the hog

Every cut of the hog

Tap a cut. Cooks first.

Tap a primal — or the list under the chart — then a pin for the retail cut

On the hog

Spare ribs

9 cooks that start with this cut.

Cook spare ribs

Open in recipes

Smoke

Spare ribs, 3-2-1

6 hr3.5 lb4 platesweekend

Smoke

Baby back ribs, no-wrap

5 hr4 lb4 platesweekend

Smoke

St. Louis ribs, hot and fast

3 hr 30 min3.5 lb4 platesweekend

Smoke

Smoked rib tips

3 hr 30 min3.5 lb4 platesweekend

Bake

Oven ribs, then broil

3 hr4 lb4 platesweekend

Smoke

Memphis dry ribs

5 hr4 lb4 platesweekend

Bake

Gochujang spare ribs

3 hr 20 min3.5 lb4 platesweekend

Grill

Indirect grilled ribs

2 hr 30 min4 lb4 platesweekend

Stovetop

Pork fried rice

20 min1.5 lb3 platesweeknight

Ways to cook spare ribs

Same cut, different fire.

CommonBelly

Spare ribs

Also side ribs, spares

The belly ribs, sternum still on. More bone, more fat, more meat than baby backs.

Per animal: 2 racks
Per half-hog: 1 rack
How to cook it: 3-2-1 at 250°F, or no-wrap until the bend. St. Louis is this rack squared.
Rarity: The pit rack. Always available.
What to buy: Full spare if you want tips; St. Louis if you want even cooking.
Money: More meat per dollar than baby backs. This is the rack to learn on.
Trim: Membrane off. St. Louis: square the rack, save the tips.
Leftovers: Tips fried, meat for beans, stock from bones.

A full spare includes rib tips and cartilage. St. Louis trims those off.

How many

Guests

Buy (lb)

Plate

Buy 5.5 lb · ~3 lb to the table · 6 plates at 8 oz

How to cut

Between the bones. Tips get chopped.

9 cooks in the library for spare ribs.

The whole animal

Every retail cut we track, how many you generally get, and how often it actually shows up in a case. Tap a line to pin it on the chart.

Cook through a half-hog

Boston butt

20%

Picnic

10%

Loin

20%

Belly

15%

Ham

24%

Hock

Jowl

half-hog counts are typical, not a promise from the plant.