Ribs (food) facts for kids

Beef rib, a French style bone-in rib eye steak, served with french fries (steak frites)

Ribs of pork, beef, lamb, and venison are a cut of meat. The term ribs usually refers to the less meaty part of the chops, often cooked as a slab (not cut into separate ribs). Ribs of bison, goat, ostrich, crocodile, alligator, llama, alpaca, beefalo, African buffalo, water buffalo, kangaroo, and other animals are also consumed in various parts of the world.

They can be roasted, grilled, fried, baked, braised, or smoked.

A set of ribs served together (5 or more), is known as a rack (as in a rack of ribs).

In American cuisine, ribs usually refers to barbecue pork ribs, or sometimes beef ribs, which are served with various barbecue sauces. They are served as a rack of meat which diners customarily tear apart by hand, then eat the meat from the bone. Slow roasting or barbecuing for as much as 10–12 hours creates a tender finished product.

Images for kids

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  Beef ribs on a smoker grill

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  Pork ribs on a smoker grill

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  Inside of a beef rib cooked on a smoker grill