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With grilling season fast approaching it's fun to master a new art, so we at Tender Belly are here to give you some thoughts on the always elusive, fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs. Tender Belly Certified Awesome premium pork ribs are always a treat; but what kind of ribs are best for what you’re in the mood for? Here, we’ll take a quick look at the two most common types of cut ribs,baby back ribs andSt. Louis-style spareribs.
Whether you’re a rib connoisseur or not, you may not know the real answer to the question, "what are baby back ribs?" Baby back ribs are cut from where the rib meets the spine after the loin is removed from the pig. The upper ribs are called baby back ribs, because they are shorter in relation to the bigger spareribs, NOT because they are from a baby pig!
There are various ways to prepare baby back ribs but the common flavor you will notice is barbecue. However, not all barbeque flavors are the same. Some recipes may add a touch of heat or smoke, while others may taste very sweet. When marinated to perfection, the slab should come out completely smothered in barbecue sauce. It will be necessary that you are well equipped with more than just one paper towel sheet. In the case that bbq ribs don’t satisfy your taste buds, we have good news for you! There are plenty of alternative dry rub seasonings, such as black pepper and brown sugar, that can be used to coat the slab. When crafting any marinade or spice rub, it is recommended that you add in kosher salt for prime taste.
St. Louis-style spare ribs are the meatier ribs cut from the belly of thehog after the belly is removed. They are usually trimmed down by cutting away the hard breastbone and chewy cartilage, otherwise known as connective tissue. St. Louis-style ribs are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown. There is a lot of bone but also a higher amount of fat, making them very flavorful.
Looking for a ribs recipe for your next grill out? Check out thisLip Smackin’ Ribs Recipe for either baby back ribs or St. Louis style ribs. When choosing which ribs to best meet your needs, you really can’t go wrong. However, here are a few tips to consider when preparing for your upcoming occasion.
If you have fewer people, most would choose the St. Louis style ribs because there is more fat, leading to a juicy flavor and tender meat. They are also easier to cook in the oven on a roasting pan or baking sheet,covered in tin foil. If cooking for a larger group, the baby back ribs are great because they are smaller (making them easier to handle as finger food because of its smaller portion size) and each individual rib delivers a tasty bite of meat on the bone with a lower concentration of fat. Regardless of the type - baby back or spare - you decide to serve, it is crucial to marinate the slabs of ribs for several hours in either a sauce or dry rub mixture.
Every Tender Belly hog is raised here in the USA by farmers who don't cut corners — no farrowing or crating here, just 100-percent quality vegetarian diet with lots of open space to roam and breathe in the fresh farm air. We never use antibiotics or hormones, that's cheating. We source only the best heritage breeds including Berkshire Hogs, Duroc Hogs, and many others.
Tender Belly Berkshire pork is the real deal. With exquisite intramuscular marbling for extra tender, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness, all you need is a large paper towel roll to get this party started! There is no doubt your guests will be blown away by your ability to serve up some deliciously tender pork.
