Know your cuts before buying and grilling

"You can't really throw any rib on the grill and just expect them to
cook like a steak, because it doesn't work that way," says Merlin Eby
of Eby's Old Fashioned Meat Market in South Bend.

Ribs are ribs, right?

Not necessarily. Pigs have 14 ribs attached to the spine. Locally,
they are usually divided into four popular cuts: baby back ribs, spare
ribs, St. Louis cut and rib tips.

There are also several cuts of meat labeled ribs that are not true
ribs, such as country ribs and boneless baby back ribs.

Baby back ribs: These ribs, always popular, have become even better
known thanks to Chili's advertising jingle.

"These are the top of the line," Skirvin says. "If this were a car,
it'd be like a BMW."

A rack or slab -- a row of ribs bound together by muscle, fat and
cartilage -- of baby back ribs usually contains eight to 14 bones. The
bones are short, curved and tightly spaced, and most of the meat lies
on top of the bones where it is easier to reach. A good portion of the
meat is from the pork loin, the long strip of lean meat that runs on
either side of the spine above the ribs. The loin is the tenderest
pork meat because it comes from a muscle that does not do much work.

Cooking baby back ribs is easy, Skirvin says, and doesn't take as long
as some of the other ribs.

"Just throw them on the grill and cook them really low. You just have
to sit back, watch them and make sure they don't burn."

Baby back ribs cost around $3.99 to $5.99 a pound, and slabs usually
weigh 2 pounds or less.

"Certain times of the year," Skirvin says, "I've seen them over $6.
And if you can get these for $2.99 -- and you'll see them occasionally
in someone's ad -- that's a real bargain."

Spare ribs: Another popular cut, spare ribs are located below the baby
back ribs on the lower half of the rib cage, and they have more bone
than meat.

"If I had to put a percentage on it," Skirvin says, "it'd probably be
a good 40 percent of bone; maybe just a little more on some of (the
slabs)."

The bones of the spare ribs are straighter and flatter than the baby
backs. According to the USDA, a slab must have at least 11 bones, but
it can have as many as 14. Because they have more bone, spare ribs are
a little less expensive than baby backs. They can cost between $2 and
$4 per pound; a slab typically weighs 4 pounds or less.

Anita Miller, assistant manager at John's Butcher Shop in Nappanee,
recommends allowing about a pound per person because spare ribs have
so much bone. For spare ribs to be tender, they should be cooked
slowly over low fire, which prevents the meat from getting too dry.

Eby recommends buying a thermometer to monitor the temperature inside
the grill; otherwise, "you're just guessing how hot your fire is and
how long it will take to cook." He grills his spare ribs at 220 F for
a minimum of three hours.

St. Louis-style ribs: This cut can vary depending on the part of the
country you are in, Greg Skirvin teaches little classes at Shelton's
Farm Market in Niles and says, " St. Louis ribs to me might be
something different than (they are to) somebody else. What I used to
call St. Louis ribs, we would get off the bone-in pork loin and cut
them a certain way. To some people, the St. Louis rib is (the spare)
with the rib tip off."

Locally, the St. Louis cut, or baby spare ribs, is considered the
upper half of the spare ribs, but the cut usually isn't offered unless
requested. A slab typically costs $3.99 a pound and averages 3 pounds.

St. Louis-style ribs can be prepared the same way as spare ribs, but
because the cut contains the flattest bones, it also can be used for
recipes that require browning the meat.

Rib tips: These are the small meaty pieces that form the lower half of
the spare ribs. They can be harder to eat because the cartilage goes
every which way between the bones. But the messiness just adds to the fun.

Some people parboil rib tips before placing them over low heat on the
grill. Others grill them for a longer period of time over low heat,
say 200 F.

Most local meat markets carry rib tips individually or in 10- or
30-pound boxes. Individual tips range in cost from $1.19 to $2 a
pound, and boxes, from $12.99 to $29.70 a box.

Country ribs: Not a true rib, these are cut off the pork butt -- the
upper part of the front leg -- in 1 1/4-inch strips.

"We do sell a lot of these," Skirvin says. "They are easy to cook.
They don't require parboiling or anything."

The country ribs can be cooked like a pork chop on a hotter
temperature because "that's all good meat and you can brown those up
nice," Eby says.

The country ribs cost between $2.29 and $2.69 a pound; the average
weight, 10 to 12 ounces each.

Boneless baby back ribs: Also not a true rib, they are becoming quite
popular, probably because of restaurant ads.

To create boneless baby back ribs, Skirvin explains, the pork loin is
sliced in half vertically and then again lengthwise.

"This is a leaner piece, and people that are watching their weight
might prefer this," Skirvin says.

A cut of boneless baby back ribs can vary in weight from 1 to 2
pounds; the average cost is $3.99 a pound.

"This is one of the pork items that can be a little pink on the
inside," Skirvin says, "because it is very lean and will be dry if
overcooked."

He recommends grilling the meat slowly.

"Depending on the heat, 15 minutes on each side."

Other cuts: If you don't see what you're looking for behind the meat
counter, talk to the butcher -- most can get you any cut you want.

Source: Adapted from an article by ALICE CULP, South Bend Tribune
Staff Writer

More Tips, Recipes and Links  

Join Susan's Daily tips Newsletter