The World of Ribs : Fundamentals of Ribology

The term “ribs” encompasses various cuts of beef, pork and lamb. They come from different areas of the rib-loin sections (located between the shoulder and hind leg, and down each side from the backbone to the belly).

Three common cuts of beef ribs include back ribs (also called prime ribs), flanken ribs (sometimes called cross-cut, Hawaiian- or Korean-style ribs) and short ribs. Spareribs, back ribs (also called loin back or baby back ribs) and country-style ribs come from pork; lamb yields breast slab ribs and riblets.

The location on the rib-loin section determines the tenderness as well as the amount of meat on the bone. Ribs from the upper back section of the loin, such as pork back ribs, are meatier and more tender. Due to their smaller size, one pound of these ribs is considered a serving.

Ribs cut from the side section--pork spareribs, for example--have the least amount of meat per bone. Even though they are larger, still figure on a pound of these ribs per serving.

Cuts closer to the shoulder or leg, including beef short ribs and country-style pork ribs, tend to have a much higher meat-to-bone ratio. A half pound is sufficient per serving.

All of these cuts are suitable for cooking on an outdoor grill, but the meat tends to be relatively tough and requires long, slow cooking. You can accomplish the slow cooking by either using a covered grill and low coals, or cooking by indirect heat for about 1 1/2 hours, turning occasionally. If using a rotisserie, thread the ribs accordion-fashion on the spit and cook 1 1/2 to two hours.

Ribs may also be wrapped in heavy-duty foil and cooked directly over low coals for about an hour, then unwrapped, removed from the fat and browned an additional 30 minutes directly over the coals. Another option is to precook the ribs, either by roasting in the oven or parboiling. (Note: Some rib enthusiasts claim ribs should not be parboiled because it toughens them and boils away flavor.)

To precook in the oven, place the ribs in a large baking pan, add about three-quarters cup water, cover tightly and roast at 350 degrees until tender, 1- to 1 1/2 hours. Parboil by placing the ribs in a large pan with water to cover, cover the pan and simmer until the meat is tender, about an hour.

Precooking speeds up the grilling time and renders most of the fat, thus reducing flare-ups. This can be done in advance, with the ribs drained and refrigerated, then placed on the grill just long enough to heat through, with an occasional turning.

Ribs may be grilled in whole slabs or two-rib sections. Slabs yield juicier ribs; with sections the ribs turn out crisper. Usually the meat is brushed with sauce during cooking. If using a tomato-based sauce, brush only during the last half of cooking; when applied too soon, the sauce will char.