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Choosing the Right Cut for Barbecued Ribs

With three cuts of ribs to choose from, which will be the best on the grill?

With three cuts of ribs to choose from, which will be the best on the grill?

Butchers get three different cuts from the ribs of a pig (pigs can have anywhere from 13 to 17 sets of ribs). You can barbecue any of these cuts, but in the test kitchen, we usually reach for St. Louis cut spareribs. Because they’ve been trimmed of the brisket bone and surrounding meat, they fit nicely on a standard-size backyard grill and they give us consistent results. Ordinary spareribs, which come from near the pig’s belly, include that brisket bone and meat; their size and irregular shape make them unwieldy on a backyard grill. Among the three, baby back ribs are smallest and leanest; they come from nearest the pig’s back (and, despite the name, from an adult pig). Baby backs cook comparatively quickly, which means they tend to dry out more easily than the other cuts.

 

ST. LOUIS CUT SPARERIBS

ST. LOUIS CUT SPARERIBS:

Manageable size and consistent results.

SPARERIBS

SPARERIBS:

Unwieldly on a backyard grill. 

BABY BACK RIBS

BABY BACK RIBS:

These smaller, leaner ribs can dry out quickly

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