Costco st Louis spareribs

[Troy]

You guys ever buy st  Louis spares from Costco?

I normally buy loin back ribs, but today the spares were a lot cheaper.

Got them home and started seasoning them, worst cut ever.

Half of each slab (6) is all flap and cartilage.

I'm pretty pissed, but it's for a party tonight and I don't have time to go back.

[LightningBoldtz]

Yeah,  I have not really cared for costco st louis style ribs.  They do not seem to do a good job with the cutting.

[1buckie]

Did they not have full ones?

Only takes 90 seconds to slash them down to St. Lou's & then you get tips as an added extra......

Maybe I'm just weird, but don't like people i don't know slashing at my meat.....

[Johnpv]

My experience is they make the outside 1 of the 3 look amazing, and then you get it home cut open the cryovac, and there's nothing to them.  Super thin, with hardly any meat on them.  I know some of the big competition folks push Costco and Sam's Club ribs,but I think they push the big not cut down ones.  Their cut down ones suck. 

[AcrossFromHoss]

To me back ribs taste like a pork chop on a bone  I prefer the extra fat and flavor of side ribs personally and here in Ontario Costco has restaurant quality butchering and find their cuts thicker than my options at the local super markets. Not sure if our store has better butchering or better meat itself but I've yet to buy a Costco rack I didn't like. Ill grab one this week and take pictures to see if their is a difference.  I dont even get shiners unless your picking up the last pack in the pile. There is going to be less meat on them than a back rib of course but not to the extent your mentioning. Hope you made the best of em Troy. 

[SixZeroFour]

To me back ribs taste like a pork chop on a bone  I prefer the extra fat and flavor of side ribs personally and here in Ontario Costco has restaurant quality butchering and find their cuts thicker than my options at the local super markets. Not sure if our store has better butchering or better meat itself but I've yet to buy a Costco rack I didn't like. Ill grab one this week and take pictures to see if their is a difference.  I dont even get shiners unless your picking up the last pack in the pile. There is going to be less meat on them than a back rib of course but not to the extent your mentioning. Hope you made the best of em Troy.

I have to second what AFH says - Costco is where I buy almost all of my meat and they always have very generously cut steaks etc. Oddly they don't sell back ribs at ours, only side ribs, and I'm the opposite of you and prefer backs

Every tenderloin steak I've ever posted up here came from good old Costco 

[AcrossFromHoss]

Im going to pick up a rack of backs and treat them with your rub to give them an honest shot. I've only cooked them twice to be fair. had them prepared for me a bunch but i need to get them on my kettle again. 

[Troy]

i researched it a bit. apparently there are 2 providers of st louis spares at costco - one is ok, the other terrible.
i got the terrible one.

also - they came out freaking terrible. worst ribs i've ever produced. I think they were about as bad as the very first ribs I did 10 years ago.
These slabs filled the grates of my smoker too much (3 slabs per 22" grate)

I think they limited airflow too much and produced a dead smoke zone. The temp probe was just below the grate and showed 280ish the whole time, but I don't think the top grate got over 200.
The bottom 3 slabs were better than the top 3. The top 3 had no caramelization.

Also - back ribs are plenty fatty, but the loin strip that runs along the top is leaner.