
                    Last edited by Mr. Bones; July 10, 2020, 01:29 AM.

                    Comment


                      #14
                      First smoke was a success...I’ve now learned why I’ve never seen someone smoke only 1 rack of ribs lol
                      Attached Files

                      Comment


                      • BFlynn
                        BFlynn commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Those are good looking ribs!!

                        Yeah, it isnt much more work to smoke 3 racks.

                      • Jfrosty27
                        Jfrosty27 commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Yum

                      • HawkerXP
                        HawkerXP commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Now your talking!

                      #15
                      Also made jerk wings and lemon pepper wings the next day
                      Attached Files

                      Comment


                      • Jfrosty27
                        Jfrosty27 commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Yum X 2

                      • jfmorris
                        jfmorris commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Looks great! And... I see your meater probes.... in ribs and chicken wings? The two meats I've never ever thought to put a leave in probe in...

                        I guess if you got em, use em, but I've always found it hard to get a really good reading in something with that little meat and so much bone, as the probe hitting bone throws the readings off. With ribs you can go with the bend test, and pulling back off the bone.

                        Anyway, it's good to see you jumped into this smoking thing with both feet!

                      • HawkerXP
                        HawkerXP commented
                        Editing a comment
                        There is no stopping you now!

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