Pork Spare Ribs

Here’s why I choose spares and how I cook them.

Let’s talk ribs! Everyone’s favorite.

I’m going to keep it pork focused. So that leaves us with Loin Back Ribs and Spare ribs.

Loin backs are also known as baby backs and as the name implies, comes from the back of the loin, top of the ribcage.

Loin is also where pork chops comes from.

Spare ribs come from the bottom of the rib cage, adjacent to the belly, where bacon comes from.

St. Louis spares are full slab of spares with the rib tips removed.

Country style ribs… ain’t ribs. Strips of meat. Typically cut from the shoulder.

I prefer spares.

I don’t use any of the popular techniques that have been applied some numbers (3,2,1-3,1,2,), those are based on cooking at 220-225F and cooking full spares.

I cut mine down to St. Louis cut dry rub and smoke them with cherry wood, at 250-275F unwrapped, no spritz, no sauce.

Typically takes around 4 hours to pass the visual (bone pull back) & bend test.

Hope you enjoyed, now go cook some ribs!