Page 24 - Amazing Ribs - Book

ity of the meat is found between the bones versus babybacks, which have a large amount of meat resting on top of the bones. Spares are usually a bit less expensive than babies. A standard 3- to 4-pound slab can serve two people.
St. Louis Cut Ribs (a.k.a. SLC, Center Cut, Barbecue Cut, Kansas City Cut, Baby Spareribs)
Take a slab of spareribs, lop off the gristly rib tips, remove the loose bit of meat found on one side, and what remains is a flat rectangular slab called the St. Louis cut. We prefer to call it “center cut ribs.”
While the origins of the name are foggy, legend has it that it
is likely due to a butcher in St. Louis who popularized the cut. Some butchers even refer to this cut as “spareribs,” but because the tips have been removed, that is not accurate. If your butch- er doesn’t know what St. Louis cut means, get a new butcher
24