Ribs are a beloved barbecue staple, with many different regional styles and preparations. Two of the most popular types of ribs are St. Louis style ribs and spare ribs. While they may look similar, there are some key differences between St. Louis ribs and spare ribs.
What are St. Louis ribs?
St. Louis ribs come from the rack of pork spare ribs. To make St. Louis style ribs, the rib tips are trimmed off, leaving a rectangular slab of ribs. This gives the ribs a uniform shape and appearance.
St. Louis ribs consist of the flap meat, along with a portion of the loin and backbone. They have a meatier texture and contain less bone than other ribs. The trimmed St. Louis cut is usually between 10-13 inches long.
Since there is more meat and less bone, St. Louis ribs do not require as long of a cooking time as spare ribs. Many pitmasters consider St. Louis ribs to be the perfect middle ground – all of the flavor of spare ribs in a neat, meaty package.
What are spare ribs?
Spare ribs come from the lower portion of the rib cage on the hog. They contain long bones with thin meat between them. Spare ribs are usually curved and irregularly shaped.
Spare ribs tend to be fattier than other rib cuts, with more bone versus meat. There is also quite a bit of cartilage on spare ribs. The upper bone is called the rib bone, while the lower bone is the sternum bone.
Cooks will need to spend more time breaking down spare ribs to make them tender. Spare ribs have an intense pork flavor and are enjoyed by barbecue fans who like gnawing meat directly off the bone.
Differences between St. Louis and spare ribs
While St. Louis ribs and spare ribs come from the same part of the hog, there are some noticeable differences between the two cuts:
Bone structure
Spare ribs contain long, narrow bones while St. Louis ribs have had the ends trimmed off for a rectangular shape.
Meat to bone ratio
St. Louis ribs contain a higher ratio of meat to bone. Spare ribs are very boney with smaller amounts of meat between bones.
Fat content
Spare ribs tend to have more fat, while St. Louis ribs are a leaner cut.
Flavor
The meatier St. Louis ribs absorb smoke and seasoning well. Spare ribs have a stronger pork flavor.
Cooking time
Spare ribs take longer to cook until tender due to their high bone content. St. Louis ribs cook faster with their greater meat ratio.
Price
St. Louis ribs tend to cost more per pound because they contain more meat.
Appearance
St. Louis ribs have a neat, rectangular look while spare ribs are curved and irregularly shaped.
Comparing Nutrition
The nutrition of spare ribs vs. St. Louis ribs depends on the exact cut, fat trimming, and cooking method. Here is a general nutrition comparison of 3 ounces, cooked:
| Nutrient | Spare ribs | St. Louis ribs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 245 | 210 |
| Fat | 18g | 14g |
| Saturated fat | 6g | 5g |
| Protein | 15g | 16g |
| Carbohydrates | 0g | 0g |
As you can see, spare ribs contain slightly more calories and fat than St. Louis ribs. St. Louis ribs have a little more protein.
How to cook St. Louis ribs vs. spare ribs
Due to their different structure, spare ribs and St. Louis ribs require some adjustments in cooking times and methods. Here are some tips:
Spare ribs
– Use a dry rub as spare ribs have more natural fat and moisture.
– Cook low and slow, at 225-250°F for 4-6 hours.
– Spritz with apple juice or vinegar while cooking.
– Wrap in foil at the stall point to power through and tenderize.
– Sauce glaze in the last 30-60 mins once tender.
St. Louis ribs
– Apply a binder like mustard to help seasoning adhere.
– Cook at a slightly higher temp, 250-275°F for 3-4 hours.
– Monitor tenderness carefully.
– Can wrap or cook unwrapped to develop bark.
– Glaze and sauce once the meat pulls back from the bones.
Popular regional styles
Barbecue ribs come in many delicious regional varieties. Here are some of the most popular styles using St. Louis or spare ribs:
Memphis
Memphis is known for dry rubbed ribs that are smoked over hickory wood. They stick to only using pork ribs. Both St. Louis and spare ribs shine with the Memphis barbecue treatment.
Kansas City
KC ribs have a sweet, tomato-based barbecue sauce. Pork spare ribs are preferred for their high fat content, which balances the sticky sauce. A sweeter sauce also complements the flavor of St. Louis ribs.
Texas
Texas barbecue uses both beef and pork ribs. Spare ribs are preferred for their intense pork flavor to stand up to the spicy-peppery rub.
Choosing between spare ribs and St. Louis ribs
When selecting between these two classic rib cuts, keep the following in mind:
- Prefer more bone? Go for spare ribs.
- Want more meat? Choose St. Louis.
- Have limited prep/cook time? St. Louis ribs come together faster.
- Looking for classic barbecue flavor? Try fatty, juicy spare ribs.
- Need to feed a crowd? St. Louis ribs give you more meat per rack.
Conclusion
While St. Louis ribs and spare ribs both come from the pork ribs, they have some distinct differences that affect taste, texture, cook time, and appearance. Spare ribs require longer, slower cooking but deliver rich pork flavor. St. Louis ribs have a nice meat-to-bone ratio and take less time to cook tender.
The choice comes down to personal preference. For the true spare rib experience with more gnawing, go for pork spare ribs. For uniform, meaty ribs, St. Louis is the way to go. Whichever you choose, follow the tips in this article for finger-licking barbecue ribs.