Food Guide
Pork Ribs
Varieties
Spareribs are cut from the side or belly of the pig.
Country-style ribs, cut from the loin, are meatier than spareribs, but also contain more fat. They are available boneless or bone-in.
Baby back ribs, cut from the loin, are leaner and thinner than spareribs and country-style ribs.
Preparation, Uses, & Tips
Barbecue spareribs in the oven
Place 12-ounce (340.2g) portions of spareribs in a roasting pan, and bake at 300°F (150°C) for one hour, turning after the first half hour. Drain off fat and coat both sides of the meat with barbecue sauce. Bake until tender, another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve sections cut with one or two ribs each.
Barbecue pork ribs by the braise/grill method
Braise ribs first for one hour in water or sauce, then rub them with spices or coat with sauce and place on the grill 4 inches (10cm) from the heat source and cook long enough to brown them well.
Barbecue pork ribs by the slow-grill method
Place pork ribs, outer rib side down, over indirect heat (move coals aside or lower gas flame), cover, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until ribs are tender. Turn halfway through the cooking time and baste with barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Or, you can rub the ribs with spices and marinate them overnight before cooking them.
Braise pork ribs
Add oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown ribs in batches for about six minutes. Remove ribs from pan, add vegetables, spices, wine, and/or broth, and return the ribs to the pan. Cover and cook on the stove top until tender, about two hours.
Storing
Keep raw pork ribs in their original wrapping and store them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for two to three days. Cooked pork will keep four to five days in the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap ribs well in plastic, foil, or butcher paper and store at 18°F (0°C) for up to ten months. Leftover cooked pork ribs keep in the freezer for one month. Thaw pork ribs in the refrigerator, leaving them wrapped. Ribs will take 8 to 10 hours to thaw, depending on the size and thickness of the pieces. Do not refreeze thawed pork ribs.
Nutrition Highlights
Pork (country-style spareribs, braised), 3 oz. (85.05g)
- Calories: 251.6
- Protein: 20.3g
- Carbohydrate: 0.0g
- Total Fat: 18.3g
- Fiber: 0.0g