Goggin: Country-style ribs really are cut of pork shoulder

I was dishing up some baby backs with collards last weekend for a segment on "11 Alive" when Valerie Hoff asked why regular pork ribs are less expensive than baby backs. I hee-hawed around with a lengthy reply and summarized by comparing her pork question to beef ribs - which I'm certain left Val thinking, "TMI," as she smiled and promised to give my baby backs a whirl after my segment.

Because Valerie is Atlanta's top "Ways to Save" expert, her question catapulted Mr. Pork Rib to the top of my Mystery Meat chart rankings. So here you have it, barbecue gurus, and peeps like me, coming in at Mystery Meat No. 5, here is the skinny on the much-loved pork rib.

Perusing the meat counter, you may be shocked to learn there are only two kinds of pork ribs: baby backs and spare ribs. The distinguishing factor between the two is location on the pig. Baby backs are cut from the leanest and most tender area of the pig, the loin. Because the loin has the least amount of fat, meat from this area has the disadvantage of drying out easily if overcooked. Back ribs come from the loin area, at the top of the rib cage near the back bone. This is the same area pork chops are from.

Back ribs are smaller than spare ribs. They are less meaty, have less fat and are more tender than their spare rib counterparts. Because of their high popularity and consumer demand, back ribs tout a higher price tag than spare ribs.

You also may find baby back ribs labeled "loin ribs" or simply "back ribs."

Moving south toward the belly of our friend Mr. Pork, you'll locate America's favorite breakfast item and our second pork rib: the spare rib. Larger in size than the baby backs, you'll notice spare ribs offer a lot more bone than meat, as well as more fat than their "high on the hog" counterparts, the back ribs. Spare ribs may be less tender, but w