Spare ribs is the traditional name in United States. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable pork cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.
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.
Both come from the belly/underside of the pig and share rich fat content and flavour, but belly is boneless while spare ribs are bone-in from the same general area.
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