Spare ribs facts for kids
Spare ribs are a popular type of ribs that come from the lower part of a pig. They are found near the pig's belly and breastbone, just behind its shoulder. This cut usually includes 11 to 13 long bones. There is meat on top of these bones and also in between them. Pork spare ribs are different from short ribs, which come from beef.
People all over the world cook and enjoy pork spare ribs. They are very popular in Chinese cooking and in American Chinese cuisine. In China, they are often called paigu (Chinese: 排骨; pinyin: páigǔ; Cantonese Yale: pàaih gwāt; literally "row of bones"). Spare ribs are also a favorite dish in the cuisine of the Southern United States.
How Are Spare Ribs Cooked?
People prepare spare ribs in many different ways. The cooking method often depends on where you are in the world.
Chinese Cooking Styles
In Chinese cooking, pork spare ribs are usually cut into smaller pieces, about 7 to 10 centimeters long. After cutting, they might be fried until crispy, steamed until tender, or braised slowly in liquid.
In Cantonese cuisine, which comes from southern China, spare ribs are often roasted. They usually have a red color and are covered in a sweet and savory sauce. These roasted ribs are a common part of siu mei, which are famous Cantonese roasted meat dishes. In American Chinese cuisine, pork spare ribs are often cooked in a style called char siu. You might find them as an appetizer on a pu pu platter.
When eating Chinese-style spare ribs, people usually hold the small bone sections with chopsticks. Then, they carefully gnaw the meat off the bones.
Southern American Barbecue
Spare ribs are a big favorite in the American South. Here, they are usually cooked on a barbecue grill or over an open fire. They are often served as a whole slab, meaning all the bones are still together, with a delicious sauce. Barbecuing ribs takes a long time. So, restaurants sometimes boil or steam the ribs first. This makes them partly cooked and more tender. Then, they finish cooking them on the grill.
American butchers prepare spare ribs in a couple of main ways:
- Pork spare ribs come from the pig's belly side. They are flatter than the curved back ribs. They have more bone than meat but also a good amount of fat. This fat helps make them very tender.
- St. Louis Cut ribs are a special type of spare ribs. They are prepared in the style of St. Louis-style barbecue. For this cut, the breastbone, cartilage, and extra meat (called rib tips) are removed. This makes St. Louis Cut ribs look almost like a perfect rectangle.
Southern-style spare ribs are usually pulled off the whole slab one by one. People eat them by hand, gnawing the tasty meat off each bone.
See also
In Spanish: Spareribs para niños
