Spare ribs are a variety of ribs cut from the lower portion of a pig, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder, and include 11 to 13 long bones. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones and also between them. Spare ribs are distinguished from short ribs, which are beef.
Pork spare ribs are cooked and eaten in various cuisines around the world. They are especially popular in Chinese and Chinese-American cuisine, in which they are generally called paigu (Chinese: 排骨; pinyin: páigǔ; Cantonese Yale: pàaih gwāt; lit. 'row of bones'), and in the cuisine of the Southern United States.