The Different Cuts of Ribs

Pigs have 14 rib bones. They are attached to the spine and are usually divided into four popular cuts: back ribs, spareribs, center-cut ribs, and rib tips.

Back Ribs (aka baby back ribs, baby backs, loin back ribs, loin ribs, Canadian back ribs)

Connected to the backbone, nestled beneath the loin muscle, baby backs are the most tender and lean ribs. They are sometimes called “babies” because they are shorter than spareribs. A typical full slab has 11 to 13 bones. The slab is tapered at one end, with the shortest bones only about 3 inches and the longest about 6 inches. They are usually curved like a hockey stick at the end where they meet the spine. Depending on how the butcher removes the loin meat that is on the humped side of the bones, some can have up to ½ inch of delicate, lean loin meat on the top of the bones. There is usually more meat on top of the bones than between them—about 2 pounds per slab, about half of which is bone. Hungry adults can eat a whole slab of baby backs.

When you shop, try to buy slabs without shiners, bones showing through on top. You want a layer of meat on top of the bones.

Spareribs (aka spares, side ribs)

Nobody knows for sure how they got the name, but spareribs are not extras, leftovers, or an inferior cut. Nor are they so named because the meat is scant. Spares are excellent tasting, usually richer and more flavorful than baby backs because they are fattier and have more connective tissue. A slab should have at least 11 bones, and there is usually more bone than meat in a slab of spares, with more meat between the bones than on top of them.

Spares are cut from the ends of baby backs, farther down the side of the hog; they run all the way down to the breastbone. Look at a slab of spareribs and you will notice that along one edge, the ends of bones are showing and you can see marrow. This is where they were cut from the baby backs. The other end, with no bones sticking out, is from the chest. It is a flap of meat, small bones, cartilage, and gristle called rib tips.

A rack of spareribs generally runs 3 pounds or more and can usually feed two people.

Spareribs are a little less expensive per pound than back ribs because they have more bone and because demand for baby backs has grown significantly since the Chili’s restaurant chain began promoting them with a catchy jingle.

Center-Cut Ribs (aka St. Louis–cut, SLC, barbecue cut, Kansas City cut)

Take a slab of spareribs, lop off the gristly rib tips, trim the loose meat from the edge, and what remains is a flat rectangular slab that goes by several names. If your butcher doesn’t know what St. Louis–cut or center-cut means, ask for spareribs with the tips removed. Then again, you may want to remove them yourself and cook them, too. A standard 2-pound slab can serve two people or one really hungry big man. These are the cut I like best.

Rib Tips (aka brisket, costal cartilages, breaks)

Rib tips are strips that have been cut from the lower ends of the spareribs when making center-cut ribs. They typically run 8 to 12 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide. Eating rib tips takes a bit more gnawing than other cuts because they are chewy, and the small tubes of cartilage in them go every which way. In some regions, tips are a delicacy and preferred over other cuts, while in other regions, nobody wants them. When served, they are usually chopped with a cleaver into chunks about 2 inches square. Two full strips trimmed from a slab of spares will serve a normal person.

Country-Style Ribs

Country-style ribs are not really ribs at all but pork chops (see page 213).