National Barbecued Spareribs Day

Ribs were never meant to be boiled, especially not spareribs. They were intended to be served grilled, short or long, over charcoal or gas, in the heat of summer. With barbeque sauce made in a variety of ways.

National Barbecued Spareribs Day recognizes this fundamental truth, that it isn’t summer until there has been a barbecue with friends, family and spareribs.

History Of National Barbecued Spareribs Day

Spareribs are different from ‘just any rib’. Because they are cut from the lower portion of the pig, severed from the breastbone behind the shoulder, they have a bit of a different flavor and tenderness factor. Although they actually have more bone than meat, they are fatty which helps make them more tender than baby back ribs. The good news is that they are also less expensive in comparison.

Spareribs are typically sold smoked, which makes them perfect for throwing on the grill with a dry rub or some barbecue sauce. Or both! To get them nice and tender, these ribs will benefit from an extremely long cooking time at a low temperature. But not to worry–they are completely worth the wait!

Learn from yesterday’s barbecue, live for today’s barbecue, hope for tomorrow’s barbecue. The important thing is not to stop questioning why people would boil ribs…

Albert Einstein

Ok, so maybe that quote isn’t technically attributed to the real Albert Einstein, but given that the man was a genius it certainly seems that he would have agreed with the sentiment!

Cultures all over the world have enjoyed the rich succulent flavor of pork, and just about all of them have found a way to make the spareribs into something utterly delicious.

In Chinese Cuisine the ribs are typically cut quite short, from three to four inches at most. From there, they are then steamed, fried, or braised to perfection and served with a rich flavorful sauce. The Cantonese prepare them with a sweet and savory sauce, while the American Chinese prepare them char siu, skewered on long forks and cooked in a covered oven.

County Cork, in Ireland, has a tradition of preparing spare ribs by boiling them and then eating them with potatoes and turnips. The local name of this dish is “bodice”.

With America being such a melting pot, there are probably as many varieties of short ribs as there are subcultures and regions. But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that America is definitely the place to go for the most delicious ribs in the world.

And since the day is shared by American Independence Day, it only makes sense to honor both at the same time!

Happy National Barbecued Spareribs Day!

How To Celebrate National Barbecued Spareribs Day

Celebrating National Barbecued Spareribs Day can be fun for those who like to cook–or even for those who simply like to eat!

Go Out for Spare Ribs 

For those who don’t feel like firing up the barbecue grill (or those who live in a flat!) going out to a restaurant for BBQ spare ribs might sound better than making them at home. Try some of these restaurants around the world who are known for their barbecue and ribs:

• Franklin Barbecue, Austin, Texas, USA. Claiming that they serve the best barbecue “in the known universe”, this restaurant almost always has a line out the door! So don’t forget to call ahead.
• Wooraeok, Seoul, South Korea. Mix short ribs with a pile of pan fried beef or cold noodles and Wooraeok is the place to go! It has kept its recipe traditions for at least 70 years. It’s well known by the locals and offers just what the Korean tourist is looking for.
• Smokestak, London, United Kingdom. Smoke and fire combine to barbecue these meats with a smoker located right in the center of the restaurant in east London. The owner started out on the festival and street food scene, and the quality of his food had just gotten better with time.

Grill Up Some Spareribs

Celebrating Barbecued National Barbecued Spareribs Day is as simple as preparing a recipe for home-cooked spareribs! Whether the barbeque happens in the backyard, on the over charcoal or gas, at the beach or on the patio, grilling spare ribs is the best part of the day! 

We could waste a lot of words here talking about anything else, but we know you want to get your teeth into this delicious treat!

Delicious Spare Ribs Recipe

• 1c dark brown sugar
• ½c fajita seasoning
• 2t Sweet Paprika
• 2 full racks trimmed spareribs
• 1c beer
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1T honey
• 3T Worcestershire Sauce
• 1T Brown Mustard

Blend together the fajita seasoning, paprika, and brown sugar in a bowl, then rub down both sides of the spareribs with the mixture. Move the ribs to a 9×13 baking pan and place in the fridge overnight. The next day mix together the beer, honey, mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl, and preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

On two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, place the ribs meaty-side up, one per sheet. Then cover with another sheet of foil and seal the edges by folding them over. Just before it’s finished being sealed pour in the beer mixture and then close the seal.

Bake the ribs in the preheated oven for 3-4 hours, then carefully drain the liquid from the packets and set the ribs to the side. Simmer the drippings until thickened, approximately 5 minutes, and brush this sauce over the ribs.

Broil for 5-7 minutes, cool, and serve!

Learn Some Fun Facts About Barbecue and Spare Ribs

Whether attending a party or chatting at work, Spare Rib Day is the perfect day to share these fun facts:

• Spare Ribs probably got their name from German “rippenspeer” which actually means to “spear” ribs. It may have had to do with the roasting process or the way the ribs are cut.
• A slab of spare ribs usually weighs between 2 and 5 pounds. Larger ones will usually be cut down to a manageable size.
• No one is sure about the origins of the word “barbecue”. Most people think it comes from a West Indian word, “barbacoa” which describes slow cooking over hot coals.
• The world’s longest recorded barbecue lasted for 80 hours and took place in Georgia.