Pork remains the most popular meat among consumers in the United States even though it has earned a reputation for being high in fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since the country has become more weight and fat conscious, the USDA reports farmers have genetically modified their pigs and improved their feeding practices to produce leaner pork products from all parts of the hogs and pigs, including the spare ribs.
History
Hogs, boar and pigs have been providing food for humans since at least 7000 B.C, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first domestic swine, or hogs, came to the United States in Florida in 1525 and soon became the country's favorite meat product. As Americans moved off the farms, pork became even more popular because it stores well when salted.
Time Frame
Spare ribs typically come from young pigs between the ages of 6 and 7 months old. The USDA reports that hormones are not allowed in the raising of pigs and hog, but they can be fed antibiotics to treat various diseases. To ensure that all the medicinal residue has left the pig, farmers must allow time for the drugs to leave the animals' system before they are slaughtered.
Benefits
Pork is a natural source of protein, thiamin, vitamin B-6, riboflavin and niacin, according to the National Pork Board. A 3-oz. serving of boneless spare ribs can provide up to 5 percent of your daily iron requirements and 11 percent of your potassium needs. Vitamin B-12, vital to properly metabolize fat and carbohydrates while building red blood cells, is inherent in pork, providing close to 8 percent of your daily needs in a 3-oz. serving of ribs.
Features
Changes in how farmers raise hogs reduced the total fat on the animals by as much as 27 percent compared to figures in 1991, according to the National Pork Board. Spare ribs contain no trans fats, and depending on how you cook them, spare ribs can provide as few fats as many chicken dishes. Grilling boneless spare ribs is the most effective way to cook the pork because excess fat can drip through the grill. To save calories, use rubbed spices and marinate with wine-flavored vinegar instead of oil-based dressings.
Calories
One large cut of pork spare ribs, equal to about three ribs, contains approximately 533 calories, according to FatSecret, with nearly 367 of those calories coming from fat. The serving has no carbohydrates and about 39 g of protein. Three large barbecued spareribs with sauce have about 483 calories, 135 mg carbs and about 33 g of protein. Close to 303 of those calories come from fat.
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