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8 replies

Spare Rib Success..... vs. Loin Backs

FM Former Member
Well, have done 2 smokes of loin backs in the last couple weeks. Wasn't totally pleased with the finished product. First smoke went for four hours, foiled and did another hour. They were okay. Thought it might be the meat. Second smoke of loin backs I did a little shorter, about the same result. Just okay. Well, I thought...let's do some spare ribs!

Went to Sam's, got 3 racks of 3 & down spares. Trimmed the skirt, gave it a St. Louis cut, and rubbed over night. Put into smoker at 11:15 a.m. at 225 using 3.5 ounces of Apple wood. Flipped at 3:30 p.m. and rotated the racks. At 5:15, opened and put a finishing sauce on them. At 6:15, took them off and tasted the BEST RIBS yet! The family was really impressed. So, it took about 7 hours total. They were very close to fall off the bone stage. I doubt I'll ever go back to loin back/baby backs. These spares were just too good.

By the way, my better half picked up a new add-on to the Kitchen-Aid mixmaster, it's a cool ice cream attachment where you freeze the bowl - no ice needed. Needless to say, our dinner was topped off with some excellent home-made frozen custard.

MMMmmm............

Thanks again Cookshack, what a wonderful piece of equipment you've made!
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FM Former Member
I have a feeling that this is kind of like the beans in chili question... You're going to hear as manay opinions on spares vs. loin back as there are people to give them! I'll plant my feet firmly on the fence... Smiler I enjoy both. My wife and daughter prefer loin backs since spares tend to be a little fattier.

I'm curious... What was it that you didn't like about the loin backs? I don't foil mine. I cook them for about three hours, open the door to spray and rotate, and then two more hours. Then I open the door to glaze and go for about an hour, depending on doneness.
FM Former Member
It's usually just personal preference.

I think we've also been brainwashed by the various marketing methods ..."I want my babybacks babybacks babybacks"

The real key is you can make them both work, but you have to start paying a little more attention to the racks you buy. Do you look at them real close? Look at the curve of the bones, the weight of the package, the look of the meat vs fat?

Pay attention as you buy them, if the spares look fatty, look for leaner. For me, I don't buy the small, skinner 2 and under babybacks because you're paying mostly for bones. When I buy I buy the big ones and I'll probably go through a case or two just to pick out a couple of packs. The way I explained it to the meat man, if I'm paying over $3.50 or $4.00 per pound for something, I want to inspect it.

That's just part of learning more about ribs, there's always something to learn and practicing is fun because you can eat the practice ribs.
FM Former Member
For ribs and pork butt, I go to the Sam's with the Meat Markets. Every other market in town usually sells prepackaged ribs from IBP and others and they just take it out of the package. Really none of the meat markets here are very good, sad for a beef/pork producing state like Oklahoma.

For GREAT pork tenderloin, the Vietnamese Grocery on 24th and Western is really, really good. They carve it there. And their price is really good also. They just don't do well on carving their ribs.

I buy my brisket from a specialty company that doesn't do retail and I don't find a lot of Choice briskets around, just don't see them.
FM Former Member
Smokn"
I looked this afternoon for briskets because Buy 4 Less ads were for Select packer's trim $1.11/lb.They were from Excell.Neighborhood Market and W-mart Super Center had cryovac Excell brand Choice briskets for 1.28/lb so that is what I got. Not worth a couple dollars to have select when I can get Choice.
I will try Cao Nguyen sometime.The stink gets to me though.They sell every single part of every animal and Fowl they sell I think.If you get a tenderloin do you have to tell them to leave fat on it or do you just cook for less tiem and use bacon?
there are 2 butchers up this way.cusack and his son each have a Meat Market but if I can do okay with Choice I will learn to trim on my own.
FM Former Member
Hey C'nooga gonna do some spareribs your way new at doing ribs period have the model 50 could you explain what a St. Louis cut is and how you trim em...just got my smoker couple of weeks ago done a P butt, and brisket now want to move on to ribs...ran a copy of your photo's and almost put some sauce on the copy and thought about taking a bite...those ribs looked that good...any help appreciated.....bj

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