A Buyer's Guide To Ribs Slideshow

Flat with larger bone-to-meat ratio. Higher fat content delivers delicious flavor.

Smaller, often meatier than spareribs; great for slow cooking; 10 to 13 ribs per rack.

High fat content keeps meat moist and tender during cooking, adding a ton of flavor.

Larger and usually meatier than their pork counterpart. Full slabs are 3 to 5 inches thick with three to four ribs.

Cut from chuck flat strip steaks into the size of ribs; one of the most affordable cuts of beef available.

A full rack has seven ribs; a bit tougher than pork ribs, but with long, slow cooking, the taste and texture are superb.