When you cut up a rack of spare ribs, did you end up with extra meat scraps? Don’t throw those away! Do something useful with them instead: learn how to smoke rib scraps like a pro! You’ll get tender, tasty smoked rib meat that is great as an appetizer or as a filling for tacos or breakfast hash. derrickriches. com.
We’ve all been there. You’ve trimmed a couple of racks of spare ribs, and now you have all the leftover rib scraps. Therefore, what do you do with it? The part below the ribs is usually grilled and served as an appetizer. But, those meatier pieces are set aside for sausage making or simply discarded. What if you put those rib scraps in the smoker instead? With our burnt end method, you no longer have to use meat scraps to fill sausages.
We can all agree that beef prices are high, but pork remains an affordable option for most. As part of my effort to waste less food, I tried coming up with new ways to use up meat scraps. These days, I do this with a beer in one hand, tongs in the other, and my smoker hot and ready to go. Now, I’ve already made brisket burnt ends, pork belly burnt ends, and even turkey burnt ends. But, smoked rib scrap burnt ends sounded like a great option. I mean, if there are burnt ends on hot dogs, why not this? I only needed 2 1/2 pounds of saved rib scraps to begin the process.
Trimming pork spare ribs leaves you with two types of trimmings – the flap meat/skirt and the rib tips. While some home cooks toss these trimmings away, they can actually be transformed into delicious additions to many dishes with a little creativity. So before you discard those odds and ends, consider these 8 tasty ways to make the most of your pork rib trimmings.
1. Smoke The Rib Tips
The rib tips have a similar texture to pork ribs, with nice meaty pieces and cartilage. That makes them a perfect candidate for smoking or grilling. Simply prepare a spice rub as you would for ribs, coating the rib tips generously. Allow them to marinate for a few hours or even overnight.
When ready to cook, set up your smoker or grill for low, indirect heat around 225-250°F The rib tips will take less time to become tender than full ribs, likely 60-80 minutes Check for doneness by piercing the thickest part with a fork. When it slides in easily, they’re ready.
The smoke infused, succulent rib tips are delicious served as is, perhaps with a sauce on the side. But for even more options, you can pull the meat off the bone when cool enough to handle and finely shred it. The tender smoked pork makes a fantastic topping for nachos, tacos, pizza and more.
2. Quick-Cook Flap Meat For Snacks And Meals
The flap meat cooks up quicker than the ribs and rib tips. You can toss the pieces right onto the grill or smoker near the end to extract maximum flavor. In as little as 15-20 minutes over direct heat, the flap meat transforms into irresistible bites, perfect for snacking.
For heartier meals, cut the flap meat into small chunks to stir-fry. Cook over high heat just until browned and cooked through 5-7 minutes. Add sliced peppers broccoli, carrots or other vegetables in the last few minutes. Serve over rice for a fast and tasty one-pan meal.
Ground flap meat also works well in place of beef or pork in dishes like chili, meatballs or sausage. Use it alone or mix with ground venison or other meats. The pork fat keeps the texture moist and flavorful.
3. Braise Flap Meat For Tacos
Braising is a great cooking method that turns the flap meat exceptionally tender. Brown the pieces first in a skillet with oil. Then simmer gently in a sauce or broth until very soft, about 1-2 hours.
Shred the braised pork and stuff into tortillas for scrumptious tacos and burritos. Top with your favorite fixings like guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese. The braised flap meat also makes delicious quesadillas, enchiladas or tamales.
4. Use Rib Tips For Hearty Bean Soup
For a comforting one-pot meal, add smoked rib tips to beans, broth and veggies. Cut the rib tips into 1-2 inch chunks after smoking. For the best texture, parboil until just barely cooked through, 5-10 minutes.
Add the ribs along with your beans of choice, like cannellini, pinto or navy beans. Use chicken or beef broth and classic soup vegetables like carrots, celery and onions. Simmer until the beans reach your desired tenderness, 1-2 hours.
The rib tips infuse the broth with deep smoky pork flavor Scoop the tender beans and meat into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs
5. Make A Cutlet With Flap Meat
A pork cutlet is thinly pounded meat, breaded and fried crisp. The flap meat’s uniform shape and thinness makes it a natural choice. Simply pound to an even thickness of 1⁄4-1⁄2 inch. Season with salt, pepper and herbs.
Dredge in flour, then egg and finally breadcrumbs to coat both sides. Pan fry in oil over medium high heat until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve the juicy, crunchy cutlet with lemon wedges, a fresh salad or roasted vegetables.
6. Flap Meat As Pizza Topping
Pizza night gets an upgrade with leftover cooked flap meat pieces as a topping. Chop or shred the meat and scatter over plain cheese pizza. Additional toppings like mushrooms, peppers or onions take it to the next level.
Or for a Mexican-style pizza, use cooked and shredded flap meat in place of ground beef. Top with onions, cilantro and enchilada sauce instead of tomato sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake until melted and bubbly.
7. Make A Meaty Chili With Trimmings
Using pork trimmings is a budget-friendly way to make a big batch of hearty chili. Brown the flap meat or rib tips, then add onions, peppers and spices. Simmer with crushed tomatoes, broth and beans until thick and flavorful, 1-2 hours.
For convenience, you can also use pre-cooked trimmings. Shred smoked rib tips or chopped braised flap meat. Add to your favorite chili recipe in the last 30 minutes so it just heats through. Top bowls of chili with avocado, sour cream, scallions or Fritos.
8. Save Trimmings For Later Use
When you generate more trimmings than you need for upcoming meals, store them for later use. Refrigerate raw flap meat or rib tips in a sealed container for 2-3 days. For longer storage, seal the pieces in freezer bags and freeze for 4-6 months.
The frozen trimmings provide instant pork flavor anytime you want to add it to soups, stews, tacos or pizza. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before using.
Next time you trim a rack of spare ribs, remember that the trimmings have delicious potential. With a small amount of effort, you can transform the flap meat and rib tips into all kinds of appetizing dishes. Get creative with marinades, spices and cooking methods to make these tasty odds and ends really shine. Your stomach and wallet will thank you.
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How to smoke rib scraps
Cook these pork rib scraps like you would pork ribs. Aim for a cooking temperature of 225 degrees F and a 2 1/2-3 hour cook time. You can hit them with a little smoke at the beginning but don’t overdo it. They are small scraps and can become too smoky.
Wood Recommendation: I recommend apple, cherry, pecan, maple or peach wood for smoking ribs scraps.
Blot the meat dry. You can brush a thin layer of vegetable oil or yellow mustard on your rib scraps. Season them well, but don’t use too much rub.
- Put the seasoned ribs scraps right on the smoker’s grate, cover it, and let them cook for one to one and a half hours. This will give the meat enough time to get a good bark.
- Next, spritz the rib scraps with apple juice that has been slightly warmed up if you need to. The rib scraps should cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until they reach 185 degrees F on the inside.
*Please note that the smaller scraps will finish faster than the larger pieces. Remove them from the smoker once they are cooked.
Once cooked, remove the ribs scraps from the smoker and rest for a good 15 minutes before using.
What are rib scraps?
Rib scraps come from the excess meat trimmed off of pork spare ribs. These ribs are cut to a uniform shape for even cooking. Most backyard cooks trim them into a St. Louis cut, leaving two meat sections (not including the riblets).
- Some of these areas are taking off the sternum section on top of the rack and the flap on the edge.
- Turn the rack over and cut off the riblets, which are the parts that stick out.
- Separate the riblets from the other rib scraps and cook them as appetizers on their own.
Flap Section Sternum Section Riblets Section
- Rib scraps: At least 2-2 1/2 pounds (riblets not included)
- BBQ Rub: You can use your favorite store-bought rub or one of my well-known rub recipes.
- Apple juice: For spritzing
- Reliable Instant-Read Thermometer: Always keep one on hand to check the meat’s temperature.
What I do with Spare Rib Trimmings
FAQ
What to do with rib roast trimmings?
What to do with trimmings from St. Louis-style ribs?
What to do with the flap meat on pork ribs?
How long to smoke rib trimmings?
What can I do with Spare Rib trimmings?
Smoke/BBQ them, add them into chili stew or bean soup, use shredded meat from grilled rib tips on pizza and nachos, put the shredded meat inside tacos. So, these are some things you can do with spare rib trimmings.
What is the treatment for pain in the ribs?
Rib pain could be due to an inflammatory condition; anti-inflammatory medication and analgesics can bring down the pain. Home remedies include applying a cold compress on the area of pain.
What can you make with pork trimmings?
Pork trimmings can be used to make sausages/patties, pates, lard, pork rinds, minced pork, and soup stock, see some great recipes to make these below. The most popular byproduct of pork trimmings is sausages and patties. Children love the taste of these. The pork butt trim is best suited when making sausages.
What are baked pork rib tips?
Baked BBQ pork rib tips are just that. The rib tips come from the same section of rib that is cut for St. Louis ribs, sometimes called the pork brisket. These rib tips have a lot of cartilage, but it becomes tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow! Delicious and tender, these baked BBQ pork rib tips will make your mouth water!