Food - Drink
It's Time To Stop Confusing Ribs And Riblets
By MELISSA NICHOLSON
You might not be able to tell the difference between a rib and riblet if they were both on your plate slathered in barbecue sauce. Both cuts come from the same area of the animal, and both are usually cooked low and slow and seasoned with a dry rub, sauce, and/or marinade, but there's a big difference between them.
Ribs are usually served as a full slab (10 to 13 ribs) or half slab (6 to 7 ribs), and can come from pork, beef, or lamb, with pork being the most common. Riblets are made by simply cutting a regular slab of ribs in half lengthwise, which results in much smaller pieces of ribs that are easier to pick up as finger food.
Riblets are often served as an easy-to-eat, not-too-big appetizer, while a full rack or slab of ribs is more than enough for a BBQ main course. In the end, ribs and riblets taste the same and can come from the same areas on the types of animals, but ribs are meatier and bigger, while riblets are a bite-sized version.