Rib Rankings for Rubes

Jeepster47

After carefully reviewing my "Meat cuts for Dummies" book and cooking the various rib cuts, I've finally formed a culinary opinion.  However, this morning my confidence in my "Rib Rankings for Rubes" was severely put into question.  Please help me with your input.

Be it pork or beef ribs, it seems like buying plain "ribs" (those cuts right off the backbone) is like buying stuff off Craigs' list ... you get this great big package of stuff at a low price.  But, when you get it home and really look at it, buyers remorse starts building.  Kind of looks like a bag of bones with a little meat attached ... the *%^$ butcher made a killing on the boneless loin or prime rib that s/he cut off and sold to the rich guy down the street.  Kind of like cooking with RO ... seems like the real thing, but just doesn't quite make it.

Now, a little further down the path of the ribs is where the real stuff is at ... spare ribs on the pig and short ribs on the cow.  Nothing is spare or short about them, so where did those misnomers come from?  It's hard enough trying to figure this stuff out without misnaming everything.  Butchers and car salesman seem like they are from the same family.  Anyway, those "S" packages look so expensive next to the rib packages, but damn if they aren't like a country sweetheart ... lots of meat on those bones.  Kind of like a package of protein with a few bones attached ... just the opposite of "ribs."  Yes/no?

So, for me, it'll take a couple more years to decide the final order at the top of the list ... spare ribs or short ribs.  Kind of like dating two cheerleaders ... do I really have to choose ... can't I keep dating both?  Now, firmly in number three position is pork (baby back) ribs.  Reasonable balance between meat and bone.  Lots of flavor even if you have to work for it.  And, bring up the distant rear is beef ribs with their 100:1 ratio of bones to meat.  Please mister butcher, just make hamburger out of them ... stop tempting me with the low price.

So, when Mr. Apple asked for some advice this morning in another thread, I really wanted to tell him to give the beef ribs to the dog and go get some real ribs.  Would that have been rude?  Why did he, with his experience, buy them?

saluki2007

I personally am a fan of beef ribs.  They have great flavor and texture.  It may be more economical to just get a bone in steak, but to me not the same flavor.  As far as another "butcher rip off", you will notice that STL style ribs are typically more expensive than spare ribs.  They are the same meat, but the butcher spent an extra minute trimming them to look prettier.  I always buy spare and trim myself.  Not only is it cheaper but you get a nice little appetizer while waiting for the ribs to finish.

pgprescott

saluki2007 said:

I personally am a fan of beef ribs.  They have great flavor and texture.  It may be more economical to just get a bone in steak, but to me not the same flavor.  As far as another "butcher rip off", you will notice that STL style ribs are typically more expensive than spare ribs.  They are the same meat, but the butcher spent an extra minute trimming them to look prettier.  I always buy spare and trim myself.  Not only is it cheaper but you get a nice little appetizer while waiting for the ribs to finish.

I understand you may feel this is a "rip off", but almost all meat is priced not only off the cut pricing, but the butchering involved. Your choice, i think you made the right one. 

Jeepster47

The story may have been a little tongue-in-cheek, but the question was honest.  With how good short ribs taste, why go to all the trouble of cooking beef ribs?  The time is almost the same, but the results are vastly different.  My butcher tells me they sell a lot of beef ribs. 

With pork, I can almost get it.  There's just enough difference in taste to maybe make it worth the effort.  But, spares are so good. 

henapple

I'm a rube

Jeepster47

henapple said:

I'm a rube

If so, then why buy "plain" beef ribs?

Cowdogs

My butcher will cut you beef ribs that would change your mind.  Beef ribs, like baby backs, can be great or crap depending on the butcher's mood that day.

Mattman3969

I personally prefer pulled beef or ribs over the pork equivalent. But thats just me.

theyolksonyou

I haven't done enough ribs to know the difference. Thanks for the cliff's notes

caliking

I'm with you. The beef ribs in the stores are pathetic... mostly bones with slivers of meat holding them together. I don't have a good butcher close by. I usually buy spare ribs and either egg them whole or trim them and use the tips later. Not as much of a fan of babybacks for some reason.

It has been suggested here in the past to ask the meat counter guys for "plate" ribs (I think that's what they are called) which are basically short ribs before they have been cut into individual ribs. Haven't done it yet, buts its on the list.

Jeepster47

@caliking ... talked with my butcher today and he showed me his seven-bone plate rib packages.  They buy those and then cut them up to prep for sale over the counter.  They looked good and will be the next beef "rib" cook.

Ozzie_Isaac

I would really like to try beef ribs.

RRP

Jeepster47 said:

@caliking ... talked with my butcher today and he showed me his seven-bone plate rib packages.  They buy those and then cut them up to prep for sale over the counter.  They looked good and will be the next beef "rib" cook.

I still wish or even challenge you to go to Pottstown Deli in Metro Center in Peoria. I know you like Alwans but look at PD selections and buy something and then decide honestly later!

anton

I will look at ribs closer next time I'm at RD, I am also one who can't find good beef ribs, I do love me some baby backs all day long though.

saluki2007

RRP said:

Jeepster47 said:

@caliking ... talked with my butcher today and he showed me his seven-bone plate rib packages.  They buy those and then cut them up to prep for sale over the counter.  They looked good and will be the next beef "rib" cook.

I still wish or even challenge you to go to Pottstown Deli in Metro Center in Peoria. I know you like Alwans but look at PD selections and buy something and then decide honestly later!

I go back and forth.  Love them both.  Just depends where I'm at when I decide I want something from the butcher.

buzd504

anton said:

I will look at ribs closer next time I'm at RD, I am also one who can't find good beef ribs, I do love me some baby backs all day long though.

RD has great beef rib packages, in my experience.  Like anything there, you have to buy a lot, but it's quality product.

Judy Mayberry

@caliking: Plate ribs are what Adam Perry Lang cooks. I had them at a special gig he had for Jimmy Kimmel in Los Angeles, and I truly thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Worth every anal step in the recipe. They are in his first book, I'm sure.

NPHuskerFL

@Judy Mayberry totally jelly that you got to see the Kimmel show w/ APL Live Judy. His style almost methodical at first seems insane and illogical. I've tried a few of his more oddball cooks and I have yet to be dissatisfied. Now I've gotta try the ribs. Is there ever an end. Lol

Edit: were you referring to rib roast cooked like a steak?  I've done this with an herb brush, board sauce and then finished with a whiskey glaze. Or just ribs?  I do not have the book Serious BBQ "yet". 

UrbanForestTurnings

Find a good butcher. I know the the entire staff by name at my Krogers. You would be amazed at what they will do for you if you slide them some jerky, smoked cheese, or anything else you fix. . And butchers love to drink

caliking

That sounds like you had a good time,  Judy  

@UrbanForestTurnings - I might try that tactic.  The Kroger by me has better short ribs anyways,  so maybe I can get them to leave a rack whole for me. 

Shiff

Plate ribs have 3 bones and are great to cook and eat.  Short ribs have 4 bones and cook about the same way and (I think) taste a little better and have less fat than Plate Ribs.  Beef back ribs have 7 bones and can be meaty or not depending on how the butcher cuts them. I've stopped buying beef back ribs since I can't find any worth buying. I buy my Plate Ribs and Short Ribs at Restaurant Depot - the short ribs (chuck portion of the cow) cost about half as much as the Plate ribs (Plate portion of cow).

Many people get these cuts mixed up.

Also, many buthers cut the short ribs up into those small bones - if you can get them to leave them uncut as a slab they cook much better.

Jeepster47

@Shiff ... There are ribs in the chuck primal cut, still trying to find out what they're called.

But, everything I've seen attributes short ribs to the rib primal cut.  Here's a good video that explains that ... and explains why the short rib plate is not sold with seven ribs.  Seems there's a corner of the seven blade plate that's not usable.

bboulier

saluki2007 said:

I personally am a fan of beef ribs.  They have great flavor and texture.  It may be more economical to just get a bone in steak, but to me not the same flavor.  As far as another "butcher rip off", you will notice that STL style ribs are typically more expensive than spare ribs.  They are the same meat, but the butcher spent an extra minute trimming them to look prettier.  I always buy spare and trim myself.  Not only is it cheaper but you get a nice little appetizer while waiting for the ribs to finish.

Yes!!

Shiff

Jeepster47 said:

@Shiff ... There are ribs in the chuck primal cut, still trying to find out what they're called.

But, everything I've seen attributes short ribs to the rib primal cut.  Here's a good video that explains that ... and explains why the short rib plate is not sold with seven ribs.  Seems there's a corner of the seven blade plate that's not usable.

Beef Short Ribs are usually called Chuck Short Ribs because they come from the chuck primal.  Plate Ribs come from the Plate primal and are sometimes called Plate Short Ribs.  I don't have my IMPS meat specification with me at the moment so I can't give the IMPS designation for these cuts.

Shiff

About a year ago, I posted about a rib cook I did and there is some more info in that post at:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1161966/beef-plate-ribs

Ozzie_Isaac

Shiff said:

Jeepster47 said:

@Shiff ... There are ribs in the chuck primal cut, still trying to find out what they're called.

But, everything I've seen attributes short ribs to the rib primal cut.  Here's a good video that explains that ... and explains why the short rib plate is not sold with seven ribs.  Seems there's a corner of the seven blade plate that's not usable.

Beef Short Ribs are usually called Chuck Short Ribs because they come from the chuck primal.  Plate Ribs come from the Plate primal and are sometimes called Plate Short Ribs.  I don't have my IMPS meat specification with me at the moment so I can't give the IMPS designation for these cuts.

I believe they are not the same.

Beef Short Ribs ID no. is 123
Chuck Short Ribs are ID no. 130

Granted I only slept at a Holiday Inn and am not nor ever been a butcher.  I am just starting to learn there is more than a filet, ribeye, and sirloin to a cow.

Jeepster47

Thanks for directing me to the IMPS meat specs for beef ribs ... now I know what the ribs from the chuck primal are called:

Beef Back Ribs consist of 7 ribs from the rib section, including the meat between the rib bones. The chine bone and feather bones are removed, exposing the sawed ends of the rib bones.
Unless otherwise specified, Back Ribs are 6 to 8 inches wide at any point, measured across the sawed ends of the rib bones. Back ribs are also cut in half to make 3-4 inch rib bones for additional menuing possibilities.

Beef Short Ribs, IMPS/NAMP 123 -- This item consists of the rib section from any rib and/or plate item and contains at least 2 but no more than 5 ribs. The purchases shall specify the number of ribs and width (distance between the dorsal and ventral sides) of the rib sections.

Beef Chuck, Short Ribs, IMPS/NAMP 130 -- This chuck cut contains rib numbers 2 through 5, the meat between the rib bones and the single muscle lying on top of the bones. This item is trimmed practically free of surface fat.

I think the forum is guilty of using the generic term of "ribs" for everything ... beef or pork.  Then we loose the understanding of where the ribs are cut from ... which means we loose an understanding of what they look, feel, and taste like.

Although the IMPS specs allow the Beef Short Ribs to come from either the rib or the plate primal, they are really the same ribs.  The only difference is where the butcher decides to cut the two primal sections apart.  The University of Minnesota has a series of ten videos that walk through the primal cuts and how they're broken down into retail cuts.  Number six addresses the rib primal.  Google "Beef U 2014" ... I'd post the website, but the (*&% forum ate my last post when I included it.