What’s the difference between a baby back rib and a spare rib?

By far, the three questions our Tony Roma’s Ribs lovers ask most frequently are:

• What are the differences between cuts of pork ribs?
• Which kind should I get?
• How much should I get?

There are a variety of cuts of pork ribs that come from different parts of the hog.

Each cut of pork ribs comes with its own amount of fat marbling/leanness and meatiness, so choosing the right cut of delicious Tony Roma’s pre-cooked pork ribs for your meal depends on your tastes.

Here’s a quick primer on pork rib cuts:

Baby Back Ribs

Sourced from the upper and lower (back) area of the spine and ribs.

These ribs tend to be smaller in size, but are often meatier (and less fatty) than spare ribs.

Slow-cooking, smoking, marinating and spicing can increase the tenderness of baby back ribs.

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St. Louis Style Spare Ribs

Taken from the belly area and are generally less meaty than baby back ribs.

The mix of meat and fat add to their tenderness and make slow-cooking a great way to enjoy these pork ribs.

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Boneless Ribs

Sourced from the shoulder-area of the hog.

They are slow cooked at low heat until tender and then portioned into various size boneless rib pieces.

Most often, boneless ribs are marinated and seasoned for tenderness.

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If you love pork ribs, you really can’t go wrong with any of these cuts. All are slow-cooked, juicy, tender and succulent, and come in one of our signature Tony Roma’s sauces – Original BBQ or Sweet Hickory. Knowing the basics of pork rib cuts can help you make an informed choice.

How many ribs should I expect to prepare, per person?

We’re sure you’ve found the same thing we’ve found in our many years of preparing ribs for family and friends: People will eat ribs until they’re gone!

Depending on what side dishes you’re serving, the amount of ribs you should expect to serve per person can vary widely. Our Baby Back Ribs come in 16 oz. and 24 oz. packages; St. Louis Style Spare Ribs are available in a 28 oz. package; and our Boneless Ribs come in a 16 oz.and 32 oz package.

If you have further questions on our pre-cooked ribs or our other Tony Roma’s BBQ products, please visit our website, visit our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

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