Spare ribs and Sunday gravy question

[chowhound]

I picked up some full sized spare ribs, not babyback and not St Louis cut like I usually get. Typically I don't like messing with that lateral section that I can't remember the name of... This time however, I'd like to trim them St Louis style and was thinking of throwing that riblet thing on the grill or smoker at the same time, cooking it up and saving it for future use. Then I'd like to add it to a Sunday gravy for both the flavor and the meat.
The question: Should I remove the meat from the bone before putting it into the Sunday gravy to cook with my tomato sauce, or throw the whole thing in and.... I don't know, what? Fish it back out in a couple hours or so and then shred it off the bone? Will the meat just automatically fall off the bones if I cook it long enough?
I know I want to use it, I just don't know how. Does anyone here have any experience with what I'm thinking of?

 

[Love2"Q"]

cant help about the sunday gravy .. but i cook the riblet part
with the ribs .. i have never gotten it to be fall apart tender ..
i may not be cooking it long enough ..

 

[Keltin]

Trimming to St. Louis Style is fairly easy. I do it all the time. In case you haven’t done it, here is a great video on it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_MGM_RRTUQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_MGM_RRTUQ[/ame]

So you plan to smoke the brisket and tip and reserve it for Sunday gravy? How long will you cook that gravy?

I’ve often smoked the brisket and tip along with the St. Louis ribs and then frozen them. I use them in beans a lot, and I just throw them in whole. After they simmer for a few hours, you can easily fish the bones out with a slotted spoon. Usually it comes out in big chunks that you’ll have to let cool, then use your fingers to de-bone all the meat and then add the meat back to the spot. It’s fairly easy to do and works well.

 

[BamsBBQ]

i rub them down, cook them with the ribs...sauce them...

when i go to cook with them, i do them one of two ways... i make a stock of sorts with the bones and cuts.... but more times than not, i throw the whole things in, if you cook them slow, most of the meat will fall off or will be very easy to seperate..

 

[QSis]

Will the meat just automatically fall off the bones if I cook it long enough?

Hi Chow!

The answers to your questions are:

Yes, leave the rib trimmings on the bone when you add them to your sauce (I just can't call tomato sauce "gravy").

Yes, the meat will fall off the bone when you cook your sauce as long as you should.

One thing though - if you smoke the trimmings, they will add a VERY different flavor to your sauce. As much as I love BBQ, I don't care for smoky flavor in my spaghetti sauce or chili.

Lee

 

[chowhound]

Thanks. I'm going to throw them in whole then. Obviously that's the easy way to do it, and if the meat tenderizes enough to fall off, great.
I was figuring the meaty bones would add flavor, too, that's why I was leaning towards throwing the whole rinlet in, but I didn't want to create too much work if I had to separate it out and pick it apart.

 

[chowhound]

Thank you Lee. I love that smoky taste in chili and am looking forward to seeing what it's like in red gravy.... I mean spaghetti sauce (lol).
I'll give letting the meat fall off the bone (within reason) a shot.

 

[Love2"Q"]

Thank you Lee. I love that smoky taste in chili and am looking forward to seeing what it's like in red gravy.... I mean spaghetti sauce (lol).
I'll give letting the meat fall off the bone (within reason) a shot.

love to use left over smoked meat in my chili ...

 

[QSis]

Thank you Lee. I love that smoky taste in chili and am looking forward to seeing what it's like in red gravy.... I mean spaghetti sauce (lol).

Okay. Please post your what you thought of the result, Fred.

Lee

 

[VeraBlue]

I've added pork to sunday gravy forever...but I don't cook it first. Bottom of the pot I have olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Just as you start to smell the garlic, add the meat, bones and all, and brown on all sides. (I use neck bones, ribs, chops...anything) Once brown, add whatever type of tomatoes you prefer. The meat will eventually fall off the bone. No one in an italian household ever complained about getting a bone, which is big enough to always see, on their plate. We don't shred the meat, either. Leave it in big chunks.

 

[High Cheese]

(I just can't call tomato sauce "gravy")

Chow, the recipe you are making is called Ragu. Ragu is basically a meat sauce with some tomato. It will come out more chili-like using smoked pork espescially if you use a rub. Been there, done that.

I would trim off the cartilage and crap like the video shows, then add maybe 2-bone sections to the ragu and simmer untill fall off the bone. You definately don't want those little bits of bone and cartilage from the rib tips in your sauce.

 

[chowhound]

Chow, the recipe you are making is called Ragu. Ragu is basically a meat sauce with some tomato. It will come out more chili-like using smoked pork espescially if you use a rub. Been there, done that.

I would trim off the cartilage and crap like the video shows, then add maybe 2-bone sections to the ragu and simmer untill fall off the bone. You definately don't want those little bits of bone and cartilage from the rib tips in your sauce.

True, but I'm trying to find a way to use those up.
I wonder if I can set a strainer or colander in the sauce with the rib tips in it... kind of cook them in the sauce, but separately. Then it would be an easy matter to make sure I don't get any bones.

 

[High Cheese]

True, but I'm trying to find a way to use those up.
I wonder if I can set a strainer or colander in the sauce with the rib tips in it... kind of cook them in the sauce, but separately. Then it would be an easy matter to make sure I don't get any bones.

If you're going to dedicate the whole batch of ragu to one pot you could do this: Trim the rack to St. Louis style, brown the rib tips in a pot before you add your mire poix, remove, then tediously remove the meat from the rib tips and add back to the pot. Smoke the ribs (or do whatever with the actual ribs) then add to the sauce.

Or, use the rib tips to make a stock. That would actually add even more flavor. Strain the stock of the rib tops and aromatics. Then add that to your ragu.