Spare ribs (also side ribs or spareribs) are a variety 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 ...

cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. Meat and fat cover the bones. Spare ribs (pork) are distinguished from short ribs. Spareribs are typically cooked low and slow, either smoked, grilled, or braised. Pork spare ribs are cooked and eaten in various cuisines around the world. They are especially popular in Chinese and

American Chinese cuisine American Chinese cuisine, also known as Sino–American cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in North American Chinese restaurants are modified to suit customers' tastes and are often quite d ...

, in which they are generally called ''paigu'' (), and in the

cuisine of the Southern United States The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including Indigenous cuisine of the Americas, cuisine of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, Southeastern Native American tribes, ...

Preparation

Chinese spare ribs Basted spare ribs on an outdoor grill

Asia

In Chinese cuisine, pork spare ribs are generally first cut into sections, which then may be fried,

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...

, or braised. In the

Cantonese cuisine Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( zh, t=廣東菜 or zh, labels=no, t=粵菜), is the cuisine of Cantonese people, associated with the Guangdong, Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guan ...

of southern China, spare ribs are generally red in color and roasted with a sweet and savory sauce. This variety of spare ribs is grouped as one of the most common items of '' siu mei'', or Cantonese roasted meat dishes. In

, pork spare ribs are generally cooked in '' char siu'' style, and often feature as a part of the appetizer dish called

pu pu platter A pu pu platter is a tray of American Chinese or Hawaiian food consisting of an assortment of small meat and seafood appetizers. The ''Thrillist'' called the pu-pu platter "an amalgam of Americanized Chinese food, Hawaiian tradition and bar fo ...

. Chinese-style spare ribs are usually consumed by gnawing the meat off small bone sections held aloft with chopsticks. Spareribs are a popular dish in Korean cuisine. They are often grilled or barbecued. They can also be made into a stew or soup.

Southern American

Spare ribs are popular in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

. They are generally cooked on a

barbecue grill A barbecue grill or barbeque grill (known as a barbecue in Canada and barbecue or barbie in Australia and New Zealand) is a device that cooks food by applying heat from below. There are several varieties of grills, with most falling into one of t ...

or on an open fire, and are served as a slab (bones and all) with a sauce. Due to the extended cooking times required for barbecuing, ribs in restaurants are often prepared first by boiling, parboiling or steaming the rib rack and then finishing it on the grill. American butchers prepare two cuts: * ''Pork spare ribs'' are taken from the belly side of the pig's rib cage above the sternum (breast bone) and below the back ribs which extend about 6" down from the spine. Spare ribs are flatter than the curved back ribs and contain more bone than meat. There is also quite a bit of fat which can make the ribs more tender than baby back ribs. * ''St. Louis Cut ribs'' are spare ribs in the style of St. Louis-style barbecue, where 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 the surrounding meat known as the rib tips have been removed. St. Louis Cut rib racks are almost rectangular. Southern-style spare ribs are usually pulled from the whole slab and consumed individually by hand, with the small amount of meat adhering to each bone gnawed off by the eater. Spareribs are a popular dish in Mexican cuisine. They are often cooked in adobo sauce, a chili-based sauce. They can also be made into tacos or burritos.

References

External links

Beef Glossary - diagram of various beef cuts, including beef spare ribs
{{barbecue Cantonese cuisine American Chinese cuisine Cuisine of the Southern United States Chinese pork dishes Korean pork dishes Mexican pork dishes Dim sum Cuts of pork Cuts of beef Cuisine of St. Louis Barbecue

Preparation

Asia

Southern American

See also

References

External links