Why Some Costco Shoppers Are Avoiding This Beef Product

Costco customers are definitely not gate keepers — they're sometimes the loudest voices on the internet proudly sharing the best new finds at the store. On the flip side of that, however, when something isn't quite up to Costco's high standards, you can be sure that members will be talking about it online. Thus is the case with one product in the warehouse store's meat aisle: the vacuum-packed beef back ribs.

"I always pass on these at Costco because they are too little meat for cooking and too expensive for making stock. All in all I'm not sure why they sell them," said one Costco customer on a Reddit thread showing a photo of the beef back ribs. This sparked a conversation around how expensive these beef ribs are, and if there is enough value for money. True to the internet, some people offered up a counterpoint. "Yeah there isn't a ton of meat but it's really tasty. Just keep that in mind when considering the weight, a lot is bone," chimed in another customer on a thread dedicated to the topic of grilling. 

For those with some knowledge of beef butchery, it's understood that back ribs are what remains when prime rib is cut away from the bones. As a result, they are markedly different from beef short ribs. Very little meat is intentionally left on the back ribs, which are essentially a by-product of prime rib and ribeye steaks — two expensive and delicious cuts. With this cut, you will find the majority of the meat in between the ribs. Beef back ribs aren't a total loss, though, as they can come out great when braised or smoked low and slow.

There seemed to be a consensus online regarding beef back ribs — they are delicious when smoked. One Reddit user posted photos of their first attempt at smoking Costco's beef back ribs — and they looked (and reportedly tasted) incredible. Citing that they paid $4.50 per pound, many still took issue with the price point versus the amount of meat. "If they were a $1 – $2 per pound no one would complain, but at $4.50 it's just not worth it to pay more for the bones than the meat," complained one commenter.

Others stood up for this cut, saying, "What you get is amazing. It's like having ribeye tender ribs. I love beef back ribs." Another agreed: "There's little meat. But they're great when smoked." At the end of the day, whether or not you buy this Costco cut comes down to preference and budget. If you're looking for a meatier rib at a lower price point, you may want to skip beef back ribs, similar to how you may want to avoid this Costco ground beef.