# Ribs should not be falling off the bone tender. Correct? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713 "2013-04-03T08:43:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/81 "2013-04-07T01:56:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > FOne of my favorite signs, and I could swear I have a picture of it around somewhere, is this Polish deli by my house used to have what looked like Porky Pig with a big ol’ smile painted on the wall and his intestines uncoiling out of his body into sausages. Jesus Christ. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/82 "2013-04-07T04:23:42Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > ETA: [Found it.](http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/8162/delipigiv5.jpg) No fork, but a strange look of delight for someone watching his viscera leave his body as sausages. Ah, but there are no viscera there – everything visible is clearly a sausage. And they’re coming from higher up than where the guts are. I’d say he packed his lungs with whateverwurst and learned how to shoot them out from below the sternum. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/83 "2013-04-07T05:04:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > They’re from the blade end of the loin, close to the shoulder. I tend to think of them as more shoulder than ribs, but they’re right on the border. > > There’s a good diagram [midway on the page here](http://fcg-bbq.blogspot.com/2009/01/bbq-801-cuts-o-meat.html), just above the graphic of the pig cutting himself in half. They are the shoulder cut into strips with a band saw. Not a rib despite the name. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/84 "2013-04-07T14:25:17Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > They are the shoulder cut into strips with a band saw. Not a rib despite the name. Yeah, that’s what they’ve been described to me as, but I was finding it difficult to find a definitive link that said that, so I figured I’d be safe with the description and a link to a diagram. I don’t think of them as ribs, either. For example, read [the National Pork Board’s](http://www.porkbeinspired.com/Cut_Country-StyleRibs.aspx) definition/description: > [@](#): > > Country-style ribs are cut from the sirloin or rib end of the pork loin. The meatiest variety of ribs, country-style ribs are sold either as “slabs” or in individual servings. These pork ribs are perfect for those who want to use a knife and fork. At least around here, country style ribs don’t look like shoulder cut into strips. It looks a little bit leaner than shoulder, but not by much. In fact, they look like the pork version of boneless beef spare ribs. I’ve seen shoulder cut into steaks (not strips) by a bandsaw sold here as pork shoulder steak. But it seems to me country style ribs are slightly different than plain ol’ shoulder through a bandsaw. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/85 "2013-04-07T14:35:04Z")
Ah, well [here you go](http://ask-a-butcher.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/18/2943091-what-are-country-style-ribs). There’s two kinds of “country style ribs” they show there. One from the shoulder, and one from the rib end of the pork loin. But here’s where support for your definition comes in: > [@](#): > > In the mid to late 80’s, to keep up with the demand for “Country Style Ribs”, pork shoulder butts (Boston Butt) were split in two underneath the blade bone and cut into strips on the saw, some boneless, some bone in. These so called ‘ribs’ cut from the shoulder are 99% of the Country Style Ribs that you see today in the supermarkets and your large chain box stores (Sam’s, Costco, etc). They are by no means ‘ribs’, but a tasty cut for the grill. I brine mine and cook approx 275° indirect for 2 1/2-3 hours and they come out perfect every time. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/86 "2013-04-07T17:14:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ah, well [here you go](http://ask-a-butcher.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/18/2943091-what-are-country-style-ribs). There’s two kinds of “country style ribs” they show there. One from the shoulder, and one from the rib end of the pork loin. > > But here’s where support for your definition comes in: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/87 "2013-04-09T15:02:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Furthermore, spare ribs are often/usually trimmed. Here in Chicago, “rib tips” are a popular cut in our barbecue tradition. So what are “rib tips?” Well, imagine your own ribs. Going from the chest to the waist, there is a curve that goes out and back in. When you trim it St. Louis or Kansas style, you cut they curvy part straight across so you don’t have that harp-shape going on, but rather something approaching a rectangular slab. That part that you cut off? That’s the rib tips. We barbecue those, then cleaver them into little pieces, and usually toss them in sauce. They are very bony, but they’re my favorite when done right. There aren’t too many BBQ joints in Kansas City where you can’t get rib tips, either served separately or on the rib itself. Arthur Bryant’s has a rib tip sandwich, which is easily the worst thing on their menu (they soak it in a BBQ sauce that isn’t the house sauce - which is one of the more distinct sauces in the city). Oklahoma Joe’s has burnt ends only on Wednesdays, I believe. (Are burnt ends the same as rib tips?) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/88 "2013-04-09T15:19:46Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > (Are burnt ends the same as rib tips?) Nope. Burnt ends are usually the ends of the brisket that are trimmed off and subjected to more cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/89 "2013-04-09T15:20:16Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > (Are burnt ends the same as rib tips?) Maybe up north. Here in Texas, a burnt end is at the pointy end of a brisket. There’s more fat and connective tissue up there so it takes longer to cook, leading to a bit of charring. Done well, it’s about the tastiest piece of meat imaginable. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/90 "2013-04-09T15:24:24Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > There aren’t too many BBQ joints in Kansas City where you can’t get rib tips, either served separately or on the rib itself. Arthur Bryant’s has a rib tip sandwich, which is easily the worst thing on their menu (they soak it in a BBQ sauce that isn’t the house sauce - which is one of the more distinct sauces in the city). Oklahoma Joe’s has burnt ends only on Wednesdays, I believe. (Are burnt ends the same as rib tips?) Burnt ends are made from beef brisket. They are not the same as rib tips. (ETA: I’m way too slow.) Rib tips tend not to be a popular cut because they are bony and require a bit of work, but, along with spares and all-pork hot links (whose provenance is from the Mississippi Delta the best I could ascertain), they are the staples of the Chicago style of barbecue that came out of the Great Migration. I know I’ve seen “rib tips” with another name in the Southwest or California. I remember seeing them fresh at the grocery store and buying them to barbecue up later in the day, but I can’t remember for the life of me what the other name for them was. ETA2: I see they’re also called “riblets,” but I seem to recall another name for them, too. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/91 "2013-04-09T15:26:36Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Do you like your ribs “fall off the bone” tender? > > Or do you prefer tender, but not so tender it falls off the bone? As in, you can take a bite off of the rib and not have the whole thing fall apart right there in your hands. The correct is yes. Mmmmm…ribs. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/92 "2013-04-09T15:34:07Z")
Thanks - I knew I had those backwards. Puly - do you have a picture of ribs with the rib tip still attached? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/93 "2013-04-09T15:41:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Thanks - I knew I had those backwards. Puly - do you have a picture of ribs with the rib tip still attached? [Here you go](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5263/5788364231_7d56eafb54_z.jpg). If you buy the cryovacced ribs at Costco, they are usually full spares and have the tips still attached. ETA: [Here’s the process](http://www.meatwave.com/blog/how-to-trim-a-rack-of-spare-ribs-to-a-st-louis-style-cut) of trimming them down. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/94 "2013-04-09T15:55:44Z")
Yeah, that looks right. I’m not sure it’d be accurate to say that “KC style” would trim that off. Definitely St. Louis style though - makes for more even cooking over a grill. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/95 "2013-04-09T16:14:10Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Yeah, that looks right. I’m not sure it’d be accurate to say that “KC style” would trim that off. Definitely St. Louis style though - makes for more even cooking over a grill. Sorry, I should have used the word “cut” not “style,” as in “St. Louis cut” and “Kansas City cut.” I’ve never seen ribs labeled as “Kansas City cut” here, just “St. Louis.” Supposedly, the cut known as “Kansas City” is even more trimmed than the St. Louis cut. I’m not saying they eat it that way in St. Louis or Kansas City, but that’s the nomenclature. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/96 "2013-04-10T20:32:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Then all the talk of “falling off the bone tender” doesn’t make sense to me. Who serves ribs with the bones separate? Falling-off-the-bone tender is not the same as quick-release tender. It’s a very literal description. It’s what you get when you cook chicken in a crock pot for 8 hours. > > But, fine, I’ll take your meaning instead of mine. It doesn’t matter either way, as long as it’s tender enough not to hurt people’s teeth. I personally just prefer to not have any bones at all, however. I prefer my ribs so good they’ll melt in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/97 "2013-04-20T16:09:39Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Spare ribs are sounding pretty good for tomorrow. > [WSM](http://www.weber.com/explore/grills/smokers-series) + ribs + fruit tree wood + spring mid 60’s weather + light yardwork = pleasant lazy Sunday. I know I’m self-quoting but I wanted to follow up. I didn’t wind up cooking ribs as I’d posted about then (two weeks ago) but I did last weekend (even nicer weather than the previous Sunday) and thought I’d post some photos hopefully illustrating TBNFOTBT spares. Royal Oak lump charcoal with a chunk each of cherry and pecan. Total cook time was 5 hours at ~275, just a dry rub with no saucing, no turning, squirting, mopping or other fiddling. These were sold as ‘center cut’ spare ribs @$2.99/lb (jeeez…). [Four hours into the cook.](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/fourhoursin_zpsae4fc1ef.jpg.html) [Smoke ring](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/ribs1_zps1d8f2d69.jpg.html) [Note ‘flaky’ tenderness but retention to bone.](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/ribs2_zps457bf29f.jpg.html) Tomorrow is looking nice again, too. 🙂 I’ve got a couple smallish corned beef points from St Patrick’s Day sales that I need to use up. I might try to find some baby backs to compare with the spares last week. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/98 "2013-04-20T16:30:50Z")
Cool. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/99 "2013-04-20T17:16:56Z")
\*\* jnglmassiv\*\* – those look great. I’m getting hungry… ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713/100 "2013-04-23T02:52:33Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I know I’m self-quoting but I wanted to follow up. I didn’t wind up cooking ribs as I’d posted about then (two weeks ago) but I did last weekend (even nicer weather than the previous Sunday) and thought I’d post some photos hopefully illustrating TBNFOTBT spares. > > Royal Oak lump charcoal with a chunk each of cherry and pecan. > Total cook time was 5 hours at ~275, just a dry rub with no saucing, no turning, squirting, mopping or other fiddling. > These were sold as ‘center cut’ spare ribs @$2.99/lb (jeeez…). > [Four hours into the cook.](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/fourhoursin_zpsae4fc1ef.jpg.html) > [Smoke ring](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/ribs1_zps1d8f2d69.jpg.html) > [Note ‘flaky’ tenderness but retention to bone.](http://s136.photobucket.com/user/jnglmassiv/media/food/ribs2_zps457bf29f.jpg.html) > > Tomorrow is looking nice again, too. 🙂 > I’ve got a couple smallish corned beef points from St Patrick’s Day sales that I need to use up. I might try to find some baby backs to compare with the spares last week. You know, I’m only 150 or so miles away, if you’d let me know the next time you need help eating those. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ribs-should-not-be-falling-off-the-bone-tender-correct/654713.md?page=6)