Nothing wrong with elk ribs. If I get a calf, or an adult elk close to the road, I save the ribs.
Here's some elk calf ribs off the chest. (They would be spareribs on a hog.)
Pulled the flap up (like the piece on the bottom right) and trimmed the "hidden" fat away and then added some rib rub and a little vegetable oil:

Hickory smoked at 210° for 6 hrs:

Medium rare a this stage. I may add some BBQ sauce and cook a little longer, but they are not all that bad just like this:

I finished the ribs in the oven; basted in BBQ sauce for 4 hours at 195°. What little wild game fat I didn't trim away, melted off. Before serving, I brushed on a fresh slobbering of hickory-flavored BBQ sauce and warmed them up in the microwave. Served them with fresh squash and home-made coleslaw.
They are smokey, fall-off-the-bone, fantastic!


Some more ribs off another elk:

Took the ribs in the photo above out of the freezer and cooked them in the smoker.
Smear oil on the ribs and add a little rub.

Cook at 200° for about 4 hours, a couple pans of sawdust is plenty of smoke. Then add your favorite BBQ sauce. Cover in foil and cook for another 3 hours.

They're really good. Give it a try this hunting season.

