Pork spare ribs or baby backs (costelinha) are the pork rib rack. Ask a US butcher for pork spare ribs or baby backs. They are not beef costela. Beef costela is a long open-fire slab with salt only. Pork ribs at a Brazilian home fire often get garlic and lime, and they cook faster.
Safety instructions
Cook pork to 145°F (63°C) and rest 3 minutes. A butcher or named packer is the better source. Ground pork stays 160°F (71°C).
At a glance
- Region: Sul
- One 3 lb (1.4 kg) rack
- Overnight garlic-lime rub
- Cool side, 45 to 90 minutes, 145°F (63°C) minimum
What to buy
When you go to the butcher, ask for a pork spare rib rack or baby backs. Spare ribs have more bone and fat. Baby backs are smaller and faster. A plain rack is the one that belongs here. A pre-sauced pack is a different cook. This is not beef costela (plate short ribs or long bone-in beef ribs). That cook is salt only and takes hours.
Overnight seasoning (one 3 lb / 1.4 kg rack)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- Juice of 2 Persian limes
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine salt
Method
- Pat the rack dry. Rub with garlic, lime, oil, and salt. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours. No brown sugar and no ketchup. Keep leftover liquid for a brush.
- Light a two-zone fire with lump charcoal (100% wood lump), not briquettes. See two-zone fire.
- Bone down on the cool side. Keep the rack 30–40 cm (12–16 in) from the embers, closer to 40 cm (16 in) if it is thick. Lid on if this is a kettle grill.
- 45 to 90 minutes. Brush leftover marinade twice in the first half, then stop so the surface can dry.
- The meat should have pulled back from the bone and a pick should slide in. 145°F (63°C) minimum in the thickest meat. Rest. Cut between the bones.
How you know it is done
Pull-back from the bone plus a pick that slides in. Confirm 145°F (63°C) with an instant-read thermometer. This is not a wrapped 203°F Texas rib. No sticky sauce.
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