Snake River Farms Babyback Ribs

PASmoke

I finally decided to try the Snake River Farms Ribs to judge their legendary status for myself. Here are my thoughts:

SRF customer service is second to none....very organized, helpful and they offer to fully stand behind their products. The Kurobuta pork is top quality and butchered meticulously.  

They say clearly on the website that the ribs are smaller than typical BB ribs. They suggest that you not use them for competition and to adjust your cooking time accordingly. However, I was still not ready for how small they actually were. If you are entertaining you should plan on a rack per person.....at least....most guys could easily eat more. 

You can choose well ahead of time what day you would like the ribs delivered and they take care of the rest. They arrive mostly frozen but thaw out easily overnight in the refrigerator. I removed them from they're heavy duty cryovac and spent the next 20 minutes removing the membrane. I dusted them with my "go to" RunninWild Peach Rub and let them rest while I dialed the BGE into 225*.

I typically run a 1-2-1 cook on my ribs because I find a 2-2-1 a bit overcooked for my taste. I figured with the size of these I would run a 1-1-.30 --- totaling 2 1/2 hours.

Too much. I was shocked at how much these ribs cooked in the last 30 minutes. I did not ruin them at all....but I certainly overcooked them. Both ends were a bit dry. The BGE did creep up to 250* - but I was still very surprised by the results. 

Final opinion: They were good.....but not good enough to merit the price tag. I could feed twice as many people for half as much money with the BB ribs I get at my local grocery....and they're 90% as good.

Now, because I'm a sucker and they were so good to do business with I will still try their whole shoulder sometime this year....fingers crossed. I'll post on that another day! 

This is how they arrive......notice the size and imagine losing another 10% of that in the cook. They are small! 


Membrane Removed:


Lightly Rubbed:


On the BGE at 225*:


Removed at 2 1/2 hours.....


The Center:


Dust to Dust! 

Foghorn

Thanks for the write-up.  It's especially good to know how fast they cook.  Despite their small size, I would be willing to give them a try.

slovelad

Wow, those are small. What's the price on them?

i just got a whole rack of bb ribs from Winn Dixie for 12 dollars last night. Now I now they won't be half as good. 

crust on those looks amazing!

PASmoke

@slovelad - They are $22.00 per.....unless you get 8 (or more)
and then they go down to $20 per. Crazy high! 

SRFShane

Hey @PASmoke - thanks for the write-up!  I love it when people do a good honest review!  

Because of of the nature of the 100% Berkshire hogs, the ribs are definitely small (but tasty). To be honest though, because of the size, it's not my favorite cut of pork. If you want to try something great, I'd suggest the whole shoulder or my favorite, the pork collar:  http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/kurobuta-pork/specialty-items/kurobuta-pork-collar.html 

If if ribs are really your thing, these are expensive but literally the best ribs I've ever eaten:  http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/american-kobe-beef/ribs/american-kobe-short-ribs.html 

Thanks again for your feedback and write-up on the baby backs!  

DMW

Thanks for the write-up. I have a rack of SRF spares in the freezer I can't wait to cook. And like you said, even though the description tells you they are small and about 2lbs, when I got them I was surprised what a 2lb rack of spares actually looked like.

Mosca

I am glad I ordered the regular St Louis cut from SRF. They are also small, but certainly big enough. I wondered how much smaller the baby backs could be, and now I know.

JohnnyTarheel

Thanks for sharing...  

PASmoke

@SRFShane - Thanks for the comment. Quick questions on the pork collar: How does that differ from a shoulder as far as consistency, etc. How do you cook, serve it? Can it be pulled.....or is it too lean for that? Thanks in advance!