Baby back pork ribs

Cocoontech has national and even some international participation so I think that it's a good place to ask this question. It ahs nothing to do with security or automation, it's about BBQ.
 
I've been using my wood pellet cooker for over ten years now and got pretty good at a few cooks and I especially love the baby back ribs. I had a recipe that didn;t fail me for many years and in teh last couple of years it's been so disappointing that I'm thinking of giving up the ribs altogether.
 
After a bunch of failures my wife and I have agreed that the problem is with the ribs themselves. We used to be able to get nice small baby back ribs at the club stores and at the local supermarket and cook up some great ribs. Now the ribs are all about twice or three times as large as we are used to getting and cook up like a pork cop. they are just too meaty and not fatty enough. After doing some research I learned that a rack of pork ribs can run from 1 pound per rack up to 3 pounds per rack and most of what I am getting now is 2.5 - 3 pounds and larger.
 
I have called a few butchers and they all remember the small ribs but claim that they can not get them anymore. No one knows (or is willing to say) why.
 
Can anyone out there with some knowledge of pig farming or the neat business help me out here?
 
Mike.
 
 

Bigger hogs, bigger ribs.  Its probably more cost effective overall to get the hogs as big as possible.
 
http://virtualweberbullet.com/ribselect.html
 
Last ribs I got from Costco were Swift Premium, 2 racks, about 7-3/4 pounds total, 3.99/lb.

Interesting link. I'm pretty sure that you are right about it being cost effective to fatten up the pig and the chickens too but I don't want my pork ribs to come out like pork chops or pork tenderloin. I like tender juicy, fatty ribs and I can't find them anymore.
 
I used to get good ribs from Costo and BJ's but no more. The search goes on.
 
Mike.

I'll dig up a friend's farm info for you, will be local, probably in the Newtown/Bethlehem area of the state.

Dammit!  I just finished dinner and now this topic has made me hungry again!  
 
Craig

DELInstallations said:

I'll dig up a friend's farm info for you, will be local, probably in the Newtown/Bethlehem area of the state's .

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That would be great!
 
I contacted Rowland Farms in Oxford and received a reply just this morning. They pointed me to Butcher's Best Market in Newtown that will be getting two pigs from them next Thursday so I'll give them a call. May be the same place that you're thinking of?
 
Mike.

pvrfan said:

Dammit!  I just finished dinner and now this topic has made me hungry again!  
 
Craig

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I can eat smoked ribs until I hurt myself. Now that I think about it they have been known to kill in the long run. Oh well, somethin's gotta get ya. My wife cooks fish and rice and chicken and I make up for it with ribs and pulled pork. You have to have a balance in life.

Here's a good link with lots of info on pork
 
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/pork_cuts.html

Yup; here asked wife this morning and she said typically she finds the baby back ribs at the local grocery stores or the butcher.  She does a multistep process relating to cooking them with the last piece which is done on the grill.  While we spoke this morning about subject she mentioned spare ribs being the larger ones. 

Toplands farm

Thanks!

DELInstallations said:

Toplands farm

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 I found them on the net and they look worth the ride just to check out the Living History Farm Museum.
 
http://toplandsfarm.com/
 
I'll give them a call this week, Mike.

Tried to do that best answer thing here on your OP Mike and I was unable to.  Not sure how "best answer" works here on the forum though.

pete_c said:

Yup; here asked wife this morning and she said typically she finds the baby back ribs at the local grocery stores or the butcher.  She does a multistep process relating to cooking them with the last piece which is done on the grill.  While we spoke this morning about subject she mentioned spare ribs being the larger ones. 

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Yeah the spare ribs are longer and wider than the back ribs and more meaty. That may sound like a good thing at first sight but when a rib has too much meat on it it becomes like picking up a pork chop and eating it with your hands. Not a bad thing but not what I want from a rib. The spare ribs are delicious when they are not TOO meaty and I just prefer the small back ribs.
 
Mike.

mikefamig said:

 I found them on the net and they look worth the ride just to check out the Living History Farm Museum.
 
http://toplandsfarm.com/
 
I'll give them a call this week, Mike.

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Friends with the family that have the tractors/steam powered items.