Since BBQ season is approaching, I figured I'd do a tutorial on butchering a set of pork spare ribs.
I'm doing 2 sets this time. One for my butcher, who gave me a SERIOUS hookup on some cowboy ribeyes, usda black angus, $4,88/lb. The other if for a gal who is thinkin about doing BBQ for her daughters graduation party. I told her to taste my ribs and see if she liked em...if she does, then i'll be doin ribs and pulled pork for 150 ppl.
anywhooo.....
here's the unbutchered ribs...front side
and the back side...notice the backstrap that you'll need to cut off.
close up of the backstrap that needs to be cut off.
the backstrap being cut off...season this like you do the ribs themselves. when smoking, this strap will be done in about 1.5 hours and is a great sampler for the chef or a guest that is dying to taste what they are smelling.
Now you need to cut the ribs at the first knuckle. You can use your fingers to feel where the joint is. Start your cut there. Continue this cut for 4 or 5 bones. From that point, you'll want to continue cutting in a straight line to create a geometrically symetrical rack of ribs. (if you follow the first knuckle all the way, you'll end up with a traingular shaped rack of ribs.) I usually stop about 3 bones short of the end of the tack, leaving me with 11 or 12 bones in my official rack of ribs
Here's the fully butchered spare rib.
TOP - the backstrap
MIDDLE - The official rack of ribs
BOTTOM - A hunk of bones and meat that I have yet to come up with a use for.
RIGHT - The pork version of brisket. Pork brisket. I chop this up and use it in baked beans or cut it into bite size pieces and let people sample it before we grub down on the real meal.
Here's that hunk of meat and bones that I don't know what to do with. It weighs about 5 lbs. I've cooked hundreds of racks of ribs and to my knowledge, this piece of flesh serves no edible purpose. It's tough to get meat off it and there's a ton of bone in it. I'll continue to throw it away until someone gives me a better use for it.
On the back side of the official rib rack is a membrane that needs to be pulled off. The method that works best for me is to use a butter knife to pry up the membrane and then use a napkin or paper towel to grab it and pull it. It's a slippery l'il sucker. Be careful not to pry too deep and pull up the sheath that holds the meat to the bone. If you do this, your bones wil fall out...before you even cook it. By pulling off this membrane, you will allow your dry rub to penetrate the meat while the ribs are resting overnight, and it will keep the ribs from "shriveling" and curling when you cook them. Plus it's very chewy.
Pull the membrane off and throw it away
The finished butchered product...backstrap, rack of spare ribs and a pork brisket.
Dry rub applied to both sides. Then wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnite.
Good luck and PM if you have questions about butchering or smoking.
I'm doing 2 sets this time. One for my butcher, who gave me a SERIOUS hookup on some cowboy ribeyes, usda black angus, $4,88/lb. The other if for a gal who is thinkin about doing BBQ for her daughters graduation party. I told her to taste my ribs and see if she liked em...if she does, then i'll be doin ribs and pulled pork for 150 ppl.
anywhooo.....
here's the unbutchered ribs...front side
and the back side...notice the backstrap that you'll need to cut off.
close up of the backstrap that needs to be cut off.
the backstrap being cut off...season this like you do the ribs themselves. when smoking, this strap will be done in about 1.5 hours and is a great sampler for the chef or a guest that is dying to taste what they are smelling.
Now you need to cut the ribs at the first knuckle. You can use your fingers to feel where the joint is. Start your cut there. Continue this cut for 4 or 5 bones. From that point, you'll want to continue cutting in a straight line to create a geometrically symetrical rack of ribs. (if you follow the first knuckle all the way, you'll end up with a traingular shaped rack of ribs.) I usually stop about 3 bones short of the end of the tack, leaving me with 11 or 12 bones in my official rack of ribs
Here's the fully butchered spare rib.
TOP - the backstrap
MIDDLE - The official rack of ribs
BOTTOM - A hunk of bones and meat that I have yet to come up with a use for.
RIGHT - The pork version of brisket. Pork brisket. I chop this up and use it in baked beans or cut it into bite size pieces and let people sample it before we grub down on the real meal.
Here's that hunk of meat and bones that I don't know what to do with. It weighs about 5 lbs. I've cooked hundreds of racks of ribs and to my knowledge, this piece of flesh serves no edible purpose. It's tough to get meat off it and there's a ton of bone in it. I'll continue to throw it away until someone gives me a better use for it.
On the back side of the official rib rack is a membrane that needs to be pulled off. The method that works best for me is to use a butter knife to pry up the membrane and then use a napkin or paper towel to grab it and pull it. It's a slippery l'il sucker. Be careful not to pry too deep and pull up the sheath that holds the meat to the bone. If you do this, your bones wil fall out...before you even cook it. By pulling off this membrane, you will allow your dry rub to penetrate the meat while the ribs are resting overnight, and it will keep the ribs from "shriveling" and curling when you cook them. Plus it's very chewy.
Pull the membrane off and throw it away
The finished butchered product...backstrap, rack of spare ribs and a pork brisket.
Dry rub applied to both sides. Then wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnite.
Good luck and PM if you have questions about butchering or smoking.
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