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First time with spares, so long baby backs!

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mojo
mojo Posts: 220
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I've been really comfortable and happy with my results cooking baby back ribs, so I thought I'd give spare ribs a try. I picked up some spares at Costco and trimmed off the skirt and extra stuff (I'm no butcher for sure). The ribs to be served were slathered in mustard and rubbed with BBBR. The tips, skirt and whatever else I cut off that wasn't full of fat were simply sprinkled with the rub.

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The Egg was set up indirect at 225 with cherry wood and the DigiQ holding the fort.

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I knew spares would take longer to cook than baby backs, so I let them go for about 5 hrs before even testing them for doneness. I used a "modified" CWM cooking method, spritzing every hour with apple juice/apple cider vinegar and raising the temp to 250 after about 4 hours of cooking. By about 5 hours I had already removed most of the tips and "scrap" meat, having consumed most of that ;) , and I laid the ribs down flat for saucing.

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These cooked another 25 min. or so before cutting and serving.

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Overall I was EXTREMELY pleased with these ribs. The meat had an excellent texture, it bit off the bone cleanly but left a perfectly smooth bite defect. The prep time exceeded what I'm used to for baby backs due to all the trimming, but it was well worth it and I doubt I'll be doing many more baby backs in the future.
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Comments

  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
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    Looks like real good eats, mojo.
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Very nice plate of ribs.

    Mike
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    I had the exact same mind altering experience a few months ago. I still do BB's on occasion, but only when spares are unavailable or too pricey. ;) Our methods are also very similar. :)

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
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    Mike, Your killing me!! You cooking those for us at the fest? :)
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
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  • thailandjohn
    thailandjohn Posts: 952
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    I have been cooking ribs about 30 years using wood with several types of cookers and I agree with you about cooking spares over loin backs

    Costco does have good spares and they are very consistent.

    When I take ribs to parties of my "YUPPIE" friends, most can't believe these are much better than their so call "Baby Backs"

    My method is similar to yours...Remove membrane, Lite rub, 225 degrees and I don't even raise the lid until 3 hours, spray with the apple juice and apple cider vinegar, close lid and check again in 2 more hours...spray again raise temp to 250 and check in another hour...raise lid, lite brush with sauce, raise temp to 275 and check again in 30 minutes. If done, I then wrap in clear food wrap and put in my pizza delivery bag if we are going to eat them within 3 hours

    Raising the temp for me is easy because I use a Stoker and it holds these temps great

    If I am going to eat within the next couple of days... I still wrap them hot in the clear wrap..let them cool down and refrigerate To reheat, I place the wrapped ribs directly on the oven racks and reheat at 250 degrees 30 to 45 min


    http://jvp.smugmug.com/Barbeque




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  • mojo
    mojo Posts: 220
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    'Q Bruddah - Thanks, glad you like!

    carwash mike - Whoa, I am humbled by your presence in this thread. Hope I didn't screw up anything. I've been using your rib method since I first got my Egg just over a year and 1/2 ago and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for an excellent description of how to make fantastic ribs time and time again!

    Capt. Frank - Yeah, even after only 1 cook it's easy to see how spares are going to be superior in my book. You said our methods are similar, what do you do differently?

    cookn biker - Which fest? If it's the Texas Eggfest I have to (sadly) say no, I won't be there. That's the weekend of my 10th wedding anniversary. I don't think I'd win points going to an eggfest.

    thailandjohn - I was pleased with the spares at Costco, but I'm glad to hear that you think they are of good quality since I have nothing to compare them to. I do know that I prefer Costco's baby backs to those of the grocery store (HEB in my case). They are consistantly better, IMO.
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    John, I'm a little alarmed by your method of reheating the meat while still wrapped in plastic wrap. I thought that heating plastic wrap was support to impart 'bad' things to food.
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
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    Those look delish. We used to always use spares when I was growing up. We had access to a great meat place. I guess we started doing bb's when I met my husband as he prefers those. (I don't think he's ever had a good spare, so no wonder.) I did try some spares within the past few years and alas, the meat was horrid. I don't think we got it from Costco tho. Costco is a bit of a trip for us as it involves a ferry ride, so I don't get there too often. But next time I do, I'm checking out their spare ribs!
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  • thailandjohn
    thailandjohn Posts: 952
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    I reheat at a low temp and never had a problem...if anyone is concerned, they should use foil...I feel the food wrap provide a better seal


    http://jvp.smugmug.com/Barbeque




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