Ribs are fantastic dishes for gatherings and parties. They are tender and flavorful with a perfect combination of meat and fat. But there are dozens of types of ribs and each of them has its features. Here is a quick guide of them. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
5 Different Types of Pork Ribs
1. Baby Back Ribs
The word “baby” refers to its size, Baby Back Ribs is shorter than Spare Ribs, but not related to piggies. And “back” denotes that they are located close to the backbone of the pigs which is just under the loin muscle. Therefore, they’ve got another name: “loin ribs”. The portion that connects the spine of Baby Back Ribs is a bit curved.
Baby Back Ribs have a lower fat content and it is much meatier than Spare Ribs. What’s more, they are incredibly tender. All these features combined into this well-known type of ribs and that’s why their price tags are heftier. Baby Back Ribs are very versatile, you can cook it in an oven, slow cooker or smoker.
► Read More: Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs Recipe | Which kind of pork ribs should you buy?
2. Spare Ribs
Spare Ribs are taken from the location between loin and side (belly) primals, and hence they are named as “side ribs” sometimes. Owing to the position, Spare Ribs are straight, flat and larger in size when compared to Baby Back Ribs. Apart from that, they contain more fat than Baby Back Ribs since the muscles of the side do not exercise much. Thanks to the flat shape and great amount of fat, Spare Ribs are perfect to barbecue and grill.
3. St. Louis Style Ribs
St. Louis Style Ribs are actually a trimmed version of Spare Ribs. They are the upper part of the full rack of Spare Ribs by sawing off the tips and so they are in a rectangular shape.
4. Rib Tips
Rib Tips are the sawed off tips of Spare Ribs. In other words, they are the remaining part after trimming St. Louis Style Ribs from Spare Ribs and taste flavorful with a great deal of fat.
5. Pork Short Ribs
Pork does have short ribs too. The Pork Short Ribs are the extension of Baby Back Ribs to the shoulder. They possess an unbeatable fat and meat ratio. Consequently, they are wonderfully meaty, juicy and scrumptious. Although Pork Short Ribs are tough at the beginning, they are tenderized just right after cooking for a long time such as smoking, slow cooker cooking and braising. The cut short ribs are convenient to cook, share and enjoy.
► Read More: 20 Pork Cuts Must to Learn (American Cutting Diagram)
3 Different Types of Beef Ribs
1. Beef Back Ribs
Beef Back Ribs are simply the beef version of Baby Back Ribs. They are found in the portion of the rib near the spine, where there is a bit curve. It is literally the source of Ribeye Steaks and similarly, the Beef Back Ribs have a remarkable marbling and flavor.
However, the muscles get a heavy work which produces a lot of connective tissues. Also, there is a leathery membrane connecting the meat and bone. Thus, the Beef Back Ribs are rather chewy. Slow cooking methods like grilling, smoking, stewing can help break down the connective tissues, and deliver a yummy ribs dish.
2. Beef Short Ribs
There are many types of Short Ribs according to their positions. You can find short ribs from brisket, chuck, plate, and rib primals while plate short ribs are typically fatter. The plate rib section contains five ribs. They are astonishingly delicious thanks to the matchless combination of meat, fat and rib bone. The great amount of meat is fulfilling while the fat and marrow-filled bone enrich the flavor. If you prefer to take big bites of the meat solely, choose the Boneless Short Ribs.
Other than that, bone-in short ribs can be classified by the ways of cutting, there are primarily two types of cutting—English Cut and Flanken Cut. English Cut is the way of cutting along the rib bone and so each strip of short ribs contains a long bone.
On the other hand, Flanken Cut is cross-cutting the short ribs and you will see 3 to 5 sawed pieces of bone in a single strip. The famous Korean-style barbecue short ribs, Galbi or Kalbi, is also cut in Flanken style. Kalbi is usually marinated with soy and brown sugar and served raw, then grilled by the diners themselves.
► Read More: Learn Wagyu Beef In 10 Minutes | The Finest Beef In The World
3. Dino Ribs
Dino Ribs, or Dinosaur Ribs, come from the rib cage at the beef plate just below the rib primal of beef. They are generally cut into smaller portions and sold as Short Ribs. This is to say, the Dino Ribs are actually the gigantic version of short ribs, and that’s why it has the name. They are the hugest and meatiest beef ribs you can find.
Dino Ribs are typically attached with three thick rib bones. They are 8” or more which include a wealth of meat and fat that provide you satisfied bites.
► Read More: 8 Primal Cuts of Beef to Learn Before Ordering Steaks
► Read More: 20 Best Beef Cuts Ranked (A Complete Guide to Know Your Cuts)
Ribs of Lamb
1. Lamb Ribs
Lamb Ribs are a lesser-known cut of meat no matter in ribs or lamb. And they can go by different names including lamb ribs, lamb belly, lamb breast and more, and you may miss them even if they are in front of you. Both cause lamb ribs hard to find.
In fact, Lamb Ribs are the spare ribs of lamb sourced from the area close to the shoulder which is sawed off from the top rack of lamb bones. They are smaller than pork ribs and thus you need less time to prepare them, just around 3 hours.
► Read More: 14 Lamb Cuts To Know Before Dining Out! | Chart & Guide
Summary
Which types of ribs are your favorite? All of the ribs are amazing! Do try them, otherwise you will miss the heaven on a plate!
► Read More: 15 Types of Bacon that Must Know | Bacon 101
► Read More: 6 Beef Grading Systems In the World (with Complete Chart)
