Rookie with rib smoking questions

[muebe]

Larry it appears I am not buying my baby backs at the right place

[hikerman]

I apologize for barging in but as I was reading this thread I noticed that many of you mentioned that St. Louis cut ribs have more meat than baby backs.  I used to use St. Louis cuts exclusively until I tried baby racks one time.  The baby backs I purchase at the local Kroger grocery have way more meat than the St. Louis cuts.  The baby backs are more expensive and because of the price will most likely force me back to the St. Louis cuts but it won't be because of the meat content.

I am including a pic of some baby backs that I smoked on Monday to show the amount of meat on them.


And just for fun, here is a pic of the rack that I sliced them from.


That's the beauty of smoking food.  No one correct way to do it!

Those are some beautiful ribs Larry! 

But are you sure those BB ribs are not from Hogzilla?   

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[catinatree]

Nice, very nice ... I usually prefer baby backs. I find them a bit more forgiving if cooked on the cooler side.

[jtrainor56]

As KyNola noted I also have been finding baby backs lately with a lot more meat on them. I have been noticing that the baby backs have had more loin meat attached to them. I first thought it was just Sam's club but the last ones I got were from BJ's and they were the same. Since my family doesn't really like spares, its a plus for us.

Joe

[lonestarmedic]

Been buying the Full spares for a long time now. I trim to St. Louis myself. The inner flap trimming gets seasoned and done like burnt ends. The tip meat is saved and cooked in a big batch low and slow like a rib. Last time I trimmed out 12 racks at once and then put it into vaccum bags in the freezer. The inner flap meat was about 6-7lbs. And to think a lot of butchers throw that away. Many folks only want the "pretty part" of the ribs. I have about 22 lbs. of boneless rib tip waiting for the smoker.

JB

[Jaxon]

I've been cookin' ribs at 225*, but after seein' some pics, I think I'll be warming up to 275*

glad I'm still in school...

just sayin'...

[TentHunteR]

Baby backs are good but way more expensive than spares and have less meat so St.Louis spares are my preference.

The baby backs are more expensive and because of the price will most likely force me back to the St. Louis cuts but it won't be because of the meat content.

What it boils down to is the butcher who trimmed them.

[Pappymn]

Was at Costco today. $3.89 for BB and $3.69 for St. Louis

[Las Vegan Cajun]

I like baby backs but not the unevenness of the cut.  Love spares for how even.  I go back and forth.  love sweeter rubs with a touch of heat.  some sriracha as the glue 

Dang - I like the sound of the Sriracha - love that stuff!!!  Thanks for the idea

X2

Got two bottles of that stuff in my cabinet, first bottle is almost done and the second bottle is begging to be opened soon.  Thinking of mixing Sriacha with the mustard to slather on the ribs.

[Hub]

I have been watching some BBQ shows like BBQ Pitmasters etc... (maybe a mistake, I have not decided just yet) and I have a couple of questions for the pros on this site:

1)  I noticed most of the dudes on there smoke a rack of ribs at 275 for about 4 hours - any thoughts on that?

2)  Many of them wrap the ribs for the last hour meat side down on a bed of different mixtures - it seems rather common to put it on brown sugar and honey - some use a little apple juice  - what are some thoughts on that?  I really like a smokier rib and not so sweet so I am wondering if anyone uses that method and how to cut down on the sweetness with different products during the foil wrap.

3)  I watched them cut up some ribs in a St. Louis style that looked outstanding - for those of you who like the St. Louis style over the Baby Backs - what is the reason for your preference? (I don't know that I have ever had St. Louis style ribs so I have nothing to compare - other than I prefer BB's to beef ribs)
 
Thanks for any input!

I think your questions have been thoroughly answered but I'm chiming in from a competitor's point of view.  My comments:

1.  Pitmasters is engineered by the producer to draw ratings.  It bears very little to no resemblance to how barbeque contests work or how the people in them behave.

2. 275 is a pretty common temperature for rib smoking.  Most smokers that use wood based fuels produce good flavors in this range.  Most of the rib recipes I've ever seen ran between 235 and 275 degrees.

3.  Wrapping ribs in foil speeds tenderness and helps retain moisture -- very beneficial in competition.  Sugars, honey, apple juice, and other stuff is commonly added during the foil stage to both amplify flavor and create an outer flavor "shell".  A few purists do not use foil and condemn it as the "Texas crutch".  Excellent ribs can be produced with and without it and the argument is useless.  As to sweetness, cook what you like to eat -- sweet sauces and rub flavors are popular right now.

4.  in competition, St Louis style ribs dominate heavily.  They are easier to cut evenly, usually contain more meat between the bones, and have a more uniform appearance than backs.  Backs taste just fine but aren't as judge-friendly when it comes to meat uniformity and bone formation.

Probably the most common way to cook ribs is the 3-2-1 method.  This doesn't actually mean 3 hours bare, 2 hours in foil, and 1 hour bare again (but makes a useful illustration of the time usage parameters.  Cookers, rib meat thickness, temperatures and other things vary but the basic structure of starting out with the ribs open on the grids for a while to gain smokiness, then wrapping to keep moisture and hasten tenderness, then "finishing" with a little more open time at the end.  You use the method and adapt the time to your taste and equipment -- see the article on it in my section.

Hub

[Smokerjunky]

Thank you ALL for the information.  Just one more reason this is my favorite spot on the internet!!  What a great group of people!!  Thanks again - time to absorb the info.

[jtrainor56]

I was at BJ's on Saturday and their Baby Backs in a 2-pack cryo were $3.39/lb and their St Louis spares were $3.19/lb.
Although I prefer BB's I bought a package of the spares as well, they looked really nice.... Oh and I also bought a few packs of baby backs and threw them in the freezer..... I need a bigger freezer!

[Curtislowe]

Great discussion here!  Siracha?  Yes, I will try it.  I've been doing the baby steps with 321 and 221 methods for spares and BBs respectively with decent success.  Like you, I shied away from the sweet stuff at first, but have been using it a lot lately.  I am ready to turn up the heat and cook ribs a bit faster.  Experiment with the foil and dont be afraid to try something off the wall...I have a friend who consistantly gets calls in cook offs by wrapping his ribs first,  before going naked....