Spare Ribs Vs Baby Back Ribs: The Real Difference And How To Choose Between Them

Pork ribs are delicious now matter how you cook them. They can be baked in the oven, smoked, grilled, or braised on the stove. So, the biggest decision you have to make when preparing ribs is how to cook them, right? Actually, the first step you need to make when cooking pork ribs is knowing whether or not you're going to be making baby back or spare ribs.

If you thought ribs were ribs, you're incorrect. Baby back ribs, the smaller "baby" ribs from the back of the pig are the meatier and more tender of the two, while spare ribs are the larger, fattier ribs from the belly and breast side. Both are delicious, can be cooked in many of the same ways, and are a satisfying dish whether you're cooking for yourself or for friends, putting on a spice rub, basting, or both. Although baby backs are slightly pricier, it all depends on your preference.

Baby back ribs do not, as you may have thought, come from baby pigs. Baby backs were named because they are connected to the backbone and because of their size –- they measure from six to three inches as they taper toward the end of the rack. Depending on how the ribs were butchered, they can contain about a half-inch section of meat at the top of the rib. They also tend to be more tender than spare ribs. You can often identify baby backs by the curve in the bone.

Spare ribs come from the belly of the pig. They are significantly larger and longer than baby backs and have more meat between the bones, but less on top. Spare ribs also generally have more marbling, or more fat, than baby backs, which gives them more flavor. Deciding between the two often depends on whether you prefer something meatier or fattier. Spare ribs are flatter than baby backs, so are slightly easier to handle.

Often, you'll see spare ribs described as St. Louis-style ribs. These have been squared off by cutting off the boney ends. The key advantage is conformity. It also makes them easier to handle when frying or flipping over on a grill.

Even though baby backs are meatier, spare ribs' overall larger size means there is more meat per rack. To get the same amount of meat that is on a rack of spare ribs, you'll need to buy almost double the amount of baby backs. For a baby back rack weighing two pounds, you'll get approximately one pound of meat. A rack of spare ribs weighs two and a half to three pounds.

However, comparing prices between the two is difficult since pricing and availability varies from retailer to retailer. Because you need more ribs per person with baby backs, they tend to be more expensive. Some retailers also charge more for the smaller ribs, considering them to be a premium cut. Others charge similar prices for the two, but you'll usually pay more per pound for the St. Louis style than for traditional spare ribs.

You can use the same methods for cooking baby backs and spare ribs and easily replace one for the other in recipes. The only thing that will vary is cooking time. Since baby backs are smaller and more tender, they'll need less time to cook. For example, the National Pork Board suggests smoking the two at the same temperature but allowing spare ribs at least two additional hours to cook. If you're baking them in the oven, cook the baby backs at a lower temperature (300 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit versus 350 degrees) and give spare ribs twice the amount of time to cook.

Chefs have their own preferences for whether smoking, grilling, braising, or baking works best. Some say the best method for tender ribs is the 3-2-1 method, which involves smoking the ribs for three hours uncovered, then cooking them for two hours wrapped in tin foil or parchment paper, and unwrapping them for the last hour. You can also get succulent ribs on a gas grill by going low and slow. For that method, you light only one side of the grill and put the ribs on the unlit side. This keeps the ribs from overcooking or drying. Whichever method you use, if on the odd chance you have leftovers, you can reheat ribs — of any kind — so they're nice and crispy.