If you thought Chicago-style ribs were pieces of meat that have been smoked or grilled and slathered in as much barbecue sauce as possible, you would be correct.

Chicago-style ribs are part of a barbecue’s long history in Chicago, but they differ from your average pork ribs. Instead of using a whole cut of meat, only the rib tips are used.

Rib tips are meaty nuggets usually trimmed off the bottom of spare ribs. While smaller than baby-back ribs, they are hearty, flavorful, meaty, and loaded with cartilage and fat.

To make Chicago-style rib tips, marinate them in your desired mixture overnight and smoke them for 2-3 hours on your smoker on indirect heat between 225 and 250 F.

You can also bake them in the oven at 250 F for 2-3 hours before finishing them off at 350 F for 30 minutes.