Pork Ribs

Name: Pork ribs — bone-in rib cuts from the pig, including spare ribs (from the belly side, larger and fattier), baby back ribs (from the loin, shorter and leaner) and St. Louis style (spare ribs trimmed square). They are slow-cooked, smoked or grilled, and eaten with the hands.

Description

Ribs are a centrepiece of barbecue traditions, from Memphis dry rub ribs, Kansas City sweet sticky ribs and Texas smoked ribs, to Chinese char siu ribs, Korean galbi-jjim and Filipino sinigang. Their combination of fat, bone and meat gives rich flavour and tenderness after hours of low, slow cooking.

The meat should be tender, but not fall off the bone: competition judges prefer a bite that comes cleanly off the bone. Many cooks remove the membrane on the bone side, which can be tough. A rack typically feeds two to three people.

Main nutrition value

Pork is a good source of high-quality protein, thiamin (vitamin B1), selenium, zinc, vitamin B6 and B12, and its fat content varies widely by cut, from very lean fillet to fatty belly. Ribs are a fatty cut, and the glazes and sauces typically add sugar and salt.

How best to be consumed

Pork ribs are cooked low and slow, then glazed.

1. Remove the tough membrane on the back, and season with a dry rub of paprika, sugar, salt and spices.
2. Smoke or bake at 110 to 135°C for 3 to 5 hours, until the meat has pulled back from the bones.
3. Wrap in foil for part of the cooking, to keep moist and tender.
4. Brush with sauce in the final 15 to 30 minutes, to caramelise it.
5. Check the meat has reached at least 63°C, though ribs are usually cooked well past this, until tender.

Overconsumption could cause…

Pork ribs are a rich treat, and best occasional.

1. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
2. Harmful compounds (heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) formed when meat is charred or cooked at very high heat over flames, so avoid burning it, marinate first, and cook gently. This applies to barbecued and smoked ribs.
3. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products. Barbecue rubs and sauces are often salty and sugary.
4. Parasites such as Trichinella and tapeworm, and hepatitis E virus, from undercooked pork, so cook pork thoroughly, to at least 63°C with a rest.
5. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week. Pork is classed as a red meat by the cancer agency.
6. Small bone fragments, which can be a choking hazard, particularly for young children.

GroupsPorkMammals (red meat)High proteinHigh saturated fatLow sodiumRich in seleniumRich in vitamin DFresh

Related foodsHamPork LegPork ShoulderPork Mince / Ground PorkPork BellyPork Loin

Wikipedia — Pork ribs, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_ribs