Not Sure Exactly What I've Got Here (Ribs)

JohnInCarolina · December 2013

I'm doing ribs today, and the recipe I'm trying calls for St. Louis cut spare ribs. These were actually hard to find, in part because I wasn't able to get over to Costco (it's a long story). I'd called around to a couple of places and was striking out - one place even told me they're not carrying them any more (commies!).

SWMBO suggested I try this place a little ways out in Carrboro, one we'd seen before - basically a mom and pop type meat market. I called and the lady on the phone checked and said they had them. So I went and asked the butcher for them, and he went out in the back and got some. I should have looked at them more closely when he first brought them out, because they seemed a little small to me. Here they are on the cutting board:

A couple months ago I did some ribs from Costco, again St. Louis cut. Here those are on the same cutting board (with some rub):

Hopefully the difference is clear. Any thoughts on this? Did the mom and pop place give me baby backs? Or were they simply trimmed differently (or perhaps just a smaller pig)?

thailandjohn · December 2013

Those are St Louis Ribs.....loin backs bones have a curve, St Louis have flat bones

JohnInCarolina · December 2013

thailandjohn said:

Those are St Louis Ribs

Thanks. How can you tell?

henapple · December 2013

One is just cut smaller. Buy spare ribs and trim your own. YouTube will walk you through. ..super easy.

JohnInCarolina · December 2013

henapple said:

One is just cut smaller. Buy spare ribs and trim your own. YouTube will walk you through. ..super easy.

Thanks - that had occurred to me as a possibility as well.

R2Egg2Q · December 2013

Mom & Pop gave you St. Louis spares. They look to have been trimmed a little closer to the bones than your Costco STL spares.
Here's a side by side pic of St. Louis (top) and baby backs (bottom): http://thehogblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Babybacks-and-Spares-640-01.jpg Baby backs should have a little strip of meat running down the middle of the rack perpendicular to the bones.

JohnInCarolina · December 2013

R2Egg2Q said:

Mom & Pop gave you St. Louis spares. They look to have been trimmed a little closer to the bones than your Costco STL spares.
Here's a side by side pic of St. Louis (top) and baby backs (bottom): http://thehogblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Babybacks-and-Spares-640-01.jpg Baby backs should have a little strip of meat running down the middle of the rack perpendicular to the bones.

Perfect - that's very clear. Thanks!

1cajuncook · December 2013

Smaller pig?

Not Sure Exactly What I've Got Here (Ribs)

Comments

Categories