[quote=Cat Man;222550]I didnt see anything here on Danish vs domestic so I thought I'd chime in.
Danish hogs are about 100 lbs lighter than domestics (I won't even go into breeds) Cool.
Usually true, but depends on breed and wholesaler. We have a lot of boutique framers here and all sorts of different sizes. In fact, ribs are usually graded by weight of a full slab. For instance, "3 and down" refers to a full slab of spare ribs with a certain trim (chine off, tip on) 3 pounds or less.
Removing the membrane before cooking allows you to season both sides of the rib. It does not make any difference in "rendering," or the eventual fattiness or greasiness of the ribs. Removing the membrane makes for a rib that is much easier and neater to eat, as well as more tender. A lot of commercial sellers who work grills and smokers remove the membrane after smoking by grilling it off -- which it will do quite easily. If you're cookiing the rib "open pit," or just finishing on the grill, and as long as you're not serving "dry," there's no good reason to take the membrane before grilling. Nevertheless, my beginner's recipe includes instruction on taking it off. I think it's usually a good idea.
A slightly different aspect of trimming is the decision to remove the "skirt" from the back of spare ribs.
Sort of, sometimes and it depends, no and WTF? Your anatomy is wrong or at least confusing. In a pig, the first few front ribs of the spare rib primal were originally attached to the sternum (aka chest bone aka chine). The remaining ribs are attached to the backbone. Unlike in humans the back and chest ribs do not run towards one another. The back ribs start farther towards the tail of the animal and are attached to the spine at one end (duh); and, at the other end to one another by several strips of cartilage connected by muscle (the tips). All of the ribs, chest and back, are attached to one another by interstitial muscle (the rib meat). When a side is butchered, the back ribs are sawn in two where the loin ends and the belly begins. The chest and belly ribs come off as one "primal" cut, the spare ribs. The back ribs are considered a "sub primal" of the loin. The character of the meat is somewhat different. The loin ribs are more subtle, and the spares are heartier.
The term "rack" is ambiguous. It can either mean a full slab of ribs or a metal rack for holding several full or half slabs during cooking. You'd think food and cooking equipment wouldn't get confused. Because the term comes up so often in the same context they do. So, the term "slab" is more often used by pitmasters because it's clearer, while "rack" is used in restaurants. A "slab" or "full slab" is the entire run of ribs on one side, and the number depends on the breed of hog.
There is no particular pork cut for back ribs cut from the "prime" area of the loin comparable to the standing rib, prime rib, or "bone-in ribeye." I've never heard the term "ribloin." In beef, the rib and loin are entirely different primals, with the loin farther toward the tail.
As I said, back ribs aka loin ribs aka baby backs aka BBs, come from a different part of the pig than spare ribs aka spares. To "take" the back rib sub-primal, all of the back ribs are sawn from the spine, with the cut made just outside the spinal flanges, and a second saw cut separates the back ribs from the spares -- leaving a full slab of back ribs. The slab may then be left intact or portioned. When the back ribs are not taken as a slab of ribs, but left attached to the loin -- the loin is usually portioned into chops and sold as "bone-in loin chops."
"Spare ribs" may or may not be sold attached to the sternum aka the "chine." Spare ribs are also taken as the entire slab. Usually by cutting the sternum in half, and freeing the rib cage from the (inner) skin. The spare ribs taper down both in length and thickness from the front to the rear of the animal. If and when the slab of spares is portioned into half slabs -- the half slabs are respectively referred to as "large ends" and "small ends." They roughly correspond to the ribs which were attached to the sternum and the back. The small ends tend to be somewhat meatier than the large and are often sold at a slight price, premium. Since popularity of BBs exploded, it's become common restaurant and meat counter practice to refer to small ends as "most like baby backs." It makes sense because the small ends and the baby backs are really cut from the same rib bone; but in fact, small ends have a lot more in common with large ends than they do with BBs. Go figure.
"St. Louis" ribs refers to trimmed spare ribs and usually, but not always means, chine bone, "tips," "brisket" removed; and "flap" at least partially removed. The term "KC" can mean the same thing or something slightly different. Usage is both regional and idiosyncratic with butchers, vendors and competitors (who do their own trimming). Trust me and not Wiki on this.
Delving more deeply into trimming and terminology, the term "brisket" when referring to spare ribs means the small triangle of meat extending beyond the smallest rib and sometimes includes the smallest ribs (feather bones) if they're tangled (so called "feather bones.") It, like the flap, is removed because it cooks at a different rate than the rest of the rib, often finishing dry and tough without special handling. The tips are usually removed for competition and often for restaurant service because they're messy to eat and somewhat fatty. In my experience, most people like the tips attached.
It's true that BB rib bones are more slender than the bones in a slab of spares. Their bones also generally shorter and more curved. BBs tend to have more meat on the face of the slab, while spares carry most of their meat in the interstices and up towards and into the rib tips. Another difference is that spare ribs carry most of their fat on or near the tips, while BBs don't have tips and are much leaner, generally.
Not really. Different times, but not substantially different techniques for the various cuts.
To each their own. Personally I like both, but have a slight preference for spares. I think most experienced pitmasters feel the same, and would also agree that while BBs have some advantages over spares, taste is not one of them. From the mid-eighties until a few years ago, BBs were the best, and practically the only ribs for competition. About ten years ago, "St Louis" ribs began making a comeback, and are now the most popular comp choice (in the West, anyway). In barbecue classes, when comparing tip-on and tip-off spare ribs with baby backs. The majority of students prefer spares to BBs. The majority of those who prefer spares, prefer tip on.
This may be. "Marketing term" seems really likely. However, I can't find any reference to introduction of the term as either Danish or by the Danish meat industry in the North American market. I'd appreciate any information you have on this.