Types of Ribs

Walk up to a meat counter and you'll find baby backs, spare ribs, St. Louis cut, country-style, beef back ribs, plate short ribs, chuck short ribs and flanken. They aren't interchangeable. Each comes from a different part of the animal, has a different amount of meat and fat, and needs a different cooking method. This guide explains every common pork and beef rib, how to cook each one, how long it takes and when it's done, and which rubs to use.

Pork ribs

Baby back ribs

Also called loin back ribs, these come from the top of the rib cage where it meets the backbone, beneath the loin. A rack is usually 2 to 3 pounds with 11 to 13 curved bones. They're lean and tender with meat on top of the bones, and they cook faster than spare ribs. One rack feeds about 2 people.

Spare ribs

Spare ribs come from the lower belly side of the rib cage. They're larger (3 to 5 pounds), flatter, and fattier, with more connective tissue and more flavor. An untrimmed rack includes the rib tips and cartilage along one edge. They need low, slow cooking.

St. Louis-style ribs

A St. Louis cut is a spare rib rack trimmed into a neat rectangle, with the rib tips, cartilage and flap removed. It cooks more evenly than an untrimmed spare rib rack and is the competition barbecue favorite. A rack is usually 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds.

Rib tips

The trimmed strip from a St. Louis cut. Chewy, rich and full of cartilage. Smoke or braise them until tender and serve as a snack.

Country-style ribs

Despite the name, these usually aren't ribs at all. They're thick strips cut from the shoulder end of the loin or from the pork shoulder itself, with or without bone. Shoulder-cut country ribs do well braised or smoked until tender; loin-cut ones can be grilled like thick chops.

Beef ribs

Beef back ribs

These come from the rib section, the same area as ribeye and prime rib. Because the valuable meat is cut away for steaks and roasts, the meat sits mostly between the bones rather than on top. They're flavorful and fattier than pork ribs, and they smoke well. Look at how much meat is left between the bones; package weight alone doesn't tell you how much you'll serve.

Plate short ribs

The big "dino ribs" of Texas barbecue. These come from the lower plate section and carry a thick layer of meat on top of each long bone. They're usually sold as a 3-bone slab and are best smoked low and slow.

Chuck short ribs

Cut from the chuck (shoulder) end. Meaty and well marbled, often sold as individual chunks with one bone each. These are the classic braising short ribs.

Flanken and English-cut short ribs

English cut is a single bone with a thick block of meat on top, best braised. Flanken or cross-cut ribs are sliced thin across the bones, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, so each strip has several small bone pieces. They cook quickly over high heat and are used for Korean galbi.

Rib comparison chart

Times vary with rack size and your cooker. The safe minimum for whole pork and beef cuts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, but ribs need much more cooking than that to become tender. Use tenderness as the final test. See our internal temperature guide.

How to prep a rack of ribs

1. Remove the membrane. On the bone side of pork ribs there's a thin, shiny membrane. Slide a butter knife under it at one end, grip it with a paper towel and peel it off. It lets the rub in and gives a better bite.
2. Trim. Cut away loose flaps of meat and thick pieces of hard fat that won't render.
3. Bind and season. Brush on a thin layer of yellow mustard or oil, then season all sides. For a full rack, use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of rub.
4. Rest. Let the rub sit 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator for a deeper bark.

Recipe: oven-baked baby back ribs

1. Heat the oven to 275°F. Remove the membrane and season a 2 1/2 pound rack of baby backs with 2 tablespoons Honey BBQ Pork Rub.
2. Place meat side up on a foil-lined sheet pan and wrap tightly in foil.
3. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a toothpick slides between the bones easily.
4. Unwrap, brush with barbecue sauce if you like, and broil or grill 3 to 5 minutes until the surface is sticky and browned. Watch closely; sugar burns fast.
5. Rest 10 minutes, then slice between the bones.

Recipe: smoked St. Louis ribs

Season a trimmed rack with 2 to 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar Pork Rub and smoke at 225 to 250°F. Many cooks follow the 3-2-1 schedule: 3 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped in foil with a splash of apple juice, and 1 hour unwrapped to firm the bark. Start checking early for smaller racks. The full method is in Smoking Ribs Using the 3-2-1 Method and Smoked Ribs with Brown Sugar Pork Rub.

Recipe: braised beef short ribs

1. Season 3 to 4 pounds bone-in chuck short ribs with about 1 tablespoon Classic Steak Seasoning.
2. Brown well on all sides in a heavy oven-safe pot with a little oil. Remove and pour off excess fat.
3. Cook 1 sliced onion, 2 sliced carrots and 3 smashed garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
4. Add 1 cup red wine or extra broth and scrape up the browned bits. Add 2 cups unsalted beef broth and a few thyme sprigs.
5. Return the ribs, cover and cook at 300°F for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours until fork-tender.
6. Skim the fat, taste the sauce for salt, and serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Which rub for which rib?

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between baby back and spare ribs?

Baby backs come from higher on the rib cage near the loin. They're smaller, leaner, curved and quicker to cook. Spare ribs come from the belly side. They're bigger, flatter, fattier and more flavorful, and need longer cooking.

How many ribs per person?

Plan on about half a rack of baby backs, or 1 pound of bone-in pork ribs, per adult. For beef plate ribs, one large bone often feeds one or two people.

Should I boil ribs before cooking?

We don't recommend it. Boiling pulls flavor into the water. Low oven heat in foil gives tender ribs without losing flavor.

Do I have to remove the membrane?

It's optional, but removing it lets seasoning reach the meat on the bone side and gives a better texture.

Explore more from Savu Birra

Try four pork blends in the Pork Seasoning Variety Pack, and browse all pork seasoning blends and steak and beef blends. Read the pork rub guide next.