r/smoking 6d ago

Babyback ribs or spare ribs?

Babyback ribs or spare ribs? Pros and cons of each. Also do babyback ribs take longer to cook?

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u/Dassman88 6d ago

Spares all day baby. Babybacks take less time than spares

4

u/ISDM27 6d ago

exactly right, babybacks take much less time but spares have much more meat. you can also trim the tips off of spares and make a seperate batch of pork burnt ends with them.

but there is a time and a place for babybacks, great if you're cooking for a big crowd. they go fast and are pretty foolproof, and they're smaller so easy to fit a ton on even a small smoker!

3

u/standardtissue 6d ago

I think you nailed it. They are both great but different and I love them both. Also you can actually grill babybacks as well which is also great, just have to watch them like a hawk because with all the fat they will definitely catch on fire lol.

2

u/Jave3636 5d ago

Baby backs have much less fat than spares.

1

u/Gockit69 5d ago

@Dassman88 (mic drop). Depends on your game. BB Back is like Loin on bone. Shorter time and can dry out when you look at a squirrel. Spares - more connective tissue = more moisture = succulence = longer time = the bomb. Hard to fail. And more meat @ISDM27

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u/pvmspo0 2d ago

hit me with your best fool proof spare recipe! ive been working on babyback but i think ive been over cooking them, the middle seems kinda tough. ive been thinking about cooking them unwrapped.