Applebee's Baby Back Ribs Secret Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are Applebee's baby back ribs beef or pork? ›

Your first order features 12-ounces of riblets expertly cut from the most tender pork for a delicious bone-in flavor, then slow cooked and served dripping in either Honey BBQ or Spicy Texas BBQ sauce, with Classic Fries and cole slaw.

Baby back ribs come from the upper part of the pig's back, near the spine. Baby back ribs are also extremely popular menu items at the finest Daytona Beach restaurants — and for good reason! They are called “baby back ribs” simply because of their smaller size. You'll usually have 8-13 ribs per rack.

Beef ribs are a lot bigger than pork, and have more meat on the bone, but also more fat. The fat-to-meat ratio in a beef rib is pretty even, but because the rib has a lot of meat, that means there is quite a bit of fat as well.

Beef ribs tend to be fattier and more flavorful than pork ribs, although pork spareribs, cut from the sternum, are also fattier and pretty darn tasty. One thing that differentiates the two is where the meat comes from. Beef back ribs are leftover from where the ribeye is cut away, which makes them less meaty.

The 3-2-1 method is specifically designed for pork spareribs, and the timing works best for that cut of rib. If you prefer baby back ribs, then you need to use a 2-2-1 method for the ribs or they will get overcooked and dry out.

Cook your Ribs in the Oven bone side up (meat side down). This will give you the best result for tender and juicy rib meat.

INTRODUCING THE 3-1-1 METHOD

In a nutshell, you smoke ribs uncovered for 3 hours, then wrapped in foil with a little liquid (Beer? Apple cider?) for two hours. And finally unwrapped for 1 more hour.

You have to be more selective with the St Louis ribs. The meaty rib is heartier and will fill you up faster, plus it is leaner and healthier for you. If you are looking to watch your figure and stick with a diet while still enjoying some delicious ribs, then the baby back ribs are the right choice.

A rack of back ribs will take between 1 1/2 -2 hours to cook (with lid closed), and you should flip them approximately every 20 minutes. Baste with BBQ sauce each time you flip. To check for doneness and tenderness, insert a sharp-knife between two ribs, it should insert without any resistance.

If your ribs are chewy, you either forgot to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs or you didn't cook them long enough. If your ribs are dry, you likely cooked them too hot and fast.

What is the secret to juicy ribs? ›

Be sure to wrap the foil tightly to lock in moisture, as the steam from the ribs helps tenderize the meat, imbuing it with its own porky flavors. This is pork on pork, and one of the best ways to ensure the juiciest results.

Essentially, the vinegar solution "cleanses" the meat and makes the flavors shine through without any "gamey" flavor.

Add water, apple juice (or apple cider vinegar) and liquid smoke (optional, but recommended for that great smokey flavor). Place the ribs upright, with the meat side facing out. If you're using one large rack of ribs, then circle them around the pot.

Back ribs are cut from where the rib meets the spine after the loin is removed. The upper ribs are called baby back ribs because they are shorter in relation to the bigger spareribs — not because they come from a baby pig. Baby back ribs are also sometimes called pork loin back ribs, back ribs, or loin ribs.

Next time you want your baby back ribs, take matters into your own hands with this copycat recipe for Chili's famously succulent pork ribs.

Meatier than the Back Rib, Spareribs – also known as side ribs - are thick, juicy, and come from the belly section of the pig (where bacon comes from). They usually come with the sternum, costal cartilage and flap still attached. From the Sparerib you can get St. Louis style or Louisiana style ribs.

Rib lovers, prepare to be smitten. We select perfectly marbled pork shoulders-no butts about it-and smoke them until they're perfectly tender.