Want to know what are the best and different types of ribs available for your smoking and grilling pleasure?
Want to know which are the best types of BBQ ribs to put on your favorite offset smoker?
One of my mottos is: Life is better with great meat! Right? I know that you think so too, otherwise, you would not be reading this post.
I have grilled, smoked and tasted all of those delicious types of ribs listed below and no it is time to tell you all about them!
9 Types of Ribs
Let us have a look at 9 different types of ribs. I will show you 4 different types of pork rib cuts, 3 types of beef rib cuts, 1 type of lamb rib cut as well as 1 type of venison rib cut.
Different Types of Pork Ribs
What are the different types of pork ribs? There are 4 main types of ribs to cook, grill or smoke when it comes to pork. And all of them are finger-licking good!
Here are my favorites:
1. Baby Back Pork Ribs
Baby back pork ribs, also called loin rib or back rib comes from the back part of the pig, located high up and attached to the loin muscles. This is where we get high-quality meat and without any cartilages.
How to cook the baby back pork ribs:
This type of pork rib is very versatile when it comes to preparation and cooking. My favorite way is to marinate it in a special rub and of course smoke it!
Although, I think that this is the best way to make the most out of the back rib, cooking in the oven also produces amazing results!
Tip: Loin rib cooks faster in comparison to the shoulder rib, due to the fact that the loin rib is less meaty.
2. Country Style Pork Ribs
Country style pork rib is amazing for “Low-and-Slow” technique and that is why it sits high on most of the lists of best types of ribs to BBQ.
This style of pork rib comes from the shoulder part of the rib cage and it is the most meat-to-bone ratio.
How to cook the country style pork ribs:
As I mentioned before, this type of pork rib is a very popular choice for slow smoking, crock-pot cooking or even for roasting. When perfectly marinated, all you need is patience.
3. St. Louis Style Ribs
St. Louis Style Rib is essentially the same type or rib as the spare rib, however a manicured version.
By removing the skirt and the rib tip, and creating a more rectangle shape, St. Louis is simply easier to cut into single ribs and to serve to hungry bystanders.
How to cook the St. Louis pork ribs:
Because these types of BBQ ribs do not have a large amount of meat on them, my favorite way to cook them is on the grill! Adding a smokey flavour is always a good idea, however, some spicy pork recipes have also proven to be great with this one!
4. Pork Spareribs
Pork spareribs come from the lower part attached to the bacon. Yes, bacon lovers, this is your area here.
Because this is where the bacon comes from, unfortunately, the rib is left with a small amount of meat only.
How to cook the pork spareribs:
As the name suggests, spareribs have a low amount of meat, making them easy and quick to cook.
My recommendation is for you to either bake or grill them. Nice and quick on the grill, or “Low-and-Slow” in the oven.
Different Types of Beef Ribs
What are the different types of beef ribs? There are 3 main types of beef rib cuts and all three are great for smoking!
5. Baby Back Beef Ribs
Baby back beef ribs come as an off-cut from the rib eye fillet. This part of the ribs does not have a great deal of meat on them, however, what is left creates a world of smoking adventures for all beef meat lovers.
How to cook the baby back beef ribs:
Whether you are looking for great beef roast recipes or succulent meat for smoking these guys are always there.
Personally, I recommend that you use your favorite wood for smoking, pack it full of flavour with your favorite rub and smoke it up in your offset charcoal smoker.
6. Flanked Style Ribs
I got to be honest here, flanked style ribs are not my favorites. I am a meat lover, but I do not like to play with too much bone. Give me the ribs that I can slide the meat off the bone easy and I am happy.
Flanked style ribs, refers to the style of cutting the ribs across the bone. This way you are left with a large amount of bone in the meat.
How to cook the flanked style beef ribs:
I have personally used this cut in stews and for creating beef stock, and that is where I draw the line.
7. Short Ribs
Short beef ribs are my favorite from all the types of ribs beef has to offer. This is a rectangularly shaped rack of ribs with a succulent and a larger amount of meat, which is divided with a layer of fat.
When you are looking for the best types of short ribs, beef definitely takes the cake.
How to cook the beef short ribs:
Best way to treat these great ribs is it use the “Low-and-Slow” technique. This way you can pack the meat full of smokey flavour whilst keeping all of the juices and fattiness inside. I am salivating whilst typing.
Lamb Ribs
The most popular lamb type of ribs is the lamb riblets.
8. Lamb Riblets
Lamb riblets come from the breast of the lamb. These ribs are thinner and longer with a good amount of meat on them. As much as I like lamb, the ribs part does not have enough meat for my liking.
How to cook the lamb riblets:
As suggested all around the net, I have tested the riblets using more middle-Eastern and Asian rubs and I have to say, that the results were satisfactory. Best for roasting and crock pots, not so much for grilling.
Venison Ribs
When it comes to venison, there are a number of ribs that you can try, however, the favorite by far is deer types of ribs.
9. Venison Spareribs
Venison spareribs come with a good amount of meat, however more leaner when it comes to some of the rib cuts listed above. These ribs, however, are not to be dismissed and deserve to be on the list of best types of spare ribs or different types of BBQ ribs.
How to cook the venison spareribs:
The best way to, that I found to cook the venison spareribs, is to “Low-and-Slow” followed by a quick grill on the charcoal griller. And if you want to make it extra special, I would marinate the meat with a nice sticky and hot rub. Yup, this is the winner here!
I hope that my information was helpful, it sure was fun for me to make test it all out. I hope that now you are as excited to smoke, grill or cook some of those types of ribs just as much as I was.
Keep an eye out for some new great posts coming soon!
