Did you know that Americans prepare about 3 BILLION meals on grills each year?

Getting to Know Ribs

Barbecuing Ribs
To barbecue means to cook slowly over low, indirect heat - as opposed to grilling, which is to cook quickly over high heat. Ribs need that long, slow cooking to create the tenderness and flavor that people crave.

Pork Spare Ribs
Spare ribs come from the belly of the hog, as does bacon. They are very meaty and tend to have more fat and flavor than back ribs. Because they are also somewhat less tender, spare ribs are sometimes parboiled before grilling to maximize tenderness.

Pork Loin Back Ribs
Also known as baby back ribs, these come from the loin of the hog and usually will have 8 to 14 ribs per slab. The meat on back ribs is relatively lean and more tender than spareribs. Because of their smaller size, back ribs cook faster than spareribs.

Pork Country-Style Ribs
Country-style ribs are cut from the blade end of the loin, close to the pork shoulder. They are meatier than other rib cuts and are available either bone-in or boneless. They don’t contain rib bones, so technically they aren’t truly ribs. But they’re delicious nonetheless.

Beef Back Ribs
Although not as widely popular as pork ribs, these are tender and flavorful when cooked long and slow with low, indirect heat. They are favored in Texas, where they’re coated with a spice rub and smoked for several hours, then served with barbecue sauce.



Barbecue and Grilling Recipe of the Week
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