Page 18 - Amazing Ribs - Book

Babyback Ribs (a.k.a. Baby Backs, Back Ribs, Loin Back Ribs, Loin Ribs)
No, these do not come from baby pigs; the name is derived from the fact that they are shorter than spareribs (defined below). Nestled beneath the loin muscle and connected to the hog’s backbone, with loin meat on top, babybacks are the most tender and leanest pork rib option.
A typical full slab of babybacks has 11 to 13 bones and weighs roughly 2 pounds, about half of which is bone. The slab is ta- pered at one end, with the shortest bones only about 3 inches long and the longest about 6 inches. But their most identifi- able quality is the dramatic curvature of the bones. Here are the required six bones in the standard turn-in box for a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition.
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