Chicago Meat Authority

[Speedy captain]

Anyone ever used these?  A first for me, smoking some tomorrow!  They are the premium baby backs...  I'm optimistic as they are not packaged in juice...  They are frozen, then sleeved in plastic, no mushy mystery juice...

They are 4.45/lb here at the local GFS, their St Louis ribs are under $3/lb as well.  Hope they smoke up nicely, as I have 5 racks in this box!

 

[Speedy captain]

Here is what a rack looks like...

 

[swthorpe]

I have  not tried them, but they look very good!  Can't wait to hear how they turn out.

 

[DivotMaker]

Not sure I've ever seen them, so I'll have to look for them around here.  I get such amazing, meaty, ribs from our local Sam's Club (largest, meatiest baby backs I've ever seen), I really haven't looked for an alternative!  I'll certainly be open to trying them if they pass your review!

 

[Speedy captain]

Looking forward to posting up thoughts tomorrow!  They are much nicer than our Walmart brand, and Kroger... All packaged in some sort of pickling fluid LOL.  No Sams nearby, and saw a few guys online using GFS ribs from CMA.

If been running a side business as of late, it is funding my smoking habit now!

 

[DivotMaker]

Nice, Captain!  Yeah, the WalMart ribs are packed in a solution so they weigh consistently (as is all their meat - lots of folks don't know that).  Sam's doesn't do that, and actually has a butcher shop in the store, so you can get a lot more "custom" cuts, too.  The bulk packs at Sam's are cryo-vac'd, and only contain the juices from the meat. 

 

[Speedy captain]

Well the ribs were delicious, however I felt like they were a little skinny on meat.  I have several more racks, so this coming week I am going to smoke up some of these CMA ribs along with a supermarket brand to see how they compare!

 

[Speedy captain]

Tomorrow is the test.  I will also use photographic evidence to determine the inferior rib...

One rack of CMA ribs, one rack of Walmart Smithfield ribs...  Babybacks.

The difference in price is $1/lb... but what does that pound consist of?  We will soon know...

(dramatic music)

 

[es1025]

I have been very lucky with either BJ's or Costco. I have no complaints. Pretty consistent time after time.

 

[DivotMaker]

I find the Smithfield products pretty decent, but the real comparison would be a pack of baby backs from Sam's Club.  I've never had Smithfields that stack up to them; hands-down the meatiest ribs I've found yet.

 

[Speedy captain]

It begins.  Smithfield on the right, CMA on the left.  The color of the CMA ribs is nice, very bright red and true.  The rib count is 13 on the Smithfield, 11 on the CMA.  Here are the pre smoke pics.

Smithfield on the right.

CMA profile

Smithfield Profile

Rubbed and wrapped!

 

[DivotMaker]

Wow!  Quite a difference in size!

 

[Speedy captain]

Huge difference... They go in soon!!

 

[DivotMaker]

I'm going to go out on a limb and call Smithfield the winner!  No way that giant slab of ribs could be anything but great!   Hope you don't prove me wrong!

 

[Speedy captain]

Sadly...

The ribs were good...  But the CMA ribs were meat, the incredible amount of pure fat on the Smithfields was incredible.

If I had a choice, I'd use the CMA ribs.  They look fresher, they are cut for uniformity, but they seem like a much more consistent meat product.  I was quite disappointed in the Smithfields.  Just wayyyy too fatty.

 

[NDKoze]

Do you have a Sam's or Costco near you?

That is where I buy 90% of my meat.

I buy my bone-in butts at Sam's (Costco only has boneless) and my ribs (I prefer St Louis cut vs. Baby Backs) at Costco.

Both places have incredible meat departments.

 

[DivotMaker]

Gregg's right.  I haven't found better ribs than Sam's - spares or baby backs.  Big, lean and meaty.

 

[Speedy captain]

It's a drive...  I may have to check it out

 

[DivotMaker]

Sam's is also my go-to place for bulk (packing house) packaged meat, like whole ribeyes, 10-lb. pork loins, briskets (usually USDA Prime).  Great selection, at least at my Sam's.

 

[Speedy captain]

As much as I was slightly disappointed, my neighbors family, who received my leftovers, was blown away by how amazing the ribs were.  I mean, every person in that house, down to the 13 year old, raved about them today.

I am a pretty particular person, God bless my wife, so perhaps these ribs were just flat out amazing.  They did say that the next time I'm smoking meat, to let them know the cost, and they want me to throw in a couple racks for them as well!