Leftover Rib Tips

Name: Leftover Rib Tips
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 10 to 12 rib tips (4 pound); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 5 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon paprika; 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce (whatever kind you have left over); 2 tablespoons red pepper jelly; 2 tablespoons pineapple preserves; 2 tablespoons apricot preserves; 2 tablespoons plum jelly

December 9, 2011

When a full-size slab of spare ribs is trimmed into a St. Louis–cut spare rib, you are left with rib tips. They are found on the lower portion of the spare ribs close to the pork belly. These cut-away portions of spare ribs have small pieces of cartilage where you would expect to find bones. Rib tips are usually six inches long and one inch thick. These long strips are considered an economy cut but are surprisingly meaty. Sometimes it seems that the best-loved barbecue specialties came into being as a way to use discarded cuts of meat, prepared with common, on-hand ingredients that are “left over.” This recipe was inspired by the many hours I have stood looking into the cupboard wondering what I could make to eat. Most everyone has a cabinet full of unused spices and a refrigerator stocked with half-empty jelly jars. Fire up that old weathered bag of charcoal and enjoy!

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