I remember why I don't buy Costco baby back ribs any more!

Eggcelsior

Focker said:

Back ribs are from mature pigs.
Baby backs are from piglets.

Irreguardless, I like my loin on the side.

How many side pieces at once? 

FearlessTheEggNoob

Turns out that I agree with the OP. Never gave it much thought before as to why costco ribs dont do it for me. I will have to try trimming them down in the future. 

Focker

RRP said:

Focker said:

This is where Costco baby backs come from.

LOL - stirring the pot tonight, huh, Brandon?

Always. 

JNDATHP

We like the ones from Walmart. Silver skin needs to be removed. 

Aviator

Someone mentioned it above, so got a couple of racks from Aldi's yesterday to try them out. They were cheap and looked good. 
Dinner tonight.

CanadianAnvil

Kcheves said:

KiterTodd said:

Costco pigs eat Costco food.  Big restaurant sized portions of diner rolls, cinnamon buns and 48 packs of cheap hot dogs (I know, feeding pork to pork is kind of creepy).  That's how they get so big!  

Costco hot dogs are Kosher all beef, no lips or sphincters.

Just beef lips and sphincter s

fishlessman

just buy the st louis cut, they just taste better than babybacks

WeberWho

I've had some problems with Hormel ribs. I've returned ribs twice in the last 6 months to the grocery store. They look good at the store until you start to trim them up. Huge fat pockets. (Not good fat) You could see through the ribs when done trimming. 

Have any of you been getting the extra bone between the rib bones? I can't tell you how many racks of Hormel has had this issue. I could hardly find two racks of ribs without the third bone stacked in between the rib bone. You can't cut between the rib bones as the third bone stacked above them gets in the way. I pointed this out to the meat manager at the grocery store as we were supposed to use their ribs for the rib competition they were hosting. I even had the meat manager whisper to me that the quality has gone down in the last year. I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking the same thing. I found the extra bones in a Sam's 3 pack the other day. Whatever happened to just basic baby backs? 

Dobie

I quit Hormel ribs a year ago for the same fat issues. 

KiterTodd

fishlessman said:

just buy the st louis cut, they just taste better than babybacks

I've never tried them. I always see them, I always consider it, but the tried and true baby backs always end up in the cart.
What is the difference? (other than size)

fishlessman

the st louis has more flavor, more fat marbling than the leaner,loiny bb. been finding smaller ones in the organic section. worth it to me to avoid the repackaged hormel ribs in the regular section

lousubcap

@KiterTodd - cut from a different part of the pig.  What follows is a link to a nerd's guide to protein:
http://swansonmeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Meat-Buyers-Guide.pdf  Pork starts at page 133.  

KiterTodd

I haven't stopped in Costco lately, so I forget the exact rib prices, but I know they're a great value.

I posted an Aldi's thread a couple weeks ago that I didn't like their brand of ribs (too salty) but I think they were about $10 a rack.  Afterwards, I went shopping and found two exact same packages of Smithfield ribs in two different markets for drastically different prices.

One at $9/lbs. and one at $4/lbs.   If I recall, I think Costco rib 3 packs are between $2.50 and $3/lbs.  Anyway, this amused me enough that I took a picture of a $30 rack of Smithfield ribs... 

bigbadben

Ok, in my years of eating Costco ribs I have noticed unevenness of the slabs making them harder to cook. My solution is pretty simple, I looks for the lightest cheapest package.  Those ribs are meaty, but even. 

HeavyG

KiterTodd said:

I haven't stopped in Costco lately, so I forget the exact rib prices, but I know they're a great value.

I posted an Aldi's thread a couple weeks ago that I didn't like their brand of ribs (too salty) but I think they were about $10 a rack.  Afterwards, I went shopping and found two exact same packages of Smithfield ribs in two different markets for drastically different prices.

One at $9/lbs. and one at $4/lbs.   If I recall, I think Costco rib 3 packs are between $2.50 and $3/lbs.  Anyway, this amused me enough that I took a picture of a $30 rack of Smithfield ribs... 

Not surprised by the Chevy Chase prices. Being one of the wealthiest areas in the US no too many folks there will bother driving around to find a deal.

Eggcelsior

KiterTodd said:

I haven't stopped in Costco lately, so I forget the exact rib prices, but I know they're a great value.

I posted an Aldi's thread a couple weeks ago that I didn't like their brand of ribs (too salty) but I think they were about $10 a rack.  Afterwards, I went shopping and found two exact same packages of Smithfield ribs in two different markets for drastically different prices.

One at $9/lbs. and one at $4/lbs.   If I recall, I think Costco rib 3 packs are between $2.50 and $3/lbs.  Anyway, this amused me enough that I took a picture of a $30 rack of Smithfield ribs... 

Costco had spares and loin back for 2.99/lb as of last week here in Frederick.

Florida Grillin Girl

I haven't been to Costco since RD opened here, so I can't comment. But I sure do hope your knee heals quickly, Judy. 

KiterTodd

HeavyG said:

Not surprised by the Chevy Chase prices. Being one of the wealthiest areas in the US no too many folks there will bother driving around to find a deal.

Having just shopped for ribs elsewhere, I was pretty shocked.  Anyone picking those up really doesn't know meat prices... or just doesn't care.  The things that I did buy in the store (beer, sandwich, chips, drink) were normal prices, though.

SoCal_Griller

Eggcelsior said:

SoCal_Griller said:

Costco ribs are back ribs, different than baby backs.  I think the back ribs are more forgiving than the baby backs.  My last two baby back cooks came out a little dry.

Back ribs are baby back, aka loin back. Ribs closest to the spine, under the loin. Spareribs are off of the side. Called baby back since they are smaller than spares.

So they must be a different cut then?  Back ribs definitely have more of the loin hence the thicker cut.  

Dobie

Today's overly meaty pig bones from Costco in progress

lousubcap

@SoCal_Griller - Here's a rerun of a post above.  More than you will need to know.

"@KiterTodd - cut from a different part of the pig.  What follows is a link to a nerd's guide to protein:
http://swansonmeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Meat-Buyers-Guide.pdf  Pork starts at page 133. " 

GregW

JNDATHP said:

We like the ones from Walmart. Silver skin needs to be removed. 

I've tried those. They are pretty good, but I've noticed the added solution that is in them gives the ribs a ham like flavor.

Have you ever noticed this?

KiterTodd

GregW said:

I've tried those. They are pretty good, but I've noticed the added solution that is in them gives the ribs a ham like flavor.

Have you ever noticed this?

That must have been what was in the Aldi's baby backs I posted about a couple weeks back.  I didn't like 'em.  Salty and when I opened the package the flesh had more of a gelatinous look than the normal flesh color.

Focker

KiterTodd said:

GregW said:

I've tried those. They are pretty good, but I've noticed the added solution that is in them gives the ribs a ham like flavor.

Have you ever noticed this?

That must have been what was in the Aldi's baby backs I posted about a couple weeks back.  I didn't like 'em.  Salty and when I opened the package the flesh had more of a gelatinous look than the normal flesh color.

Man, that sucks.
These spares were from Aldi, no issues.