Can someone explain St. Louis cut ribs?

bicktrav

I've made St. Louis cut ribs several times, and every time I've wondered why anyone eats them. They always have tubes of white cartilage running through them, which makes for some pretty unappetizing bites. The other side of the rib (the side with the bone in it) is good, but it's only about two-three inches long; the remaining two-three inches is the fatty cartilage stuff. Basically half of each rib is kind of nasty on account of the cartilage. I always get mine from the same butcher. Is he cutting them wrong or something? 

lkapigian

What you are describing are whole Spare Ribs, cutting that plate section out gives you St Louis , the trimmed section gives you rib tips 

I buy whole and cut them down to st Louis, cheaper plus is gets you the rib tips which is also some great Q

bicktrav

lkapigian said:

What you are describing are whole Spate Ribs, cutting that plate section out gives you St Louis , the trimmed section gives you rib tips 

I buy whole and cut them down to st Louis, cheaper plus is gets you the rib tips which is also some great Q

So a proper St. Louis cut should have no tubes of cartilage at all? The butcher I go to calls these St. Louis cut. They are certainly not full spares because they are much too rectangular looking. Does that mean he's doing a bad job trimming?

lkapigian

lkapigian

bicktrav said:

lkapigian said:

What you are describing are whole Spate Ribs, cutting that plate section out gives you St Louis , the trimmed section gives you rib tips 

I buy whole and cut them down to st Louis, cheaper plus is gets you the rib tips which is also some great Q

So a proper St. Louis cut should have no tubes of cartilage at all? The butcher I go to calls these St. Louis cut. They are certainly not full spares because they are much too rectangular looking. Does that mean he's doing a bad job trimming?

Sounds like bad trimming 

bicktrav

lkapigian said:

bicktrav said:

lkapigian said:

What you are describing are whole Spate Ribs, cutting that plate section out gives you St Louis , the trimmed section gives you rib tips 

I buy whole and cut them down to st Louis, cheaper plus is gets you the rib tips which is also some great Q

So a proper St. Louis cut should have no tubes of cartilage at all? The butcher I go to calls these St. Louis cut. They are certainly not full spares because they are much too rectangular looking. Does that mean he's doing a bad job trimming?

Sounds like bad trimming 

Too bad. I like the butcher a lot, and he's got good meat, but definitely sounds like he is not trimming it right. Will have to get my spares elsewhere, I guess.

DoubleEgger

bicktrav said:

lkapigian said:

bicktrav said:

lkapigian said:

What you are describing are whole Spate Ribs, cutting that plate section out gives you St Louis , the trimmed section gives you rib tips 

I buy whole and cut them down to st Louis, cheaper plus is gets you the rib tips which is also some great Q

So a proper St. Louis cut should have no tubes of cartilage at all? The butcher I go to calls these St. Louis cut. They are certainly not full spares because they are much too rectangular looking. Does that mean he's doing a bad job trimming?

Sounds like bad trimming 

Too bad. I like the butcher a lot, and he's got good meat, but definitely sounds like he is not trimming it right. Will have to get my spares elsewhere, I guess.

Or just ask him to trim them as per the pic above. If he shows his butt about it, then find another butcher. Most butcher shops are very helpful. Service is why they still exist. 

lkapigian

Like @DoubleEgger says, just ask....but if so inclined , by whole and trim yourself , it really is quite easy once you've done a couple and you yeild a lot more meat for less $$$

DoubleEgger

Best ribs I’ve ever had were full spares. Rodney Scott is the man. 

dmourati

I did a post where I showed how i trimmed full spares into st louis style:

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1222573/trimming-st-louis-spareribs#latest

You can do it with a sharp knife and a little bit of know how. Takes maybe five minutes.

Calbbqer

Buying a St. Louis cut probably cost more than buying the slab of spares per pound and you’ll get less meat. 

Get the slab of spares, trim it yourself, and cook the rib tips for your mid cook snack. 

6baluts

@DoubleEgger
You got that right. Hit Scott’s and Sweatmans on my way back to Va Beach. Scott’s for the win.

bicktrav

dmourati said:

I did a post where I showed how i trimmed full spares into st louis style:

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1222573/trimming-st-louis-spareribs#latest

You can do it with a sharp knife and a little bit of know how. Takes maybe five minutes.

Thanks for the link. I'm definitely going to trim it myself next time. When you do it, how much cartilage ends up in the final ribs?

dmourati

Not much cartilage remaining when I trim the spares myself. Be careful your first time. It is a little weird working the knife in that fashion. I watched lots of Youtube videos.

SSQUAL612

The rib tips are also good to put in your baked beans.

JNDATHP

Great thread. Now I know why spare ribs should be trimmed. Thanks. 

thetrim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb9roj9CaxY

nolaegghead

I mean, the whole idea of st Louis cuts is less cartilage for people that are grossed out by eating carcasses. 

Mickey

am i the only one who likes the cartilage?  

lkapigian

Mickey said:

am i the only one who likes the cartilage?  

you and me,that and Gizzards @Mickey

Mickey

lkapigian said:

Mickey said:

am i the only one who likes the cartilage?  

you and me,that and Gizzards @Mickey

my wife hates to go to dinner with any of the above.... that and chicken legs

Eoin

lkapigian said:

The problem here is finding ribs that haven't been trimmed down to the bone on top. They don't leave any meat on the rib.

SmokeyPitt

When I buy them pre-trimmed St Louis ribs from somewhere like Costco, they usually still have some of the tubies in them. 

Picture from sucklebusters:


I have had mixed results. Some were mostly good meat and I have had some that were too much of the cartilage. My wife really doesn't care for them compared to loin back, so I usually do the loin back ribs.