Back and Spare Ribs Delivery or Pickup

If you're looking for satisfying, succulent meat, you can't go wrong with pork back ribs. This versatile and oh-so-tasty cut of meat works well when cooked on the grill or in a smoker. Back ribs are even great when prepared in a crockpot. You may find back ribs with other similar names, including:

Pork back ribs are the ribs you'll get from high on the back of a pig. This is where the ribs meet the animal's backbone. Back ribs are the same ribs you'd find in bone-in pork rib loin chops. However, in the case of back ribs, the loin is removed to make a boneless pork loin, leaving behind just your rack of ribs.

A rack of pork back ribs typically gets you between eight and 13 ribs. Those ribs are usually cut to widths between 3 and 6 inches. Because they wrap around the loin, you'll find that back ribs are slightly curved.

Pork ribs are the most popular rib variety, though many people also enjoy beef ribs. Both types of ribs contain a large amount of connective tissue, which means that you'll need to cook either beef ribs or pork ribs long and slow. You can achieve this by using dry heat cooking methods such as smoking or grilling or with moist heat methods like braising.

Whether you go with a dry or moist heat method, using low temperatures and long cooking times will enhance your cooking success. Various regional differences exist regarding seasoning, preparation, and using dry rubs or wet sauces, so you're sure to find a recipe that suits your taste.

As with all ribs, you'll need to use slow cooking methods to prepare pork back ribs. Using a slow cooker is one method that relies on moist heat that works well for back ribs. To cook a rack of back ribs in a slow cooker, you'll usually need to separate into two halves to allow the ribs to fit. If you want to use a dry-heat method, you can cook back ribs on the grill or in a smoker.

Slow cooking is a must for back ribs because they have a lot of connective tissue and cartilage in, around, and between the ribs. This necessitates low heat plus lots of time to create juicy, tender meat. You'll find various recipes and methods for cooking back ribs out there, but the most important thing you can have is time.

If you cook back ribs at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll need about four to five hours to create a nice crust and melt away collagens and fat. You can then put sauce on and sizzle the ribs on a grill for about five minutes per side to finish the cooking, or add an additional half-hour of 225-degree cooking time if you can't stand by to make sure the sauce doesn't burn on the grill. You can also bake them at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for three to four hours, or until the ribs are tender.

It's technically possible to cut down cooking time. You might cook ribs at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for only 90 minutes, but the meat will shrink considerably and become very tough.