Baby Backs vs St. Louis Cut — Help!

HendersonTRKing

I’ve never egged baby backs — only St. Louis — and could only find BB’s this morning, so I’m going with it. 

Anything I need to know?  They look smaller, so that suggests shorter cooking time. But they also look fattier, which suggests longer time for the fat to rend. Going with my method — just rub and let them run low and slow til the bend test tells me they’re done. Maybe a vinegar/apple juice spritz a few hours in. 

I don’t expect to screw this up too badly, but any tips or thoughts on how they behave differently will go to good use. 

@Biggreenpharmacist — I plan to use the strawberries rub and the mayhaw jelly for a glaze. Maybe the jalapeño jelly on one rack, but I’ve got family coming over and that’s a lot of new variables for a simple man to handle. 

msloan

Actually the baby’s are leaner than spares because they contain a portion of the loin along the top of them. 

They will cook cook faster and have less of doneness window.  But people love em so if you get em right you will be a hero.  

I typically cook ribs at 275. Therefore, for me, spares are usually done in the 4 hour range and baby’s usually are done in the 3 hour range.  If you are looking for fall of the bone then about 3:30.  That’s a couple of hours in the smoke and then wrap for 45-60 minutes and then glaze and back on 10 minutes.  

Good luck i hope hope it turns out great. 

lousubcap

Being lazy, I use the toothpick test for the win with any rib cook.  I find it quicker, simpler and quite accurate. Just insert a toothpick between the rib bones-little to no resistance (depending on how you want them finished) and you are there.  Easy to assess as the cook closes in on the finish.

I find BB's to generally cook faster than St Louis cut but running around 250-260 see about four+ hours for them. 

You've got this.  Trust the toothpick for the win

Biggreenpharmacist

Well how are they looking?

grussem

They only take about 2/3 the time of spares. I prefer spares over BB. The bend test is my go-to way for ribs.

dmourati

Isn't st louis is a style of how the ribs are cut, namely by removing the top and side to "square them up?"

grussem

@dmourati St. Louis is a cut, but it is a cut from the spares and not the baby backs.

HendersonTRKing

Biggreenpharmacist said:

Well how are they looking?

Will post separately.  They were unreal. 

WVsmokin

I"m kind of partial to baby backs.  been doing them for years.  First on a stick burner...weber smokey mountain..now my XL Egg.  225-235 degrees apple wood/peach/hickory, which ever I have a taste for. Pull off the membrane, apply my rub. Smoke for 2 hours or so till I get the color I want on the ribs, then I (don't shoot me) wrap them in foil.  Cook for another 3 hours or so till the meat is pulling back.  Take out of foil and slather with sauce for another 30 minutes or so.  All at 225 degrees.  Works for me.  

pgprescott