Albertson's had Baby Back ribs on sale the other day at
$2.99/#. I bought 4 racks and cooked them up for us and
some neighbors that I'd noticed were getting a little
skinny. The day afterward, I commented to Mrs. Nonnymus
that I thought the ribs had a bit too much meat on them.
She went ballistic and explained that meat was what ribs
were all about.

My own theory is that too much meat inhibits the flavor of
the smoke and rub from getting to the inside parts and cuts
down on flavor. To me, this seems like a seminal issue for
ribs, but I can't recall ever reading anyone talking about
it. With a butt, you mix the brown with the white when you
pull it, but with ribs you just get what your teeth happen
to snag.

Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs
with thick meat on them or some with slightly less meat?

Nonnymus

"Nonnymus" > wrote in message
news:KI_dg.27892$QP4.8895@fed1read12...
> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs with thick meat
> on them or some with slightly less meat?
>
Not sure if its a "too much" meat issue but what kind of meat that is left
on the loin back--when they are too thick it its more like a chop than a
rib--imo anyway. If it happens that I gotta cook LB then the strip of meat
that runs the length of the rib is usually removed along with the "loin"
hunk at one end but usually cook spares

Buzz

"Nonnymus" > wrote in message
news:KI_dg.27892$QP4.8895@fed1read12...
> Albertson's had Baby Back ribs on sale the other day at $2.99/#. I bought
> 4 racks and cooked them up for us and some neighbors that I'd noticed were
> getting a little skinny. The day afterward, I commented to Mrs. Nonnymus
> that I thought the ribs had a bit too much meat on them. She went
> ballistic and explained that meat was what ribs were all about.

I'll have to agree with the Mrs. on this one.
>
> My own theory is that too much meat inhibits the flavor of the smoke and
> rub from getting to the inside parts and cuts down on flavor. To me, this
> seems like a seminal issue for ribs, but I can't recall ever reading
> anyone talking about it. With a butt, you mix the brown with the white
> when you pull it, but with ribs you just get what your teeth happen to
> snag.

Ribs have a lot of surface area that gets spiced and smoked
and are thin, compared to butts.There's not much "inside parts".
When you get a bite of ribs I'd think you're snagging a bite with
more of your rub and smoke flavor than a bite of pulled pork.
>
> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs with thick meat
> on them or some with slightly less meat?
>
> Nonnymus

I'd rather pay for meat than bone, the smoked trimmings come
in handy for other recipes (where's my sauerkraut??)
Brian

Brian D. wrote:

>
> I'd rather pay for meat than bone, the smoked trimmings come
> in handy for other recipes (where's my sauerkraut??)
> Brian

Heh- you know how persnickety kids can be. Back when ours
were in grade school, Mrs. Nonnymus got the fever to make
some real home made stuff. We had a large stone crock, so
she first made kraut. It was incredible, and we saved a
bunch after about 4-5 meals of pork butt with mashed
potatoes, gravy and kraut. (The proper way to enjoy this is
to get a little bit of everything on your fork at one time)
She next made her own corned beef. When it was done,
Mrs. Nonnymus decided that it was time the kids enjoyed
Rubens as they were intended to be. She made home made rye
bread and also some of the best home made thousand island
dressing I ever ate. The grilled Reubens were served at
lunch and the only store-bought thing on them was a thick
slice of Swiss cheese and the butter.

The kids thought that the Reubens were so good that they
even went to the neighbors and told their friends. That
afternoon, poor Mrs. Nonnymus had to make up another batch
of Ruebens for about 6 neighbor kids. I think she converted
a whole neighborhood. <grin>

Nonnymus

"Nonnymus" > wrote in message
news:8B0eg.27899$QP4.17536@fed1read12...
> Brian D. wrote:
>
>>
>> I'd rather pay for meat than bone, the smoked trimmings come
>> in handy for other recipes (where's my sauerkraut??)
>> Brian
>
> Heh- you know how persnickety kids can be. Back when ours were in grade
> school, Mrs. Nonnymus got the fever to make some real home made stuff. We
> had a large stone crock, so she first made kraut. It was incredible, and
> we saved a bunch after about 4-5 meals of pork butt with mashed potatoes,
> gravy and kraut. (The proper way to enjoy this is to get a little bit of
> everything on your fork at one time) She next made her own corned beef.
> When it was done, Mrs. Nonnymus decided that it was time the kids enjoyed
> Rubens as they were intended to be. She made home made rye bread and also
> some of the best home made thousand island dressing I ever ate. The
> grilled Reubens were served at lunch and the only store-bought thing on
> them was a thick slice of Swiss cheese and the butter.
>
> The kids thought that the Reubens were so good that they even went to the
> neighbors and told their friends. That afternoon, poor Mrs. Nonnymus had
> to make up another batch of Ruebens for about 6 neighbor kids. I think
> she converted a whole neighborhood. <grin>
>
> Nonnymus
>

<Homer Simpson>
mmmmmmmmm. Home made reubens....
<Homer Simpson/>
Brian

Nonnymus wrote:

> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs with thick meat
> on them or some with slightly less meat?

Meatier is generally better.

Dana

On Sat, 27 May 2006 17:00:49 GMT, "Brian D." >
wrote:

>
>"Nonnymus" > wrote in message
>news:KI_dg.27892$QP4.8895@fed1read12...
>> Albertson's had Baby Back ribs on sale the other day at $2.99/#. I bought
>> 4 racks and cooked them up for us and some neighbors that I'd noticed were
>> getting a little skinny. The day afterward, I commented to Mrs. Nonnymus
>> that I thought the ribs had a bit too much meat on them. She went
>> ballistic and explained that meat was what ribs were all about.
>
> I'll have to agree with the Mrs. on this one.
>>
>> My own theory is that too much meat inhibits the flavor of the smoke and
>> rub from getting to the inside parts and cuts down on flavor. To me, this
>> seems like a seminal issue for ribs, but I can't recall ever reading
>> anyone talking about it. With a butt, you mix the brown with the white
>> when you pull it, but with ribs you just get what your teeth happen to
>> snag.
>
> Ribs have a lot of surface area that gets spiced and smoked
>and are thin, compared to butts.There's not much "inside parts".
>When you get a bite of ribs I'd think you're snagging a bite with
>more of your rub and smoke flavor than a bite of pulled pork.
>>
>> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs with thick meat
>> on them or some with slightly less meat?
>>
>> Nonnymus
>
> I'd rather pay for meat than bone, the smoked trimmings come
> in handy for other recipes (where's my sauerkraut??)
> Brian
>

that where all my trimmings go. I save them up for the sauerkraut.

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

I bought some of the Albertsons ribs also. I like the ones with less
meat. You are right about the ribs with more meat. You cant taste the
rub or flavors. This is way I buy pork ribs and not beef ribs. Beef
ribs are to thick.



Nonnymus wrote:
> Albertson's had Baby Back ribs on sale the other day at
> $2.99/#. I bought 4 racks and cooked them up for us and
> some neighbors that I'd noticed were getting a little
> skinny. The day afterward, I commented to Mrs. Nonnymus
> that I thought the ribs had a bit too much meat on them.
> She went ballistic and explained that meat was what ribs
> were all about.
>
> My own theory is that too much meat inhibits the flavor of
> the smoke and rub from getting to the inside parts and cuts
> down on flavor. To me, this seems like a seminal issue for
> ribs, but I can't recall ever reading anyone talking about
> it. With a butt, you mix the brown with the white when you
> pull it, but with ribs you just get what your teeth happen
> to snag.
>
> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs
> with thick meat on them or some with slightly less meat?
>
> Nonnymus

pat wrote:
> I bought some of the Albertsons ribs also. I like the ones with less
> meat. You are right about the ribs with more meat. You cant taste the
> rub or flavors. This is way I buy pork ribs and not beef ribs. Beef
> ribs are to thick.
>
>
We've having some friends over tonight, so I got four racks
of baby backs. I actually picked out the ones that had less
meat on them than some others. That is NOT to say I just
got bones. No, the ones I got had decent meat on them, but
had less than some others.

BTW- many thanks to the person who suggested using a paper
towel to gain traction when pulling off the membrane. I've
used many things, but the paper towels seem to work best.
It's odd how you can go all these years and not think of the
most simple solutions.

Nonnymus

Nonnymus wrote:
snip
> Here's my question: Given a choice, would you pick ribs with thick meat
> on them or some with slightly less meat?
>
> Nonnymus

Typically during the trimming process, doing spares, I'll take a sharp
knife and carefully scrap all the bones clean of the meat. Give the meat
to the dogs and then lo N slo cook the bones till they turn a light
brown color, apply a little sauce, enjoy! I often ask myself, why in the
world anyone would want meat on their ribs!?


--
Regards,

Piedmont

The Practical Bar-B-Q'r at: http://web.infoave.net/~amwil/Index.htm

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless,
whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism
or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

Mahatma Gandhi, "Non-Violence in Peace and War"

Nonnymus wrote:

> My own theory is that too much meat inhibits the flavor of the smoke and
> rub from getting to the inside parts and cuts down on flavor. To me,
> this seems like a seminal issue for ribs, but I can't recall ever
> reading anyone talking about it.

Actually, I believe this issue comes up all the time, in multiple
parts.

Part 1. How much rub is enough? It seems like you're partial to
the flavor of the rub permeating the ribs. Since ribs are a thin
'cut' of meat, there's a lot of surface area and thus a lot of area
for rub to go, compared to the overall volume of meat. A thicker cut
of meat will have less rub-to-volume; however, you'll see dicussion
of how much bark to mix in, it's the same thing.

Part 2. How much smoke is enough? It sounds like you're partial
to the flavor of the smoke permeating the ribs.

Part 3. How to get the smoke as deep as possible into the ribs?
This dicussion comes up primarily as a discussion of cooking
temperature. A lower, slower cooking temperature will result
a in a deeper penetration of smoke; hotter, faster cooking seals
up the meat faster. This gets into a discussion of slow starting
temperatures and higher cooking temperatures.

Parts 1 and 2 are a matter of personal taste and style. Part 3
is a matter of technique to achieve the desired results.

I find that I prefer meatier ribs and tend toward a lower starting
temperature, which might get the same result as your cooking temperature
and thinner ribs. I just think it's better to have slightly thicker
meat on the bones, cooked more gently, that it's likely to stay juicier
that way.

So, I don't think it's as easy as "meatier or thinner ribs?".

Dana