Your Favorite Type Of Ribs Might Not Be Giving You The Best Bite For Your Buck

Baby back ribs are a true barbecue hero. Whether you're smoking them Texas-style using a proper pit, grilling them on a gas barbecue, or even slow-roasting them in an oven (a highly underrated technique, especially when paired with a great homemade sauce), they're a surefire winner. There's just one problem: Their clean bite, tenderness, and great flavor has made them an icon, but it's also made them expensive. To find out more about whether you're really getting the best bite for your buck with this classic cut, we spoke to Robbie Shoults, celebrity chef and third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall Mercantile, and High Horse 1898.

"Baby back ribs are very popular but also overpriced," Shoults told us. Turns out, most of their price is down to marketing: "Baby back and loin back ribs are the same thing just marketed differently," he said. "They both come from the same spot on the hog but can be labeled two different ways, which can be confusing to consumers." Knowing this can be a crucial bit of info while shopping since it means that, with a little searching, you can find essentially the same product for a significantly lower price. "Loin back ribs can usually be purchased in vacuum-sealed packs of three from the wholesale clubs, which offer the best value," Shoults said.

If you're after baby back ribs at a price that doesn't break the bank, get prepared to dig around at the grocery store and find yourself some loin back ribs. You get the best of both worlds: Flavor and value. But, of course, baby back (or loin back) ribs aren't the only cut out there. Take the humble St. Louis-style rib, for example. This is a bigger cut than baby backs, and certainly delivers on the bang for your buck front. As Robbie Shoults told us: "St. Louis-style ribs are the ones we use here at [Bear Creek] Smokehouse and we believe they are more flavorful and are the best value overall." Generally, St. Louis-style ribs deliver more meat, more fat, and arguably more flavor than their better known and smaller cousins; choosing them is a bit of a no-brainer!

What about spare ribs? They're beloved in barbecue culture all over the world, from the Deep South to China, but are they a value proposition? "Spare ribs are cheaper and there's a lot of barbecue joints that use them," Shoults explained. "However, you have to deal with the cartilage that is still attached to the rack, along with the tips. With that in mind, there will be some trimming and cutting that you will have to do on your own at home." They're a little extra effort, but, if you fancy taking on the challenge or improving your butchery skills with ribs at the end, they're a great choice.

Baby back ribs are a wonderful cut for several reasons, chief among them their tenderness, but they're also beloved because they retain that tenderness whilst being relatively fast to cook — at least when compared to other cuts of ribs. Barbecue isn't exactly known for being the quickest cuisine out there (unless you're flash grilling), so the convenience that baby back ribs offer is certainly part of why they're so popular. If you're trying to replicate the signature mouthfeel of baby back ribs with another cut, just remember that it might take a little longer: "When cooking any other type of rib besides baby back or loin back, such as St. Louis-style or spare ribs, always remember that the latter will require more time," Robbie Shoults reminds us. "Remember that, whatever type of rib you're cooking, low-and-slow should be the common denominator among them all."

Trust the process, and allow your ribs long enough to properly tenderize and develop that deep, rich barbecue flavor. "Spare ribs and St. Louis-style ribs will always be juicy and flavorful and there's no need to change up your rib routine, whether it's a marinade or a dry rub method for seasoning," Shoults said. At the end of the day, barbecue is a wonder in part because of its ability to turn less-than-expensive ingredients into gold — with a little bit of patience. As Shoults explained: "You will be able to get the same results as baby backs without spending the extra money."