Back vs Side ribs...

Mop · February 2001

I have givin side ribs a try on several occasions but still are unhappy with them....
My wife loves them, I see folks here talk highly about them but for some reason for me they are always a let down in flavour as well as texture.....is anyone with me on this one.....
For me it`s Back Ribs or nothing!!!!!!!
(could be my methods of course)[p]Mop!

Nature Boy · February 2001

Howdy Mop, We do about half and half.[p]I feel that the babybacks are more predictable, and come out perfect nearly every time. My wife likes them because they are smaller and a bit more tender and less fatty. They are tidy.[p]Yet I am a huge fan of the big ol spare ribs. They don't come out perfect for me every time, but when they do they are tough to beat (and I'm getting better at it). And for a bunch of hungry carnivorous guys, they are the only way to go! On top of that they are much less expensive that babybacks.[p]IMO, you need to give those monster spare ribs a try again. A nice 5 or 6 hour cook. The first time I got them right I knew it right away. When I was flipping after 5 hours, a bone slid right out of the ribs and stayed in my tongs.
Now I'm hungry.
NB

BBQfan1 · February 2001

Mop, I think part of your dissatisfaction with spares to this point may be geographical. I find up here in Canada, they fail to cut the spares with bbq in mind. If you go to a commercial grocer (A&P, Loblaws etc), most will have trimmed off the centre cut of the spare and packaged those strips of prime real estate at inflated prices as 'centre cut spare ribs for chinese sweet & sour', or something like that. They also insist on putting that strip of breast bone under the remaining slab. There's meat on that piece, but it's not an attractive, eye-appealing cut. Also, they really tend to trim the front of the spares, to the point where you get 'shiners'; exposed bone where they've trimmed the face of the ribs too deeply.
All I would suggest is going to the source, an abatoir, and getting your ribs there, where they'll cut the ribs to your specs off the primal (I'm fortunate enough to have an abbatoir in the area that will do this for me). Additionally, you could track down a good quality meat shop where they'll do what they can to give you what you want. Don't know 'bout where you're shopping right now, but in London there is at least a $3/lb difference in price between spares and bb's. If you're dealing with good quality spares the difference off the Egg between the two is nowhere near that great. As our NB said, don't rule spares out, just hold out for top quality and I think you'll change your opinion.
BBQfan1

Mop · February 2001

BBQfan1, very well said and thanks...now that you mention that it makes sense!
Remember my post about the smoked ribs at Dennigers?
They had backs and spares and the spares looked outstanding....none like I`ve seen or purchased in the past...
I`ll look into getting them trimmed properly.......[p]Well it finally happened bbqfan1......did you read the post on Bruces forum about the new bbq joint in Paris Ontario?....."Camp 31"
thats just a hop skip and a jump from here, I`m gonna go this weekend.....my family has all left me for the weekend....great chance for me to check out some good bbq......[p]Mop![p]

Mop · February 2001

Nature Boy,mmmmmmmmmm I`m getting hungry just thinking about that NB......I`ll try them again.....thanks...[p]Mop!

Char-Woody · February 2001

Mop, bbqfan1 made some excellent points. Remember this, essentially, (babyback,loinback) and (spare ribs) require two different approach's in the cook.
C~W

Back vs Side ribs...

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