Ribs

Ribs come from the side (belly) or loin (back). Spare ribs refer to all pork ribs (back and belly, not separated).

Did you know?

Baby back ribs have less fat and a good amount of meat on the bones. They are also shorter than side ribs (hence the “baby”—they do not come from a baby pig).
Spare ribs have more bone than meat. They are fattier, more tender and cheaper than back ribs.
Rib meat contains collagen that melts when cooked, tenderizing the meat.
Quebec ribs are known to be particularly tender.

Availability

Back ribs are the most popular. They can easily be found in grocery stores in the fresh meat section, ready-to-eat section and even in the frozen food aisle.

Cooking method	Instructions
On the stove	Place ribs in a pot and cover with broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour or until meat easily comes away from the bone. Carefully remove ribs from pot and drain. Brush with sauce. Finish cooking on the BBQ over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or broil in the oven.
In The Oven	Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 165 ^oC (325 ^oF). Wrap ribs in a large sheet of foil, sealing well. Bake for 3–4 hours. You don’t need to rest the ribs before serving.
On the BBQ	Preheat BBQ to high. Wrap ribs in foil. Cook over indirect heat, lid closed, for about 5 hours. Remove the foil and brush ribs with sauce. Continue cooking ribs over indirect heat, lid closed, for 20 minutes—For store-bought ready-to-cook ribs, only do this last step.
Slow cooker	Section into portions of three ribs each, so that they fit into the slow cooker. Place the ribs in the slow cooker and cover with broth. Cover and cook for 7–9 hours on low, or 3–5 hours on high.
Pressure cooker	Cut ribs into sections of three bones each and rub with spices. Place ribs upright in the pressure cooker. Add broth to cover food. Close and program the pressure cooker to the meat setting, then set cooking time to 25 minutes. Let the pressure cooker depressurize naturally and remove lid. Brush ribs with BBQ sauce and grill on the BBQ for about 5 minutes on each side.
Sous vide	Place ribs in a sous vide cooking bag and season to taste. Remove air from bag. Set the thermocirculator at 73.9 ^oC (165 ^oF) Once the water has reached the desired temperature, immerse the bag in the water and leave the ribs to cook for about 12 hours. Remove bag when cooking is complete.

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