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Baby back ribs

Pork · Loin
GrillSmoke
Raw Baby back ribs — Pork Loin cut
Also called
🇬🇧Back ribs🇲🇽Costillitas de cerdo🇦🇷Costillas de cerdo🇫🇷Côtes de dos🇪🇸Costillas de lomo🇵🇹Costeletas do lombo🇧🇷Costelinha de porco🇮🇹Costine di maiale (back ribs)🇩🇪Schälrippchen

Baby back ribs are curved rib bones taken from the top of the rib cage where it meets the spine, in the loin section. They are shorter, leaner, and more tender than spare ribs, with the meat sitting on top of and between the bones. They cook faster than spare ribs and are popular for oven roasting and grilling with dry rubs or barbecue sauce.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇺🇸United StatesBaby back ribsprimary
🇬🇧United KingdomBack ribs
🇲🇽MexicoCostillitas de cerdoMexican carnicerías use the diminutive 'costillitas' (little ribs) for baby back ribs to disambiguate from the larger 'costillas de cerdo' (cut 27 Spare ribs).
🇦🇷ArgentinaCostillas de cerdo
🇫🇷FranceCôtes de dos
🇪🇸SpainCostillas de lomo
🇵🇹PortugalCosteletas do lombo
🇧🇷BrazilCostelinha de porcoPopular in Brazilian churrasco
🇮🇹ItalyCostine di maiale (back ribs)
🇩🇪GermanySchälrippchenGerman for the back ribs above the spare ribs.

Similar cuts

Spare ribs
Spare ribsapproximate

Baby backs are leaner, smaller, and more tender while spare ribs are larger, fattier, and more flavourful — spare ribs require longer cooking but reward with more richness.

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Classic recipe

Oven-Smoked Baby Back Ribs6 hr

Baby back ribs are the most popular rack in American barbecue — meatier than spare ribs, faster to cook, and naturally t…

View full recipe →

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