popagefd
How To Cook Pork Ribs
Types Of Pork Ribs
Pork ribs also differ according to where they are located within the hog’s body. There are also different types based on the way they are cut. Cooking ribs that are pork is done the same way as beef; “low and slow”, and either a dry rub applied or a wet sauce.
Spareribs
Spareribs are found in the belly and side sections of the hog, and usually have a degree of fat along the outside. While the fat can be trimmed away, this fat will melt into the meat using the “low and slow” cooking process, and will serve to tenderize and flavor the meat. These ribs can be hefty packages, weighing in at up to 4 pounds per rack. Either a dry rub or a wet barbeque sauce can be used to prepare these tasty morsels.
The beauty of spareribs is that they can be slow roasted in the oven, prepared on a slow grill, smoked or even prepared in a crockpot or stovetop pot in classic German style with sauerkraut and apple.
Baby Back Ribs
These ribs are found along the rear of the center cut pork loin. Much smaller in size per rack, baby back ribs usually have very little fat. A lesser amount of connective tissue makes these ribs faster to cook.
A wonderful finger food, baby back ribs can also be prepped with either a dry rub or a barbeque sauce. For even more flavor, the meat can be marinated overnight and then slow cooked the following day for a succulent meal.
St. Louis Style Ribs
Folks in St. Louis simply took the basic sparerib and removed the flap meat found along the top and also removed the brisket bone. Trimming the sparerib in this manner gave a new look to the rack, but cooking methods remain the same.
With the additional meat removed, St. Louis style ribs weigh less as well; averaging around 3 pounds. Often, these ribs will come with a shiny membrane covering the back of the ribs. This membrane should be removed as much as possible to allow the meat to tenderize. Simply slip a sharp knife underneath the membrane and peel away. Either grilling over slow coals or slow oven roasting will produce tender and delicious ribs that can either be basted with barbeque sauce or rubbed with an assortment of spices.
Country Style Ribs
This cut of pork is not a rib at all, but rather a cut taken most often from the pork butt. They are very popular due to the large amount of meat generally found on them, and are a relatively inexpensive cut compared to the true ribs.
These “ribs” are actually oversized pork chops, with a bone usually connected at one end. A boneless variety is also available. Because of the lean meatiness of the country style ribs, they can be roasted in the oven, simmered all day in a crockpot with spices and root vegetables or even grilled. Marinating is not necessary, but you may infuse the meat with favorite flavors if desired.
Smoking any type of rib, whether it is beef or pork, can produce a flavorful, smokiness to the meat as well as tenderizing the cut. No smoker? No problem. Meats can be smoked in the oven or on the grill in the absence of the all day smoker. Liquid Smoke is a product that captures the essence of the flavor of smokiness without investing in the expensive smoking equipment. A word of caution: a tiny bit of Liquid Smoke goes a long, long way.
Cooking ribs may seem like a complicated process, but they are truly easy to prepare. The “low and slow” process means you can prepare them, start the cooking process and forget them until hours later. Once you have tasted the results, it is certain that you will be hooked, and make these delicious ribs much more often.