Need Your Help With Full Spare Ribs

1voyager

I'm asking about full, untrimmed Spare Ribs, not ribs trimmed to St. Louis. Most search results return things like "how to trim spare ribs" but not how to smoke full spare ribs.

I tried a slab of full spare ribs last weekend and the result was so-so. It was my first try, so I used my tried-and-true 3/1.5/0.5 @ 250 degrees technique as used for St. Louis. 

Perhaps a better technique would be 250 degrees for 4-5 hours, spritz on the hour and no crutch?

What technique do you use?

lousubcap

I almost always trim to St Louis.  On the very rare time I go full spares, I do remove the flap meat and then, being lazy (with all rib cooks), I run nekked for the duration rotating the rack front to back depending on the thickness etc.  I run around 250-280*F (wherever the LBGE settles) and trust the toothpick for the finish.  FWIW-

JohnInCarolina

It would help to know what you found to be "so so" by your first attempt.  Were they overdone, underdone, too tough, too dry, etc?  

fishlessman

havent done them like that for about 20 years, it was 220/225 for 6 or 7 hours. its easier to cut them into st louis and cook the parts separately, the flap coos pretty quickly, the big end is full of cartilage and thats something i snack on next day with the dog.  im with frank being lazy, i buy them precut now and the supermarket i go to no longer sells the whole thing. still need to remove that flap

1voyager

Good idea, @JohnInCarolina.

The traditional St. Louis area was fine. Nice tug, never falling off the bone.

The additional untrimmed area was tough. 

Also, I should have mentioned that I added 1/2 cup of Blues Hog Tennessee Red for the crutch. 

fishlessman

1voyager said:

Good idea, @JohnInCarolina.

The traditional St. Louis area was fine. Nice tug, never falling off the bone.

The additional untrimmed area was tough. 

Also, I should have mentioned that I added 1/2 cup of Blues Hog Tennessee Red for the crutch. 

 that untrimmed area is better eaten cold the next day

Photo Egg

1voyager said:

Good idea, @JohnInCarolina.

The traditional St. Louis area was fine. Nice tug, never falling off the bone.

The additional untrimmed area was tough. 

Also, I should have mentioned that I added 1/2 cup of Blues Hog Tennessee Red for the crutch. 

Sounds like the thicker, untrimmed area, was just a little undercooked.
It’s harder to get the whole slab correct at the same time because of the difference in thickness. I’m in the trim boat here as well. I will trim the full rack spare ribs and nibble on the flap meat as the ribs cook. The thicker section of trimmed ribs I will wrap in foil and let them braise or dwell naked an extra hour while we eat dinner. They are great the next day. Mostly pull the meat and make tacos, quesadillas or nachos. 

caliking

I'm in the lazy camp. 

Trim the flap meat (chef's treat, save for stir fry, pasta sauce, etc). Place with the thick end towards the hinge. Run 250-275 ish. No crutch. Toothpick test to figure out when its done. 

Untrimmed calls for a bit more effort to cut, when ready to eat. But, I don't mind it. Those are good bits. Also, the price difference between untrimmed spares and STL cut is significant around here. 

1voyager

Price delta is significant here, too.

I'll revert to the lazy camp. 

Great inputs, everyone.

Thank-you.

dstearn

I usually cook Creekstone Duroc St Louis but a few weeks ago I bought a full slab as my local store did not have the St Louis cut.

I trimmed the full slab and smoked the flap and rib tips separately.

Oak Ridge Rib rub is now my new favorite.

225 for the first 2 hours and then spritz with 1/2 cider vinegar and water.

When the ribs are probe tender usually around the 6 hour mark I glaze the ribs and raise the temp to 250 for 20 minutes.