Rib cuts question

chowhound

chowhound

New member
I just got back from the town grocer, not a store I am overly fond of, but have started using on occassion again. And they had packages of frozen ribs labeled "pork loin baby back ribs". They did indeed look like baby backs and not just St Louis style, but they were only $1.99/lb and the meat didn't look all that hot, even for being frozen. Some of the sections had meat pulling away from the bone. I can only imagine they got a deal somewhere.
Then I go look at some Hormel ribs I had in my freezer when I got home. They are labeled "pork loin back ribs". Those I've always assumed were St Louis cut, as they are a bit thicker than when I used to buy baby backs by the case. And well, they look like St Louis cut.
For 5 bucks and change I almost bought a package. They appeared to be about 3/4 of a rack and some packages had both end sections, but I was a bit too leery.

Has anyone ever run into these?
And I know beef is graded, but is pork also?
I mean, 1.99/lb for true baby backs? Even St L cut are typically 3.79 on sale...
 
In my Piggly Wiggly ad they have a full rack of frozen baby back ribs for $3.99 a pound. AFAIK back ribs are the same as baby back ribs.

One thing to watch out for is if they have solution added. The ones on sale here are no solution added. Who knows what they pump your meat full of, and how it affects the cooking.
 
This is from the Hormel site:

Products
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Pork | Ribs | Loin Back Ribs
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19589_loin_back_ribs.jpg
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Taken from the Loin area, these ribs are known by a variety of names - such as Baby Back Ribs. They are meatier than Sparerib meat and more tender.
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Product Features

  • Patented tenderizing process
  • Made only from the finest cuts of meat
  • Consistent flavor & texture
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Cooking Directions
Conventional Oven: Heat oven to 350°F. Remove ribs from package. Place ribs in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/4—1-3/4 hours or until tender.
Grill: Heat grill. Remove ribs from package. Place ribs, bone-side down, directly on grate of grill. Grill over low to medium-low heat 45 minutes—1-1/4 hours or until tender.
If desired, brush or baste with favorite sauce during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
Approximate Weight: 1-1/2 lbs.
Servings: 2
 
baby back ribs are indeed pork loin ribs... also known as back ribs or canadian back ribs...a pig has 15 ribs, a rack of baby back ribs contains a minimum of 8 ribs but can include up to 15 ribs depending on how it has been prepared by the butcher. A typical commercial rack is 10-13 bones. If there are fewer than 10 bones, butchers call them "cheater racks".

st louis ribs are just a cut of spare ribs...where the sternum bone,ribs tips and cartilage has been removed

kansas city style ribs are trimmed st louis ribs that have had the hard bones removed..

when we do comps, we look for no bone showing through the meat. for homecooking, it doesnt really matter it just means they dont look as pretty but does not effect the flavor.

me personally, for $1.99/lb i would be filling up my freezer with BB's because even if they dont look pretty they are still BB's...lol
 
I was under the impression that baby backs came from a smaller pig or something. A butcher told me that way back when, but he could have been pulling my leg. He would only get them in by the case for me because he didn't normally sell them, because of the price. He mentioned somethign about them being imported from Belgium....

At any rate, at 1.99 I think something was definitely amiss with the ribs my town store had.
 
chowhound said:
I was under the impression that baby backs came from a smaller pig or something. A butcher told me that way back when, but he could have been pulling my leg. He would only get them in by the case for me because he didn't normally sell them, because of the price. He mentioned somethign about them being imported gtom Belgium....

At any rate, at 1.99 I think something was definitely amiss with the ribs my town store had.
Click to expand...

:yum::yum::yum:

The baby backs are the ribs that connect the spare ribs to the spine. On any pig, not just Belgian ones!
 
i use to frequent a butcher in michigan that had the same kinds of BB ribs all the time... the only difference is that they were John Morrell brand... always tasted just as good as the $5/lb ribs available down the street...lol
 
RobsanX said:
:yum::yum::yum:

The baby backs are the ribs that connect the spare ribs to the spine. On any pig, not just Belgian ones!
Click to expand...

I hate being misinformed about stuff like that.
I figured baby back was to pork what veal is to beef....

So you're saying that in pig ribs, the rib cage gets smaller as it gets closer to the spine? Because around here anything sold as a BB is always smaller of bone.
 
real easy to tell if it is a true babyback..the bones will be roundish..the inside is where the pork loin lays.. spares and all other cuts are flatish
 
chowhound said:
I hate being misinformed about stuff like that.
I figured baby back was to pork what veal is to beef....

So you're saying that in pig ribs, the rib cage gets smaller as it gets closer to the spine? Because around here anything sold as a BB is always smaller of bone.
Click to expand...

That's what Wikipedia says: Pork Ribs
 
Amazing.
They could have used raw pics for all of them, but they got the point across.
I think tomorrow I might go back to the that store and hit the pork counter with a shopping cart.

Which brings me to another question.
No "previously frozen" sign. Obviously the ribs I saw today will be thawed tomorrow.... Can I refreeze them? I'm sure other people who might not have seen them sitting there in their frozen state might think they were fresh and freeze some when they get home.
 
IMHO once meat has been unthawed it shouldnt be refrozen but people do it all the time when they make deer sausage, so sometimes i break my own rules..lol

chowhound said:
Amazing.
They could have used raw pics for all of them, but they got the point across.
I think tomorrow I might go back to the that store and hit the pork counter with a shopping cart.

Which brings me to another question.
No "previously frozen" sign. Obviously the ribs I saw today will be thawed tomorrow.... Can I refreeze them? I'm sure other people who might not have seen them sitting there in their frozen state might think they were fresh and freeze some when they get home.
Click to expand...
 
I agree with Bam, Chow. Go back and get the ribs, but either keep them frozen till you use them or cook whatever is thawed.

Sounds like a great deal to me!

Lee
 
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