|
Happy Independence Day! For whatever reason, July 4th is National Barbecued Spareribs Day (we’re partial to the alternate, more elegant, spelling, spare ribs).
What’s the difference between spare ribs and baby back ribs? Not a whole lot: They’re just two different pieces of the same slab of meat.
The main difference is size. The farther down the rib cage you go, the meatier the ribs become.
Below:
> The different types of ribs.
> The history of the pig.
> Pig trivia.
> The year’s 43 pork holidays.
> The year’s 11 bacon holidays.
> The year’s ham holidays.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> BBQ, barbecue, or barbeque: which to use?
> The different cuts of pork, a photo glossary.
> The different types of barbecue sauce.
> The history of barbecue.
[8] Look center-left for the positions of the back ribs and the spare ribs (chart © Smithfield Foods).
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RIBS
Barbecue is such an extensive category, that we’ve provided just a basic amount of information. If you’d like to know more, there are many websites on the topic, including those from prominent barbecue book authors.
Spare ribs (left side of photo #3) are cut from the bottom of the rib cage, the belly side below the back ribs, which extend about 6″ down from the spine. They are longer and flatter than baby back ribs. Compared to baby back ribs, spare ribs have more meat between the bones and less meat on top of them; but overall, they are meatier than other types of ribs. The meat is more marbled, and the greater proportion of fat makes them more tender than baby back ribs. In addition to the alternate spelling spareribs, they are also called side ribs.
Boneless spare ribs are not deboned spare ribs. Rather, they’re made from a boneless pork butt, the shoulder of the pig. The pork is cut into thick slices, roasted, and then cut into long thin lengths to resemble boneless spare ribs.
Memphis-style/Tennessee style ribs are known for their dry-rubbed flavor, slow smoking, and emphasis on pork. Some are served “dry,” only with the spice rub; they can also be served “wet,” brushed or glazed with sauce during or after cooking.
St. Louis-style ribs, also known as St. Louis cut ribs, start off as spare ribs. But they’re trimmed down to a rectangular shape that’s more uniform and easier to eat. Most ribs called spare ribs are actually St. Louis-cut. But for the purpose of this article, we’re calling them spare ribs, a better-known term in much of the country. The National Pork Board says that St. Louis-style ribs are a squared cut. Square or rectangular, they are straight and flat and work best for recipes that require browning in a frying pan.
Kansas City-style ribs. While St. Louis-style ribs have had the sternum bone, cartilage, and rib tips removed for a uniform size, Kansas City-style ribs are trimmed even more closely, with the cartilage left in place.
Missouri-style dry ribs. These are spareribs that have been trimmed into a uniform, rectangular shape (“the St. Louis cut”), removing the breastbone and the rib tips to ensure the meat cooks evenly across the slab. See Dry Ribs, below. Many Missouri styles use a vinegar-based basting liquid or a tangy, thin sauce (similar to those in Tennessee or the Carolinas) to keep the meat moist without masking the flavor of the rub.
[9] Missouri-style dry ribs (photo © D’Artagnan).
Carolina-style ribs. Carolina barbecue is mostly known for whole-hog and pulled pork, but ribs are also available. Carolina tradition actually splits into several sub-styles, primarily defined by the base of the sauce (vinegar, mustard, or light tomato).
Baby back ribs (right side of photo #3) are cut from the top of the rib cage, near the backbone. They are curved, compared to the straighter spare ribs. They’re called “baby” because they’re shorter than spare ribs, not because they come from baby pigs.
Country style ribs are cut from where the loin and shoulder meet. They’re a combination of higher fat and lean meat and are sold as slabs or individual servings. They’re perfect for those who want to use a knife and fork to eat their ribs and spare themselves the messy fingers, instead of eating ribs off the bone.
Riblets are made by cutting a rack of ribs into 2- to 4-inch pieces.
Rib tips are the lower portion of spare ribs that remain after cutting St. Louis style ribs.
Dry rub/dry ribs, unlike “wet” ribs that are simmered in sauce, are heavily seasoned with a spice rub before cooking (dark brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sometimes dry mustard or coriander).
Ribs are prepared with any number of rubs and sauces, and we’ve never had any that weren’t delicious.
[11] You don’t have to follow tradition and douse ribs with sauce. Here’s a Mexican touch of cilantro, jalapeño, and salsa verde on the side. Chimichurri or pesto are similar options (photo © Distilled New York).
THE HISTORY OF THE PIG
Fossils indicate that wild pig-like animals roamed the forests and swamps of Europe and Asia some 40 million years ago.
By 4900 B.C.E., pigs had been domesticated in China. They were being raised in Europe by 1500 B.C.E. Easy to raise, they produced meat and its by-products in a short amount of time.
Pigs Come To America
On the insistence of Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus took eight pigs on his voyage to Cuba in 1493.
|
|
[1] Mustard-glazed spare ribs (photo © Lucero Olive Oil).
[2] Smoked baby back ribs. Here’s the recipe (photo © Omaha Joe’s).
[3] A rack of spare ribs on the left, baby back ribs on the right (photo © Weber).
[4] Fruit glazes are popular, from apricot to tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. These are blackberry-glazed spare ribs, made with blackberry fruit spread. Here’s the recipe for these blackberry glazed ribs (photo © Smithfield Culinary).
[5] Ribs can be more than casual, as shown with this cherry-cherry brandy sauce (just add Kirsch to a cherry sauce; photo © Kokomo | Brooklyn).
[6] Hoisin Chili Sticky Spare Ribs, a popular recipe created by Chef Masaharu Morimoto, garnished with microgreens and chili threads (photo © Bourbon Steak | New York).
[7] Who wants rib-and-sushi surf-and-turf? Hunan Spare Ribs Here’s the recipe (photo © Smithfield Culinary).
|
However, Hernando de Soto brought the first pigs to the American continent—13 of them, which landed in Tampa Bay, Florida in 1539.
Three years later, at the time of his death, his herd had grown to 700 head, not including:
The pigs his troops had consumed.
The ones that ran away (they became the ancestors of today’s feral pigs).
Those given to Native Americans to keep the peace (the local Tocobaga tribe had become fond of the taste of pork and raided de Soto’s camps for it).
Pig production spread throughout the Eastern U.S. and beyond. Hernando Cortez introduced hogs to New Mexico in 1600.
But while pigs were quick to fatten, they were quick to destroy.
On the northern edge of Manhattan island, a long, solid wall was constructed to control roaming herds of pigs. This wall conferred what would later become a world-famous name: Wall Street.
Semi-wild pigs conducted such rampages in the grain fields of colonial New York that a law decreed that every owned pig 14 inches or higher had to have a ring in its nose, to discourage rooting up crops, gardens, and lawns [source].
Some readers may exclaim: a pig of 14 inches in height? A little more than a foot high?
That’s right. The first pigs were the size of large cats or small dogs.
After centuries of breeding for higher yields, today’s domestic pig has an overall height of 20”-38” and a body length of 35″-71”. It weighs between 250-700 pounds. On factory farms, pigs attain slaughter weight (the lower end of the spectrum) by the time they’re 6 months old.
In addition to pork and lard, pigs contribute leather, gelatin, glue, fertilizer, hair bristles for brushes, and organs like heart valves.
If not harvested earlier, pigs have a lifespan of 6-10 years on a farm, and 15-20 years if kept as a pet. Naturally intelligent and social, domestic pigs are among the smartest of all domesticated animals—often credited as smarter than dogs [source].
PIG TRIVIA
Pigs were the first animals to be domesticated.
Pigs live on every continent except Antarctica.
ork is the most-consumed animal protein worldwide. Pork comprises 40% of all meat consumed.
The Chinese are the largest consumers of pork, at 90 pounds per capita annually.
Pigs are omnivores meaning, enjoying both plant and animal foods.
Domesticated pigs eat barley, corn, hay, oats, soybean meal, vegetables, and wheat.
The phrase to “sweat like a pig” is fallacious. Pigs do not have sweat glands, so they are unable to sweat. Instead, to cool themselves, pigs wallowing in mud or water.
Pigs make more than 20 different sounds, via oinking, grunting, and squealing. Pig squeals can get as loud as 115 dB, or almost as loud as the average rock concert (120 dB).
National Pig Day is March 1st.
[10] Wild swine, from which modern pigs were bred (photo © San Diego Zoo).
THE YEAR’S 24 PORK HOLIDAYS
January, last Sunday: National Meat Week begins
February, Super Bowl Sunday: National Pork Rind Appreciation Day
February 5: National Pork Rind Day
March 1: National Pig Day
March 7: National Crown Roast of Pork Day
March 9: National Meatball Day
April 24: National Pigs in a Blanket Day
May: National Barbecue Month
May 16: National Barbecue Day
June: National Soul Food Month
June 10: National Egg Roll Day
July 13: National Beans ‘N’ Franks Day
August 23: National Cuban Sandwich Day
September 7: National Salami Day
September 20: National Fried Rice Day
September 20: National Pepperoni Pizza Day
September 23: National Snack Stick Day
October: National Pork Month
October 12: National Pulled Pork Day
October, 3rd Saturday: National Whole Hog Barbecue Day
November 1: National Pâté Day
November 9: National Scrapple Day
THE YEAR’S 11 BACON HOLIDAYS
February 27: The Big Breakfast Day
April: National BLT Sandwich Month
April 6: National Carbonara Day
March 3: Canadian Bacon Day
May 20: National Quiche Lorraine Day
June 29: National Bacon Burnt Ends Day
July 8: Kevin Bacon’s Birthday (LOL)
August 20: National Bacon Lovers Day
August or September, Saturday before Labor Day: International Bacon Day
September: Better Breakfast Month
December 30th: National Bacon Day
THE YEAR’S 11 HAM HOLIDAYS
March 3: National Cold Cuts Day
April 4: National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day
National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day is observed next on Sunday, April 20th, 2025. It is observed the first Sunday after the full moon following the March Equinox.
April 15: National Glazed Spiral Ham Day
April 16: National Eggs Benedict Day
May 20: National Quiche Lorraine Day
August 23: National Cuban Sandwich Day
September 14: National Eat A Hoagie Day
September 17: National Monte Cristo Sandwich Day
October: Eat Country Ham Month
November: National Roasting Month
December 18: National Ham Salad Day
[12] Ribs and mac and cheese? (photo © Good Eggs).
CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
|
