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How Do I Choose the Best Pork Spare Ribs Marinade?

Jennifer Leigh
Jennifer Leigh

The best pork spare ribs marinade will taste delicious and leave you with tender and juicy ribs. Whether you cook the ribs in an oven or on a grill, marinading the meat provides benefits such as reducing carcinogens and bacteria, adding flavor without adding a lot of fat and tenderizing the meat. Pork spare ribs marinade can be purchased in a store or made at home, depending on the amount of time and ingredients that you have available. If you want to choose the best pork spare ribs marinade, the main factors to consider are the flavor of the marinade, the ingredients that are used to make it and the cost.

The acid that is in most marinades causes the meat to become more tender when it is soaked for an hour or more before cooking. Pork spare ribs can be placed in marinade for one to 24 hours, depending on the amount of flavor you want to give the meat. There are many varieties of marinades that can be used, but they also have the value of helping to protect the meat from carcinogens that are caused when meat is burnt slightly, because the marinade acts as a shield against the unhealthy chemicals caused by fire. The acidic ingredients in the marinade help reduce the amount of bacteria that would otherwise grow while the meat is sitting out before being cooked.

Different cuts of pork, including the spare ribs.
Different cuts of pork, including the spare ribs.

Purchase pork spare ribs marinade that includes ingredients that you feel good about eating. This might mean avoiding marinades that are loaded with fat, sodium and preservatives, which you can check by looking at the label. There are healthier varieties of pork spare ribs marinade that include ingredients such as olive oil, vinegar, brown sugar and spices. Organic versions of marinade are also available, but they can be more costly than other varieties, so your optimal choice will depend on your budget as well.

Apple cider vinegar is a popular marinade ingredient.
Apple cider vinegar is a popular marinade ingredient.

You can make a pork spare ribs marinade at home to have more control over the ingredients that go into it. Homemade marinades generally consist of an oil base and an acidic ingredient such as apple cider vinegar, which adds some tang to the ribs. You also can add ingredients such as bourbon, brown sugar, molasses and chili peppers for more flavor components. The nice thing about choosing to make a marinade yourself is that you can taste it as you go to see what it is missing, which allows you to create a customized marinade that will be to your liking. A homemade marinade is often less expensive than a store-bought one as well.

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    • Different cuts of pork, including the spare ribs.
      By: Eric Isselée
      Different cuts of pork, including the spare ribs.
    • Apple cider vinegar is a popular marinade ingredient.
      By: Comugnero Silvana
      Apple cider vinegar is a popular marinade ingredient.
    • Many people cook spare ribs on a grill.
      By: amenic181
      Many people cook spare ribs on a grill.