Where do you get ribs from?

[Shadowdog500]

Where do you get good ribs?

For big cooks I always get cases of spare ribs from Sam’s wholesale and besides the silver skin they are always trimmed well and ready to go in the smoker without much prep. In addition they aren’t injected with solution.

For home I would usually pickup a couple ribs from the supermarket, but since this spring it is slim pickings and the ribs I have bought looks like they were trimmed in house and they weren’t trimmed well and had tons of fat.

Today I tried Smithfield St. Louis cut from Walmart, and they weren’t trimmed that well and had extra meat flaps that I never saw come on a rib before and were loaded with fat. If you saw the meat and fat I had to trim you would think I was trimming a brisket. On top of that they had a solution which I never like. I cooked them at 225°f to toothpick tender (about 5 hours) ,which has been my go to method for decades, and even though they were tender and Smokey the brine gave it a slightly mushy bite that I really don’t like.

Looks like Sam’s is the only place I will buy ribs for a while.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I hate enhanced pork. Unfortunately, sometimes it's all I can get.

 

[kevinstaggs]

Where do you get good ribs?
...
Today I tried Smithfield St. Louis cut from Walmart, and they weren’t trimmed that well and had extra meat flaps that I never saw come on a rib before and were loaded with fat. ...

I'm not sure where Wally World gets their butchers from, but I'm pretty familiar with the anatomy and standard processing of beef and I see things from them that is new to me. And that hamburger meat...

I think they source their pork from third parties for the most part, but it looks like they require them to meet the Wally World standard, or is that sub-standard?

Thankfully I get most of mine from a pretty responsible supplier... me.

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

I used to buy mine from Gordon Food Service. They were in the fresh meat section, and always very consistent. Lately, they have been in the frozen area and very inconsistent. I'm not sure if this a temporary Covid move, or if they are no longer carrying them in the fresh area.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I have cooked a bunch of Smithfield Extra Meaty ribs over time and I have really grown to hate them.

 

[ronbrad62]

The Smithfield ET's were my usual go-to, but since the Covid shortages were resupplied, I agree that the trimming job from the processor is horrible. I haven't used Sam's Club ribs in quite a while, but I will give them a go soon

 

[Texan Displaced]

Costco. Swift brand. No silver skin.

 

[Shadowdog500]

The Smithfield ET's were my usual go-to, but since the Covid shortages were resupplied, I agree that the trimming job from the processor is horrible. I haven't used Sam's Club ribs in quite a while, but I will give them a go soon

I haven’t been in Sam’s since covid started. Hopefully covid hasn’t affected their ribs.

 

[gtsum]

Duroc sores from creekstone. Night and day difference from what I get at grocery stores or Costco


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[thirdeye]

Well, Sam's doesn't have control over the producer, and the two-pack of spares was better in the past than now. Frankly, I look for single cryo-packed ribs and will buy a full slab if I don't like the looks of the the STL racks because cutting them down is easy. Here is a recent example, left is fresh out of the cryo SLT rack. Right is after some trimming.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Well, Sam's doesn't have control over the producer, and the two-pack of spares was better in the past than now. Frankly, I look for single cryo-packed ribs and will buy a full slab if I don't like the looks of the the STL racks because cutting them down is easy. Here is a recent example, left is fresh out of the cryo SLT rack. Right is after some trimming.

That stinks! I’ll probably stay away from ribs until this is all over.

 

[Callahan-que]

I stay away from Smithfield. I hate enchanced pork it gives them a hammy taste.

 

[Curt.P]

I stopped buying Smithfield in 2013 when they sold out to the Chinese.

I've been buying my ribs from Creekstone.

 

[Greygoose]

BJ’s,,,Prairie Fresh when I can get them

 

[omphacite]

Costco. Swift brand. No silver skin.

Just smoke a three pack this past weekend from Costco. Baby backs with loin meat. They were better than the local grocery stores "butchering" and priced right.

 

[jzadski]

I used to do Sam's because they carried IBP. Now not so much due to some no name branding and 1 good rack out of a 3 pack. Our local Meijer carries IBP a lot but, some other no name too. I am done with the no name. Had BB Backs take 8 hours until tender. Like the wife said, something just doesn't seem right.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I used to do Sam's because they carried IBP. Now not so much due to some no name branding and 1 good rack out of a 3 pack. Our local Meijer carries IBP a lot but, some other no name too. I am done with the no name. Had BB Backs take 8 hours until tender. Like the wife said, something just doesn't seem right.

A few weeks ago I had the same thing happen with ribs taking over 7 hours to become tender and that was from a local butcher.

I’m going to see who has IBP in my area.

 

[smoke ninja]

I've always had good like with ribs from Meijer. the full spares come trimmed of the breast bone and can be had for $2-2.50 lbs. they come in single racks so I can pick through the ones I want, plenty of meat, never had a shiner.

 

[mph33]

you gotta be desperate for pork if you buy smithfield. seriously....

 

[bryonlr]

I've had good luck all summer with Kroger brand baby backs, consistently meaty and tender, and cheap.