Also indexed as: Baby Back Ribs, Spareribs
Preparation, uses, and 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.
Buying and storing tips
Pork ribs should be reddish pink. A darker red indicates acidic pork, meat that tends to be
juicy and delicious but that does not keep well and must be eaten immediately. Avoid ribs that
have a brown or greenish tinge or that are slimy or have an odor.
Keep raw pork ribs in their original wrapping and store them in the refrigerator, where
they will keep for 2 to 3 days. Cooked pork will keep 4 to 5 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.
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.
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
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a
particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value.
Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries.
Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values
and the recommended daily guidelines.