Most People Misidentify Button Ribs — Here's What They Really Are

Applebee's riblets are legendary. These saucy, finger-sized "riblets" have attracted a legion of fans thanks to their tender, intensely flavored meat (especially when paired with sauces). Despite them not being a popular cut before, ever since Applebee's came onto the scene, just ask your butcher for some "riblets" to make your copycat version at home. Thing is, sometimes, those aren't really riblets — they're something called button ribs.

Never heard of them before? No worries, most people haven't, either. The name "button ribs" is used to refer to the thin bands of meat along a hog's backbone, just past where the rib cage ends. You won't find curved rib bones here. Instead, there'd be small, round nubs about the size of a quarter — those are the titular buttons. Each piece typically runs about six inches long and about an inch wide. In contrast, a "riblet" (at least the cut that was originally referred to as one) is simply regular ribs trimmed crosswise from the typical three to six inches down to two or four. It's literally a smaller rib, hence "riblet".

So if you get a thin meat trimming with circular bones in, that's not a riblet — not in the traditional sense. But here's the thing: button ribs might actually be what you want anyway. They're typically cheaper than full ribs, and all that bone means more surface area for sauce to cling to. Sure, there's less meat, but if you handle them right, they make for seriously addictive finger food.

Since they're on the lean side, you'll need a lighter touch when cooking button ribs compared to full racks. If you're smoking, get the smoker going at 275 degrees Fahrenheit and plan on about two and a half hours of cook time — remember to turn the pieces over after the first hour. Also, don't slather your homemade sweet-n-tangy BBQ sauce on until the last 20 or 10 minutes. Any earlier and you risk the sauce burning while the meat's still cooking. Speaking of sauces, you can forget about dry rubs when you're making button ribs. There's barely enough surface area to justify them. Instead, glazes and sauces will work better in addition to bringing moisture and flavor throughout.

Button ribs work better as an appetizer or casual bites than as a main course (a proper riblet's better for that job). They're particularly well-suited for Asian-inspired preparations, where chewy, sauce-lacquered meat-on-bone is exactly what you're after. So, other than serving them as a standalone dish, you can also take advantage of that texture — a button ribbed spin on our Asian BBQ Pork Spareribs makes for satisfying finger food that'll have everyone gnawing every last bit of meat off the bone.