Cider-Brined Ribs

Pork spareribs can come from the loin or the belly. Loin ribs are small and are therefore called “baby back.” Belly ribs are larger, less meaty, and less expensive. There are at least 11 ribs in a rack of spareribs, and the cut includes portions of breast meat, sternum, and diaphragm. When these sections are trimmed, the rack takes on a rectangular shape and is sold as “St. Louis” ribs. We prefer the St. Louis cut because it is the same thickness from end to end, and so it cooks evenly. It