Post by BBQ Butcher on Mar 30, 2008 6:17:34 GMT -5
08/12/07
The Barbecue Butcher, by Steve Graves, #3
“What are the different types of Pork Ribs?”
There are several kinds of pork ribs available to consumers and, yes, they can be confusing. I'll list them here, but they are NOT in my order of preference, but just as I think of them.
1) Regular Spareribs, available by the single rack or in packages of 2 or 3. These will weigh approximately 3½-4 lbs per rack, plus or minus. The fat here is mostly on the exterior and in the brisket area. You can see it on both the front and the back. Most, about 90%, of the fat should melt/burn away while cooking. These are cut from the side/belly and will have the Brisket bone attached.
2) Domestic Loin Backs/Baby Backs, are also available by the rack or multiple pack. These will weigh 1½ lbs per rack, approx. They should not have any noticeable/visible fat at all. These are more expensive than your regular spareribs and take less time to cook. They are cut from the backside of the center cut Pork Loin.
3) St. Louis Style Spareribs are basically your Regular Spareribs with the brisket bone and flap meat removed. They will weigh in the general area of two pounds per rack. They may, or may NOT, have visible fat depending on the packer.
4) Imported Baby Back Ribs, mostly from Denmark (also Ireland and Argentina), are available by single rack or a 10 lb box. These will weigh around 3/4 lb per rack and are lots more expensive than the three mentioned above. There is NO fat and NO meat, as far as I'm concerned, just lots of bones. Some have a funky ‘off’ taste which is hard to cover up, even with barbecue sauce. Avoid these, if you can. That’s just my opinion, of course.
5) Country Style Spareribs are your most economical rib out there, although they are NOT really a rib, but just a hunk of pork with or without bones. Most times these are cut from the Pork Shoulder Boston Butt, sometimes from the Rib End of the Loin. In a future column, I’ll explain the different Country Style Ribs, their origin and how to cook them.
Some lesser Pork Ribs available in certain parts of the country are…
6) KC (Kansas City) Style Ribs are the same as the St. Louis Style Ribs, but are have about 4-6 less ribs in them.
7) Riblets are what’s left after Baby Backs and Regular Ribs have been cut down to a smaller size or to make them look better by the packer. These can be bone in or boneless.
8) Rib Tips are the Brisket bones cut off the Regular Ribs to make St. Louis and Kansas City Style Ribs. Small, meaty and very tasty.
“The other day I was asked about the availability of Philadelphia Cheese Steaks in our area, the origin and the contents. Well, unfortunately Lee County fares poorly as far as Philly Cheese Steaks...although there are a lot of so-called "replica's". I suggested that you make your own at home.”
Direct From Pat's in Philly.....
The Original Pat's King of Steaks® Philadelphia Cheese Steak recipe
For all the people who can not get to South Philadelphia to get the Original.
Here is the recipe for you home chefs.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
24oz thin sliced Rib Eye (partially freeze first, it’s easier to slice)
6 table spoons of Soy bean oil
Cheese (we recommend Cheez Whiz®) but American or Provolone works fine
4 crusty Italian Rolls*
1 large Spanish onion
Optional:
Sweet green and red peppers sautéed in oil
Mushrooms sautéed in oil
Assembly:
Heat an iron skillet or a non stick pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and sauté the onions to desired doneness. Remove the onions and add the remaining oil and sauté the slices of meat quickly on both sides.
Melt the Cheez Whiz® in a double boiler or in the microwave.
Place 6oz. of the meat into the rolls, add onions, and pour the Cheez Whiz® over the top.
Garnish with hot or fried sweet peppers, mushrooms or ketchup
Put on the theme song to the first Rocky movie and enjoy!
*Amoroso's Baking Company is a Philadelphia based family-owned company that specializes in hearth baked breads and rolls. Over the years the Amoroso sandwich roll has become synonymous with those Philadelphia culinary institutions, the Hoagie and the Cheese Steak.
Locally, (again, just my opinion) the closest you can get to a "Philly Style" roll for the Cheese Steak can be found at the European-American Bakery on Metro Pkwy. Just ask for their 8" or 12" 'Sub' roll.
“What is the difference between Black Forest Ham, Virginia Ham and Tavern Ham? I've tasted all of them and they taste the same. So is there really any difference in their preparation? Just curious.”
Technically, Black Forest Ham is supposed to be a smoked ham from the Black Forest of Germany. It was rubbed with spices, covered with beef blood and then smoked over a fir type wood. Virginia Ham was from the Commonwealth of Virginia...honey coated and dry cured. Tavern Ham was typically, well...a ham that each tavern or small roadhouse would smoke in their backyard, most times using just hickory wood.
HOWEVER, in this day and age of modernization, your deli provision companies, i.e. BoarsHead, Thumann's, Dietz & Watson, etc, etc, just use a plain old boneless brine cured ham and apply different glazes to the outside. Some may or not be baked and some may use different spices in their brine solution or methods. So, yes, in essence, it’s a possibility that those three hams you tasted may all taste alike.
Some of your supermarket chains will also provide variations to the different hams. For example, a few years ago a local supermarket chain’s deli would take an 11 pound canned Danish boiled ham, score the top, stud it with cloves, drop it in the deep fryer for about 10 minutes and sell it as Virginia ‘Style’ Ham for $2.99 a pound.
There are some subtle differences in some of the hams, like the water percetnages and curing methods, but for all intents and purposes.....a deli style ham is a deli style ham. Cheaper priced hams will typically have more water added to them. Also, less flavor.
The Barbecue Butcher, by Steve Graves, #3
“What are the different types of Pork Ribs?”
There are several kinds of pork ribs available to consumers and, yes, they can be confusing. I'll list them here, but they are NOT in my order of preference, but just as I think of them.
1) Regular Spareribs, available by the single rack or in packages of 2 or 3. These will weigh approximately 3½-4 lbs per rack, plus or minus. The fat here is mostly on the exterior and in the brisket area. You can see it on both the front and the back. Most, about 90%, of the fat should melt/burn away while cooking. These are cut from the side/belly and will have the Brisket bone attached.
2) Domestic Loin Backs/Baby Backs, are also available by the rack or multiple pack. These will weigh 1½ lbs per rack, approx. They should not have any noticeable/visible fat at all. These are more expensive than your regular spareribs and take less time to cook. They are cut from the backside of the center cut Pork Loin.
3) St. Louis Style Spareribs are basically your Regular Spareribs with the brisket bone and flap meat removed. They will weigh in the general area of two pounds per rack. They may, or may NOT, have visible fat depending on the packer.
4) Imported Baby Back Ribs, mostly from Denmark (also Ireland and Argentina), are available by single rack or a 10 lb box. These will weigh around 3/4 lb per rack and are lots more expensive than the three mentioned above. There is NO fat and NO meat, as far as I'm concerned, just lots of bones. Some have a funky ‘off’ taste which is hard to cover up, even with barbecue sauce. Avoid these, if you can. That’s just my opinion, of course.
5) Country Style Spareribs are your most economical rib out there, although they are NOT really a rib, but just a hunk of pork with or without bones. Most times these are cut from the Pork Shoulder Boston Butt, sometimes from the Rib End of the Loin. In a future column, I’ll explain the different Country Style Ribs, their origin and how to cook them.
Some lesser Pork Ribs available in certain parts of the country are…
6) KC (Kansas City) Style Ribs are the same as the St. Louis Style Ribs, but are have about 4-6 less ribs in them.
7) Riblets are what’s left after Baby Backs and Regular Ribs have been cut down to a smaller size or to make them look better by the packer. These can be bone in or boneless.
8) Rib Tips are the Brisket bones cut off the Regular Ribs to make St. Louis and Kansas City Style Ribs. Small, meaty and very tasty.
“The other day I was asked about the availability of Philadelphia Cheese Steaks in our area, the origin and the contents. Well, unfortunately Lee County fares poorly as far as Philly Cheese Steaks...although there are a lot of so-called "replica's". I suggested that you make your own at home.”
Direct From Pat's in Philly.....
The Original Pat's King of Steaks® Philadelphia Cheese Steak recipe
For all the people who can not get to South Philadelphia to get the Original.
Here is the recipe for you home chefs.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
24oz thin sliced Rib Eye (partially freeze first, it’s easier to slice)
6 table spoons of Soy bean oil
Cheese (we recommend Cheez Whiz®) but American or Provolone works fine
4 crusty Italian Rolls*
1 large Spanish onion
Optional:
Sweet green and red peppers sautéed in oil
Mushrooms sautéed in oil
Assembly:
Heat an iron skillet or a non stick pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and sauté the onions to desired doneness. Remove the onions and add the remaining oil and sauté the slices of meat quickly on both sides.
Melt the Cheez Whiz® in a double boiler or in the microwave.
Place 6oz. of the meat into the rolls, add onions, and pour the Cheez Whiz® over the top.
Garnish with hot or fried sweet peppers, mushrooms or ketchup
Put on the theme song to the first Rocky movie and enjoy!
*Amoroso's Baking Company is a Philadelphia based family-owned company that specializes in hearth baked breads and rolls. Over the years the Amoroso sandwich roll has become synonymous with those Philadelphia culinary institutions, the Hoagie and the Cheese Steak.
Locally, (again, just my opinion) the closest you can get to a "Philly Style" roll for the Cheese Steak can be found at the European-American Bakery on Metro Pkwy. Just ask for their 8" or 12" 'Sub' roll.
“What is the difference between Black Forest Ham, Virginia Ham and Tavern Ham? I've tasted all of them and they taste the same. So is there really any difference in their preparation? Just curious.”
Technically, Black Forest Ham is supposed to be a smoked ham from the Black Forest of Germany. It was rubbed with spices, covered with beef blood and then smoked over a fir type wood. Virginia Ham was from the Commonwealth of Virginia...honey coated and dry cured. Tavern Ham was typically, well...a ham that each tavern or small roadhouse would smoke in their backyard, most times using just hickory wood.
HOWEVER, in this day and age of modernization, your deli provision companies, i.e. BoarsHead, Thumann's, Dietz & Watson, etc, etc, just use a plain old boneless brine cured ham and apply different glazes to the outside. Some may or not be baked and some may use different spices in their brine solution or methods. So, yes, in essence, it’s a possibility that those three hams you tasted may all taste alike.
Some of your supermarket chains will also provide variations to the different hams. For example, a few years ago a local supermarket chain’s deli would take an 11 pound canned Danish boiled ham, score the top, stud it with cloves, drop it in the deep fryer for about 10 minutes and sell it as Virginia ‘Style’ Ham for $2.99 a pound.
There are some subtle differences in some of the hams, like the water percetnages and curing methods, but for all intents and purposes.....a deli style ham is a deli style ham. Cheaper priced hams will typically have more water added to them. Also, less flavor.