There are many great recipes for baby back ribs, but every recipe must first start with the selection of quality meat. The simplest ribs to grill at home are pork baby back ribs. You’ll find that your grocery store may also call them loin back ribs. Their size probably makes them the easiest to prepare at home. They are small and not very meaty, meaning less cooking time and less chance of not cooking them long enough.

You may be wondering how to select the perfect baby back ribs for your backyard barbeque. Well, first of all, they are sold in slabs. You need to have a head count in mind to ensure that you purchase enough ribs. Generally, you want about a slab of ribs for every two to four people. When you’re making your selection, be sure to choose ribs that haven’t previously been frozen. Also, make sure that there’s a lot of meat covering the bones. You also want to check the dates and choose the freshest (the ones with the furthest date). Definitely don’t buy any ribs that are discolored. They’re likely not fresh and may have been frozen and defrosted. If you’re in doubt on which ribs to purchase, don’t hesitate to ask the butcher. He will have no problem steering you in the right direction.