Pork Ribs

Our cuts of pork ribs vary in style and origin, the most popular BBQ ribs we stock are our large St. Louis Rack Of Ribs, cut from the bottom section of the swine’s ribs, close to the belly, these are considerably more meatier and overall larger in size than baby back. The St Louis ribs are best enjoyed slow cooked with plenty of BBQ sauce to ensure the large meat deposits don’t dry out.

Spare Ribs on the other hand are cut from the top of the rib cage, while this does give less meat than the St. Louis cut you can enjoy a much more tender meat from spare ribs. Baby Back Ribs are cut from the same bone, in terms of flavour the two are fairly close with many chefs divided on which is the superior alternative to the St. Louis rib. Baby back ribs are cut from a similar area, with the natural tapering of the pig’s rib cage contributing to the fact the rack is shorter at one end.

In addition we also have ribs sourced from the finest Iberico pigs, Spanish black pig. Iberico meat is known across the world for its distinctive flavour as a result of the swine’s unique diet of acorns, as well as its increased fat marbling compared to more traditional pig breeds. Tom Hixson offers two cuts from the Iberico Pig, the loin cut and Iberico Spare Ribs, in terms of overall taste we would recommend the pork loin ribs, cut from the top of the ribcage next to the tender loin fillet found running along the top of the pig’s ribcage.

Finally we also offer bulk meat discounts in our meat boxes, perfect for cooking for a summer party BBQ or just getting a great deal on some top quality produce. Our Deluxe BBQ Box in particular is ideal for feeding a large crowd from your grill, as well as Iberico Spare Ribs and USDA Short Ribs, the meat box contains Wagyu burgers and Iberico collar ideal for slow cooking. If you prefer to cook your meat using the ‘low and slow’ technique then we would recommend our Smokers BBQ Box, containing large cuts of Boston Butt and USDA Brisket capable of feeding very large groups as well as two kinds of pork ribs that ensure you have plenty to go around.

How To Cook A Rack Of Ribs
When cooking BBQ ribs there are a number of techniques that provide vastly different tastes, cooking ribs can generally be as quick or as long as you want. Traditionally ribs are cooked on a grill, usually on an outside barbecue with fresh hot charcoal, however if you want the best possible taste for ribs that contain a thicker layer of fat then slow cooking can give you just as good a finish when paired with a sweet homemade BBQ sauce. Oven baked ribs are the simplest way to get good tasting ribs, however normally you will not achieve flavour close to the other two methods mentioned. Take a look at our pork ribs recipe for further tips and advice. 

What is the 2 2 1 method for ribs?
“2-2-1” refers to the timings of the different stages of cooking ribs. This method involved first smoking the unwrapped ribs for two hours, then wrapping them in foil and smoke for a further two hours. Finally, unwrap the ribs to cook for the last hour.

What is the difference between pork ribs and baby back ribs?
Despite the name, baby back ribs do not come from piglets. They are taken from around the loin. The loin is the muscle that runs down the pig’s back on either side of the spine. They are shorter than pork ribs and take less time to cook. Pork ribs, on the other hand, come from the belly of the pig and are longer, and often very succulent.

What temperature should pork ribs be cooked to?
The UK Food Standards Agency recommends that pork needs to reach an internal temperature of 75 degrees Celsius for two minutes to kill off any potentially harmful bacteria.
Order pork ribs online from Tom Hixson and try our exceptional tasting meat. We'll ensure you receive the finest quality pork online at amazing wholesale value.