Learning what to do with spare rib skirt can save you from wasting unusable meat, which you get after preparing the rack for the grill.
Thankfully, you no longer need to waste it because it is possible to learn how to capitalize on that and get some complimentary dishes ready quickly.
Depending on what other ingredients you have with you, you can use spare rib trimmings in so many ways.
You can use a spare rib skirt or trimmings to make sausages, chili stew, or meatballs. Stir-frying the skirt is yet another interesting option.
What to Do with Spare Rib Skirt Quickly and Effectively?
Spare ribs come from the lowest section of the animal’s ribcage. The meat’s bacon-like flavor and fatty texture come from its origin in the belly.
You can create the St. Louis ribs by removing the rib tips and cartilage from a rack of spare ribs.
Sometimes it is hard to get properly trimmed St. Louis-style ribs at the grocery store.
While you might have the butcher do the work for you, you will get more use out of the meat if you trim it yourself.
Tip: Be sure to fry the meat at the right temperature, like you need to do it to 145F when using it to make pork cutlets.
What Can You Do with Spare Rib Trimmings?
The rack’s trimmings, including the skirt and rib tip meat, can be used to make a wide variety of complimentary dishes, such as homemade sausage and meatballs, chili and stew.
Tossing the skirt in a stir-fry or using it to make pork cutlets are both tasty alternatives.
Next, you can barbecue or smoke rib tips. After that, shred the meat and use it as a topping for nachos and pizzas.
In addition to being a tasty addition to the stew, rib tips are also great in bean soup.
Last but not least, scraps can be frozen for future use.
Note
A good idea is to save the fat and use it later to add flavor to your dishes. It works just fine to season your pots and pans later.
Tip: Grill the rib tips properly, shred the meat, and then use them when making pizzas.
What to Do with Spare Rib Skirt Based on Types of Trimmings?
You can definitely put those spare rib trimmings to use in various ways.
But it is a good idea to consider the types of trimmings to decide what to make.
What Types of Trimmings are Available?
It is not easy to cook spare ribs without first trimming the excess fat. It is disappointing since the flesh will not be as soft as it could be.
That is why the biggest chunk of the spare rib gets cut off every time, and this part is called the “Rack”, which is the middle section of the ribs.
After you have trimmed the spare rib, you will have some usable meat.
Does anyone know the proper name for these shortened pieces?
Cutting the Spare Rib
The standard practice is to cut the spare rib into St. Louis-style halves.
Moreover, if spare ribs are cut in that manner, two portions of the flesh will be removed.
However, it is possible that the spare ribs were not properly trimmed to be St. Louis style.
But after cutting, you will still have those two pieces, as removing the extra rib implies retaining only the rack.
Once done, you will be left with two types of trimmings:
Flap Meat or Skirt
Two pieces of the spare rib can be used to obtain flap meat. The pain will first be felt in the lower back, just above the ribs.
Moreover, it is located on the rib cage, mainly on one side.
As you may know, flap meat can be prepared in a flash. Further, if prepared correctly, it can be pretty tasty.
So, please do not throw out this meat and just learn to be creative with it.
Rib Tips
In comparison to flap meat, brisket or rib bones are much bigger.
As a matter of fact, this is what gets trimmed off so that the spare rib can have a consistent appearance.
The rib tips, though, are quite remarkable, and you should learn to use them in many different ways.
Tip: Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks and fry for 10-15 min before adding veggies and stir fry for half an hour for a delicious meal.
How Do You Trim Spare Ribs to Use in Various Ways?
An attractive St. Louis-style rack of ribs can be achieved with a little time and careful trimming of a rack of spare ribs.
Step #1: Cut the Rack of Spare Ribs
Bone side down, lay the rack of spare ribs on a big, clean chopping board. You notice that one end of the rack is tapered and pointed.
In order to give the rack a more conventionally rectangular form, you must first remove this.
Step #2: Remove the Flap Meat
Flip the rack so the bone side is now down.
About the rack’s midsection, you should find a flap of meat. The skirt is what you see here.
Remove this part, but do not throw it away because we will tell you how to put it to better use.
Step #3: Trim Away Any Fat
Remove any large chunks of fat and gristle so the rack is a uniform rectangle.
Save the fat for later by storing it in a different location from the skirt meat.
To peel back the membrane, you can either use a dull knife or your fingers.
If left on throughout cooking, this thin layer of fat will harden and make the ribs difficult to chew.
After the membrane has been peeled away, it can be thrown away.
Step #4: Remove the Rib Tips
Find the sternal notch at the highest point of your rib cage.
The rib tips can be safely removed by making a cut along the seam between the sternum and the main rack.
What to Make Using Spare Rib Trimmings?
You can always play around and experiment a little with all the spare rib trimmings you have in store. Here are a few good options to consider:
BBQ or Smoke the Trimmings
Consider smoking or grilling the rib tips if you wish to work with them. Why? Because, c’mon, they look just like ribs, do not they?
We certainly believe that they do. And the presence of cartilage is the reason.
This means that if you grill them perfectly, the meat will literally fall off the cartilage. In the same way as rib flesh is removed from the bones.
Grilling the rib tips is a great way to complement your rack of ribs.
How to Grill the Rib Tips?
Obviously, you cannot grill them like a rack of ribs. Since the cooking time to achieve tenderness in the rib tips is shorter.
Okay, so rib tips need to be cooked at 225–250F to be tender. Then, wait about an hour and a half. The rib tips will become tough if you overcook them.
The internal temperature can also be checked to ensure tenderness. A thermometer will be required for this task.
To check the temperature of the meat, place the thermometer inside. If the temperature reads 145F, you have done well.
Note
When the grilling is done, the cartilage may be removed and the meat can be shredded.
And then sprinkle it on top of some nachos. The shredded meat can also be used in tacos.
Make Meatballs or Sausages
When you have spare rib trimmings and specifically work with the flap meat, you can always consider making sausages.
Simply remove the meat from the flap and dice it up. Then, crush the trimmings up in a blender. You get your ground beef ready in a jiffy!
Meat that has been finely ground is ideal for sausages and meatballs.
Just ensure you grind it to perfection.
It is worth noting that when grinding, flap meat can be combined with venison. This will increase the venison’s natural flavor and tenderness.
Use the Trimmings to Make Chili Stew
Everyone agrees that chili stew is a tasty meal. It also includes both meat and veggies.
And it is easy to make using spare rib trimmings.
Get the flap meat after cutting the spare rib down to size. That is the piece of meat you can use to make a delicious stew.
You may just use ground meat. But another option is to simply dice or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Then add to the stew and you will have a delicious meal ready!
Tip: Consider making cutlets with the flap meat if you do not want to cut it and use it how it is.
Takeaway
Learning what to do with spare rib skirt can save you from wasting your money and that tasty piece of meat.
It is never too late to learn a few tricks to put those trimmings to use.
And if you do it properly, you can make delicious side dishes in no time.