Why cut spare ribs down to St. Louis?

[Pork Belly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSFdddaRnk

That's the second time I did that.

[jbauch357]

Yeah you were right, I meant bone suckin rub not sauce.

The mini loaf pan very well could work out better, but I always have empty beer cans on hand and they are free.  I open up one side of the can with a razor, fill with water, and then lay on its side pressed up against the fire box, a couple pounders usually last about 4-5hrs before boiling dry.

[Barrel99]

Brian, That's a clean looking spare in that video. I make St. Louis cuts and like the bigger trim pieces. I can't imagine wasting all those trimmings. That's a restaurant and he's talking 60+ spares a day. Thats a lot of waste.

[DivotMaker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSFdddaRnk

That's the second time I did that.

Posted somewhere else, maybe?  I didn't see a video link in the first post - that's why I asked.  Thanks Brian!

[Pork Belly]

No I just forgot to paste it, to big of a hurry.

[DivotMaker]

No problem, Brian!  Good vid - watched part 2 also.  I like the way he cuts the spares.  Never seen that technique, and just might have to try it!  Thanks for the share!

[jbauch357]

When he removed the breast bone he also removed the meat that was behind it, I figured it was a nice big thick hunk of meat so I left it on.  Same time I'm cooking for eating and not presenting, so maybe it won't matter in the long run? 

The rack I got was quite a bit too big to fit on a single rack of my #2 so I cut it in half before rubbing and dusting.  Ribs are now wrapped and resting in the fridge until morning. 

As an experiment I also have a webcam hooked up so I can monitor the auber temp and smoke production while I'm at work.

[Barrel99]

Josh, in reality you don't have to do anything. You can leave the silver skin on, like my friend, a championship pit master who puts on bbq sauce after they are cooked then puts them on a very hot grill that breaks the silver skin, and also you don't have to trim anything. It will still cook great and still be fantastic.

[SuperDave]

The last time I was in  a Winco supermarket they had the trimmed flaps packaged and selling separately.   

[Barrel99]

Never saw that before Dave.

[DivotMaker]

Josh, in reality you don't have to do anything. You can leave the silver skin on, like my friend, a championship pit master who puts on bbq sauce after they are cooked then puts them on a very hot grill that breaks the silver skin, and also you don't have to trim anything. It will still cook great and still be fantastic.

Your friend may be a championship pit master, but I couldn't disagree more about the membrane.  I've had ribs both ways, and the ribs that have the silver skin removed are far superior, both in tenderness and flavor.  Removing it is not hard, and I believe it to be a very important step in producing the best ribs.  If you leave the membrane on, you are essentially coating half the surface of your ribs in a impervious skin that will not let any flavoring into that side of the ribs!  Yes, it's the "bone side," but half of the meat is on that side, too. 

Championship BBQ procedures are not always the best procedures!  They are going for "one bite boldness" to impress judges.  They are not necessarily making BBQ that you would want to make a whole meal out of.  Take the 1 minute of time it takes to remove the membrane - your dinner guests will thank you!

[Barrel99]

I couldn't agree more. My point is you don't have to do anything to a spare. You can take it right out of the package and it will still taste great. What you learn on this forum steps it up. Most people I know when they serve ribs don't even know what silver skin is. They are your typical backyard bbqers that love ribs on the grill.

As far as a pit master is concerned, championship or not, when you are serving hundreds of racks a day whether at a competition, a carnival, or an outside festival, who has time for removing the silver skin. The ribs can and do taste terrific... albeit not as good as mine.

[1stlink]

"As an experiment I also have a webcam hooked up so I can monitor the auber temp and smoke production while I'm at work."

I just love this modern technology... 

[DivotMaker]

Most people I know when they serve ribs don't even know what silver skin is. They are your typical backyard bbqers that love ribs on the grill.

Exactly!  That was ME!  Most of the BBQ joints I grew up going to never removed it, and I didn't even know why I hated the "tough" part of the ribs, until I got into smoking them!  The first time I had "silver skin-removed" ribs, I was HOOKED!  I didn't know ribs could taste that good!  Also, once I learned the trick about removing it from the middle-out, I can de-skin 3 racks in about 1-2 minutes, so why not?  Now, if I were cooking a hundred racks a day?  Probably not...

[Barrel99]

Hey Tony,  that was me too. Yes, we do agree. Removing the silver skin is easy and mandatory once you try ribs without it. You never go back when you cook them yourself.

Because of the high volume of ribs required by the pros and the thousands of customers being served, it's just not feasible to remove it. So, the good pitmasters find ways to take the toughness out of the silver skin and still make the ribs taste great. My friend found a way to actually crisp it and crack it. His ribs are fantastic. Some of the best I have ever eaten...but not as good as mine...hee..hee..hee!