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Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables. |
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Pork ribs
This was written by a hog farmer back in the days of the old bbq email list.
Pork Ribs There are basically three types of pork ribs, which are spare ribs, baby back ribs and country style ribs. Let's look at each type of ribs. Spare ribs are the traditional slab of ribs. They come from the belly of the pig, behind the shoulder. They include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones and between them. They are the most inexpensive cut of ribs. St Louis style ribs are a variation of the full slab. They are trimmed and have the brisket bone removed. Kansas City style ribs are another variation. They are trimmed further yet than the St Louis style ribs and have the hard bone removed. Baby back ribs, sometimes called loin ribs, are cut from the loin section. They are shorter and smaller than spareribs. They have a covering of meat over the bones and also between them. Because they do come from the loin, they are leaner and meatier than spare ribs. They are also considerably more expensive and in shorter supply. Country style ribs are actually not ribs at all and are cut from the blade end of the loin, right behind the upper portion of the pork shoulder. They are more like fatty pork chops than ribs. While they have more fat per pound than any of the other styles of ribs, the fat is in layers and the meat between those layers is leaner and less marbled than most other ribs. They are the meatiest of all the ribs. Now that you know what the different rib styles are, which are the best to bbq? A good question, which has no good answer. First, country style ribs, because they are more like pork chops, are better for grilling than slow cooking, although they can be slow bbqed quite successfully if one keeps a close watch on them and gets them out of the smoker as soon as they are done. Spare ribs are inexpensive and full of flavor and are probably the best choice for novice bbqers. You won't feel near as bad if you mess up a rack of spare ribs as you will if you mess of an expensive rack of baby backs. Some bbqers, myself included, actually prefer spare ribs such as the St Louis or Kansas City style over baby backs because they have more flavor, more meat and cost less. Because they are the leanest of the ribs, baby backs are less messy to eat than the other ribs. They are also easier to handle than spare ribs, because they are smaller. Some bbqers will cook nothing but baby backs and there is no question that they are excellent eating when prepared to perfection. They have a naturally sweeter flavor than spare ribs. They are more expensive than spare ribs and because they are leaner, they can be more prone to be overcooked and therefore are somewhat less forgiving to the chef. You will have to make up your own mind if they are worth the extra cost. Smoking ribs is not at all difficult. Following are some general guidelines for cooking ribs. If you choose spare ribs, get well trimmed ribs, such as the St Louis style. Spare ribs also have a membrane on the bone side of the ribs. While it is not necessary to remove this membrane, the rendered fat will get away from the meat better if you remove it. The ribs will also absorb a rub or sauce better when it is removed. To remove it, carefully work the point of a blunt knife or a screwdriver under the membrane to loosen it and start to lift it from the bones. Once you have it started, you can work your fingers under it to completely separate it and tear it away. Season both sides of the ribs generously with your favorite dry rub. If you wish, you can also marinate your ribs with a variety of liquids before seasoning. This is purely a matter of taste, as ribs cooked correctly do not need a marinade to help tenderize them. Marinades can easily overpower the true taste of the pork. Put the ribs bone side up on the smoker grates. You can really pile a lot of of ribs in a smoker if you rotate them once in a while to make sure they receive an even amount of smoke and heat. Make sure there is no flame or burning wood or charcoal under the ribs. Indirect heat is the absolute best way to cook ribs. Most racks of ribs of 3 lbs and under will be done in approximately 3.5 to 4 hours at 200 to 225 degrees. If the ribs are extra plump and thick it can help to bump the temperature to 250. Baby backs will take 30 to 45 minutes less. In any case, the ribs are done when the meat is tender and will easily pull away from the bone. When they reach that point, take them out immediately. If you wish to baste your ribs with bbq sauce don't do so until the last 30-40 minutes of cooking time, so the sauce does not burn on the meat. Turn the ribs over so the meat side is up and then baste with your favorite sauce. Again, this is a matter of taste, whether you want your ribs wet or dry. As far as wood for smoking, use whatever suits your personal tastes. Hickory, oak, apple and maple are some of the commonly used woods for smoking ribs. Some like to use a combination of woods for additional flavor. I like to keep smoke on my ribs for the entire cooking period and that again, is a matter of personal taste. This concludes the FAQ covering pork ribs. Ribs are one of the traditional bbq meats and probably on just about everybody's short list of favorite foods. So don't wait any longer. Fire up the smoker and put on some ribs. And put on a lot of ribs because all of your neighbors downwind of your smoker will probably be coming by to visit. --Harry-- |
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Pork ribs
On 7/30/2011 6:51 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> This was written by a hog farmer back in the days of the old bbq email > list. > > Pork Ribs > > Great tutorial, Ed. Got it saved in a Rib Tutorial folder in Thunderbird. I probably should have a Ed's Tutorials, because you have frequently posted tutorials like this over the years. Thanks Ed and Harry and others who have written tutorials that Ed has posted. BBQ -- Vegetarian An old Indian term for poor hunter... |
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