
Pork ribs are a
cut of pork popular in
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
Asian cuisines. The
ribcage of a
domestic pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
, meat and bones together, is cut into usable pieces, prepared by
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
,
grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and v ...
, or
baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but it can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot Baking stone, stones. Bread is the most commonly baked item, but many other types of food can also be baked. Heat is ...
– usually with a sauce, often
barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque (often shortened to BBQ worldwide; barbie or barby in Australia and New Zealand) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that employ live fire and smoke to coo ...
– and then served.
Cuts of pork ribs
Several different types of
ribs
The rib cage or thoracic cage is an endoskeletal enclosure in the thorax of most vertebrates that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum, which protect the vital organs of the thoracic cavity, such as the heart, lungs and great vessels ...
are available, depending on the section of the rib cage from which they are cut. Variations in the thickness of the meat and bone, as well as levels of fat in each cut, can alter the flavor and texture of the prepared dish. The inner surface of the rib cage is covered by a layer of connective tissue (
pleura
The pleurae (: pleura) are the two flattened closed sacs filled with pleural fluid, each ensheathing each lung and lining their surrounding tissues, locally appearing as two opposing layers of serous membrane separating the lungs from the med ...
) that is difficult to cook tender; it is usually removed before marinating or cooking.
Back ribs

Back ribs (also back ribs or loin ribs) are taken from the top of the rib cage between the spine and the spare ribs, below the loin muscle. They have meat between the bones and on top of the bones and are shorter, curved, and sometimes meatier than spare ribs. The rack is shorter at one end due to the natural tapering of a pig's rib cage. The shortest bones are typically only about and the longest is usually about , depending on the size of the hog. A pig side has 13 - 16 ribs (depending on the breed), but usually, two or three are left on the shoulder when it is separated from the loin. A rack of back ribs contains a minimum of eight ribs (some may be trimmed if damaged) but can include up to 13 ribs, depending on how the butcher has prepared it. A typical commercial rack has 10–13 bones. If fewer than ten bones are present, butchers call them "cheater racks."
Spareribs
*Spare ribs, also called "spareribs" or "side ribs," are taken from the belly side of the rib cage, below the section of back ribs, and above the sternum (breast bone). Spareribs are flatter and contain more bone than meat but more fat, making the ribs more tender than back ribs. The term ''spare ribs'' is an
Early Modern English
Early Modern English (sometimes abbreviated EModEFor example, or EMnE) or Early New English (ENE) is the stage of the English language from the beginning of the Tudor period to the English Interregnum and Restoration, or from the transit ...
corruption (via ) of , a
Low German
Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
term that referred to racks of meat being roasted on a turning spit.
*
St. Louis style ribs (or St. Louis cut spare ribs) have had the sternum bone,
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
, and rib tips (see below) removed. The shape is almost rectangular.
*
Kansas City style ribs are trimmed less closely than the St. Louis style ribs and have the hard bone removed.
Rib tips
Rib tips are short, meaty sections of rib attached to the lower end of the spare ribs, between the ribs and the sternum. Unlike back ribs or spare ribs, the rib structure is provided by dense costal
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
, not bone. Rib tips are cut away from the spare ribs when preparing St. Louis-style spare ribs. Smoked rib tips are an important part of
Chicago-style barbecue.
Riblets

Riblets are sometimes prepared by butchers by cutting a full set of spare ribs approximately in half. This produces a set of short, flat ribs where the curved part of the rib is removed and gives them a more uniform look. Loin back ribs do not always have this removed. When not removed, they look rounded and are often referred to as baby back ribs. Riblets, as defined by the
North American Meat Processors Association as pork cut number 424, the pork loin riblet, is the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae and any accompanying lean meat that is left after the loin and tenderloin are removed. These riblets, number 424, must include at least four transverse processes from the lumbar spine but no more than two rib bones. Riblets used to be thrown out by butchers but have become popular due to their excellent flavor and lower cost.
Button ribs (or ''feather bones'') are often confused with riblets mostly because
Applebee's sells these as riblets. What Applebee's sells is found just past the ribs near the backbone, just underneath the tenderloin. This cut of meat has no bones but instead has "buttons" of cartilaginous material with meat attached.
Rib tips (or brisket) are found at the bottom of the
spare ribs by the sternum. The
rib tips
Pork ribs are a cut of pork popular in Western cuisine, Western and Asian cuisine, Asian cuisines. The ribcage of a domestic pig, meat and bones together, is cut into usable pieces, prepared by smoking (cooking), smoking, grilling, or baking – ...
have a high proportion of cartilage. The rib tips give the
spare ribs a rounded appearance. This piece is sometimes removed to provide the meat with a more uniform appearance and make it easier to eat, and the remaining spare ribs are referred to as ''Saint Louis-style ribs''.
Other cuts and preparations

*Button ribs are flat, circular-shaped bones located at the sirloin end of the loin. They are not actually ribs, as they are not taken from the rib cage. The button ribs consist of the last four to six bones on the backbone; they do not have actual ribs connected to them. The meat on the button ribs consists of meat that covers each button and connects them.
*Country-style ribs are cut from the blade end of the loin close to the pork shoulder. They are meatier than other rib cuts. They contain no rib bones but instead contain parts of the shoulder blade (scapula).
*Rib roast (or bone-in pork loin rib roast, bone-in loin rib roast, center cut rib roast, prime rib of pork, standing rib roast) is a whole pork loin with the back ribs attached. They can be up to long and thick. They are sold whole or in sections.
*Rib chops are
pork steaks or chops that include a back rib bone and the loin meat attached. They are lean and tender.
*Rib patties – The meat from the ribs is taken off the bone and ground to make rib
patties.
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
McRib
The McRib is a barbecue-flavored pork sandwich periodically sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was first introduced to the McDonald's menu in 1981.
After poor sales, it was removed from the menu in 1985. It was ...
patties contain pork meat mostly from non-rib sections of the hog.
*Christmas ribs – About half of Norwegian families eat oven-cooked ribs on Christmas Eve. Normally, they are referred to as or . Traditional recipes include steaming for half an hour before cooking in the oven to achieve a crisp surface.
Recipe from klikk.no
/ref>
See also
* Ribs (food)
* Beef ribs
* Galbi
* Rack of lamb
A rack of lamb, also known as carré d'agneau (though this term may also refer to other cuts), is a Lamb and mutton, lamb cut that is perpendicular to the spine and includes 16 ribs or Lamb chop (meat), chops. In retail, it is commonly sold as a ...
* Pork belly
Pork belly or belly pork is a boneless, fatty Primal cut, cut of pork from the Abdomen, belly of a pig. Pork belly is particularly popular in American cuisine, American, British cuisine, British, Swedish cuisine, Swedish, Danish cuisine, Danish, ...
References
External links
*
{{barbecue
Cuts of pork
Chinese cuisine
Indonesian cuisine
Korean cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine
German cuisine
Italian cuisine
French cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Soul food
Cuisine of the Southern United States