Pork loin back ribs

[culpepersmoke]

So recently a discount grocery store here had advertised baby backs on sale for $1.60 a pound. Since I’m cooking ribs for about 40 family and friends next week I thought I’d pick up a few racks (at that price it was hard to turn down) . When I go there they were labeled “Pork Loin Back Ribs”. I didn’t think too much of it and picked a few racks.
Today I thought I’d cook up a couple racks. I cooked them as I normally cook baby’s. I foiled after a couple hours.. when I opened the foil pack I usually check them with a tooth pick to test for tenderness and they felt tough so I wrapped them back up and let them ride for a bit longer.
They never really got tender like baby backs normally get. When I got them off they looked good. I sliced into them they were tough, one rack was almost inedible.The other was better but certainly not my normal.
Are back loin ribs somehow different from baby backs or is there a good grade of pork like beef has choice or prime? I’m thinking my good deal wasn’t so good.
What do you think or did I just have a bad cook?
Thanks

 

[JLeonard]

Did a little googling....Back Loin and baby Backs are the same thing. May have just been the meat.

Jim

 

[SmokinAl]

Used to be that BB’s didn’t have any loin meat on them, they were true babybacks. Now they include a thick piece of loin on top & call them loin back ribs. So what happens is the loin part is done way before the rest of the ribs are done. So when the rest of the rib is tender the loin is dried out. If I buy BB’s, I take that piece of loin off & save it for stir fry, or smoke it with the ribs & take it out at 140 IT for a snack. You also could have just got some bad ribs, it happens!
Al

 

[chp]

I am still on the learning curve for ribs. Recently I have steered away from St Louis because of the wide variety of fat and I have been sticking to BB. Your experience is a good reminder to me that they may offer challenges too. Thanks for the heads up, I will pay more attention to the loin meat and trim as needed.

 

[HalfSmoked]

It also can be the hog old bores could product tough meat.

Warren