Meat · Pork

Pork spare ribs

Pork ribs with meat between the bones; barbecued, braised, steamed with black bean or cut small for soups.

Also called: pork ribs, spareribs, pork riblets, pai gu, baby back ribs

A kind of pork

What it is

Spare ribs come from the belly side of the rib cage: flatter, meatier and fattier than baby back ribs, which come from higher up near the loin. In Chinese cooking (pai gu) they are chopped into small riblets for steaming, braising and soups. Both styles have plenty of connective tissue.

How it’s used

Barbecued and smoked ribs
Chinese steamed ribs with black beans
Sweet and sour or char siu ribs
Bak kut teh and other pork rib soups
Korean-style braised ribs

Characteristics

Taste: Rich and porky.
Texture: Tender and juicy when slow-cooked.
When cooked: Remove the membrane on the bone side; cook low and slow until the meat pulls back from the bones.
Sold as: fresh, frozen
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling, Suitable for boiling
Common in: American, Southern US, Chinese, Cantonese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Korean

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge or freeze.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Food-safety guidance for whole cuts of beef, lamb, veal and pork is 63 °C (145 °F) in the centre followed by a 3-minute rest; slow-cooked cuts are taken far higher for tenderness.
Store raw meat sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge and keep separate boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat food.