Primer: The difference between types of ribs

What's the difference between baby back ribs, spareribs and St. Louis-style ribs?

In order to really understand all the cuts of pork labeled "ribs," you are going to have to visualize a pig's skeleton. Happily, this is almost identical to your own, so it may be helpful to picture that instead: The ribs are long bones that originate at the backbone (spine) and then curve around the abdomen, hugging the belly. When they get around to the front (the front of you; the "bottom" of the pig), they attach to the breast bone (sternum).

You never get served a whole rib - it would be too big and unwieldy. Instead, split rib cages are cut into sections, and the names of those sections refer to which segment of the rib cage they come from.

Baby back ribs (or just plain back ribs) are the portion of the ribs closest to the backbone. They are usually cut three to six inches long, are meaty and not too fatty and command the highest price.

Spareribs are what's left once the back ribs are cut off. That is, they consist of the whole split rib cage minus the few inches closest to the backbone. Because these are the ribs that hug the belly - the bacon - they are very fatty and full of flavor. An untrimmed rack of spareribs looks pretty untidy because it has flaps of meat attached, and the ribs closest to the animal's head are attached to the breastbone. All of this can make cooking lengthy and challenging.

St. Louis-style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed of the flap meat and breastbone. Trimming them this way means cutting across where the proper ribs end, and the result is a nice rectangular "rack" with clean-cut ribs at either end.

Country-style ribs are not technically ribs at all. They are cut from the front end of the animal, close to the shoulder, and are usually boneless.

When the rounded ends of the baby back ribs closest to the spine are trimmed off (to give the ribs a neater appearance), you wind up with riblets. When you trim the sternum off spareribs to make them St. Louis style, you wind up with rib tips (which, confusingly, are what Applebee's calls riblets).

Grilling refresher

We're all deep into grilling season. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

The best time to clean your grill is when it's hot. Just before you put on the food, scrape down the grate with a grill brush. Then, moisten a balled-up paper towel with vegetable oil and use long tongs to oil the grate. Now, throw the meat or vegetables on.

Once meat goes on the grill, do not touch it. Leave it alone for at least three minutes, so that it develops a good sear. Unless you are grilling very thin cuts of meat, cover the grill.

An instant-read thermometer will take almost all of the guesswork out of grilling. For rare beef and lamb, remove from the grill when the thermometer reaches 120 to 125 degrees; for medium-rare, 125 to 130; for medium, 140; for medium-well, 150; for well-done, 160 and beyond. Chicken breasts should register 160 degrees; chicken legs and thighs, 180.

Unless you are dealing with burgers or very thin steaks (e.g., hanger, skirt), let meat rest for five to 10 minutes before serving. During this time, the temperature will continue to rise, and the juices will resettle so that they don't run out once the meat is cut.