Best Testing Ribs

[Eric2662]

For those of you that have experimented with the various breeds of pig out there, what would you say produces the most flavor rib meat?

[wrgilb]

Berkshire, (Kurobuta)

[glitchy]

Cows

[GolfGeezer]

All my ribs are "test" ribs. hey, couldn't resist the typo in the subject line.

[Eric2662]

haha I just saw that. haha

[Mosca]

I’ve tried Berkshire, Compart, and Kurobuta, along with Hatfield ribs that we get in Wegman’s. My honest opinion is that the Hatfield ribs are as good as any of them, for 1/4 the price and a 10 minute drive.

[bbqLuv]

My "testbuds" at my age can't tell the difference. I go CostCo

[Potkettleblack]

FYI: Berkshire is kurobuta. Same thing.

[zupanj]

I have bought ribs from my local Giant that are labeled St. Louis or Back Ribs packed by Swift I think. They taste great and are very meaty. I have gotten a number of baby back ribs from a local farm/butcher that is well known in our area. They are OK but have half the meat and are roughly twice the price. I don't go there any more.

[Potkettleblack]

Red wattle or old spot/Gloucester.

no wait: the Mangalitsa hybrid that crowd cow sells every now and again. That’s the best pork I’ve ever had for home use.

berkshire/kurobuta are delicious animals, but have small ribs…

here’s the thing. And I realize this makes me sound like a hippie. The breed matters less than the feed. A well treated, humanely killed pig will produce better tasting pork than a poorly treated or cruelly killed pig. A happy pig who gets to sit around in some mud, trot around, and eat well will make the best pork.

but a mangalitsa or a red wattle that’s been treated well… that’s peak pork.

[Mosca]

I’ve been trying to get Mangalitsa spare ribs for a while. It’s a slow-growing breed that gets harvested in early spring and early fall, and there aren’t a lot of them to begin with.

All I’ve ever gotten with kurobuta are shiners. Duroc are larger. Haven’t had red wattle. I’m interested in trying Iberico.

[Potkettleblack]

Yeah, I've never gotten Iberico Bellotta, as the prices here are sheer madness.

The shape of the kurobuta/berkshire just means they will have slim ribs...

I forgot one... The Tamworth... the bacon pig... if the breed produces the perfect bacon, should produce a nice sparerib, though they may be cut to shiners, due to the bacon.