Pork ribs are acut of pork popular inWestern andAsian cuisines. Therib cage of adomestic pig, meat and bones together, is cut into usable pieces, prepared bysmoking,grilling, orbaking – usually with a sauce, oftenbarbecue – and then served.
Several different types ofribs 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) that is difficult to cook tender; it is usually removed before marinating or cooking.
Back ribs (alsoback ribs orloin 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 8 centimetres (3 inches) and the longest is usually about 15 cm (6 in), 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."
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 costalcartilage, 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 ofChicago-style barbecue.[3]
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 theNorth American Meat Processors Association as pork cut number 424, the pork loin riblet,[4] 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 (orfeather bones) are often confused with riblets mostly becauseApplebee's sells these as riblets.[citation needed] 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 thespare ribs by the sternum. Therib tips have a high proportion of cartilage. The rib tips give thespare 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 asSaint Louis-style ribs.
About half of Norwegian families eat oven-cooked ribs on Christmas Eve.[5] Normally, they are referred to asribbe orjuleribbe. Traditional recipes include steaming for half an hour before cooking in the oven to achieve a crisp surface.[6]
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