Knowing how to cut your own spare ribs is a good skill to have for many styles of cooking.Not to mention, cutting your own ribs saves money as pre-cut ribs are more expensive.The spare ribs are a cut of meat for pork.The short ribs are for beef.
Step 1: You should wash your hands.
It is important to wash your hands before handling food.When you switch between handling raw meat and other types of food, you should wash your hands.Proper hand washing involves lathering the soap on the palms and back of the hands as well as under finger nails and between fingers for at least 20 seconds.
Step 2: If you want to cut ribs, use a breaking knife.
These knives have either a straight or granton edge..A straight edge knife is smooth on the cutting side as opposed to a serrated edge that has large grooves.There is a row of scallops on each side of the granton edge.
Step 3: A cutting board is needed.
You can choose between wood or plastic.Both plastic and metal are safe to use for cutting meat.
Step 4: For 30 minutes per pound, thaw the meat in 40 F.
Place the ribs in a sealable plastic bag and then into a sink filled with cold water.The barrier between the cold and warm water needs to be broken occasionally.If you want to thaw the ribs, place them in a refrigerator.It will take 1 day to thaw for every 4 lbs.Make sure to put the ribs in a large container that is large enough to catch drips.
Step 5: The main parts of the rack are ribs.
The pork rib section is what you want to end with.There are parts that need to be removed from the ribs.There is a flap of meat on the back of the rack.There are rib tips on the rack.There is a large piece of meat at the far end of the ribs.The rib cage is attached to the breastbone.
Step 6: The skirt needs to be removed.
The last bone on the back of the rack is attached to a flap of meat at the narrow end.There is more bone exposed in the back.To get as close to the last bone as possible, make a cut parallel to it.Cut along the entire piece of meat until it is completely separated from the rack.
Step 7: The point should be cut away.
Next to the last rib bone is a triangular section.It narrows as it gets further away from the last bone.The ribs need to be isolated in order to remove this.The overall flavor of the ribs will be affected if this piece is left attached.You can save this piece of meat for another dish by freezing it or keeping it in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days before cooking.
Step 8: Take off the chest part.
The spare rib slab has a thick part called the sternum.The longest rib can be found at the end of the rack.There is a soft spot at the bottom of the rib.Cut through the soft spot on the bone.If you repeat this step for each rib, the soft spot will be cut through completely.You can save this piece of meat and preserve it like the skirt meat.This will make sure the whole sternum is cut away.
Step 9: Pull off the part of the body that protects it from the elements.
Start at the corner of the ribcage with a knife.You need to cut between the bone and the membrane to get a piece of it.Pull the membrane upwards and away from the ribs using a paper towel or other fabric.The "fell" is also known as the membrane.
Step 10: You can use a knife to cut fat.
There will be pockets of fat exposed once the membrane is removed.These pockets should be removed.Fat can be found on the other side of the ribs.There are pockets of fat that are hanging off of the rib cage.
Step 11: The rib cage should be separated from the hind quarter.
There is space between the 12th and 13th ribs.The 13th rib should be removed from the rest of the ribcage.You can use the 13th rib for other purposes.
Step 12: The 4th quarter should be split into 2 parts.
There is space between the 4th and 5th ribs.Cut between the ribs and discard them.You are left with ribs 5 through 12.The ribs that are most viable for spareribs are left with this step.
Step 13: The ribeye steaks need to be removed from the rib cage.
There is a piece of meat at the top of the ribcage.There is a side of the rib cage where you can see the eye.The eye will look like a piece of meat surrounded by fat.Cut through the entire rib cage using this as a marker.
Step 14: The navel is separated from the cartilage.
The ribs end at the bottom of the ribcage.The rib bones are separated from the large piece of meat at the bottom by the cartilage.
Step 15: Cut ribs into strips.
Make a cut from the top of the ribs down to the bones.All ribs have to be cut into sections.The traditional measurement for the length of spare ribs is 4 strips.Depending on your preference, you can cut them into 3 in strips or smaller.
Step 16: There are split ribs from 5 through 8.
Make a complete cut between ribs 8 and 9 with your knife.Don't cut too close to the rib and leave some muscle on either end of the cut.There is too much fat in these ribs to be used for short ribs.You can save these ribs for ground beef or sausage.
Step 17: Cut between the bones of the ribs.
Make sure you don't cut too close to the rib by leaving meat on both sides of the bone.It's called English cut short ribs.Instead of cutting between the bones, flanken should use 3 in cuts through all of the ribs.Each cut of meat has several pieces of bone.