Go Back
+ servings
How to Trim Spare Ribs

How to Trim Spare Ribs

The BBQ Buddha
Depending on where you get your ribs you may need to trim them before you smoke them. Some butcher shops will do this for you if you ask. Other shops may sell them already trimmed up. If you find yourself with a full rack of spareribs, here is the best way to prepare them for smoking.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 full rack of spare ribs

Instructions
 

  • Remove the skirt: Flip the ribs so the bone side is facing up towards you. The skirt is a strip of meat the runs along the membrane line on the bone side. If you do not trim this piece, it will take longer for this end to cook as it is twice as thick. Take a knife and run it under the skirt to remove. You can save this for stock if you want to. Once you have trimmed the skirt ensure ribs are even and if not trim more until they are.
  • Remove the membrane: Keeping the bone side up towards you, find the membrane. The membrane is a white film over the bone section of the rack. This membrane is a waterproof film and keeps out flavor from the rub and smoke. Take a butter knife, lift up the membrane on the 3rd bone in, then take a paper towel and get a good grip on the membrane. Pull straight up and away from the rack of ribs.
  • Removing the rib tips: This is an area of meat above the ribs that contains cartilage and connective tissue. To find this area try to fold the ribs on to themselves lengthwise like closing a book. Ribs don’t bend but the rib tip section does and that is the part you want to cut off. It isn’t necessarily a straight line but remember if the section bends, it’s coming off. Just find that line separating the ribs from the rib tips and cut away until you have just the ribs remaining. Now you are ready to smoke the ribs.
Tried this recipe?Mention @the_bbq_buddha or tag #the_bbq_buddha!