Also called puntine in Northern Italy or ribs in the central regions, ribs are the final part of the pork ribs (hence the name): adjacent to the breast, they are sold together or separately.

They are a poor cut, with little pulp and considerable amounts of fat and connective tissue, but for this reason particularly tasty. Although many prefer them to be leaner, the tastiest ribs are the ones with the highest fat content. They can be cut in two different ways: longitudinally or transversely, to Argentina.

In both ways they are excellent grilled or together with sausages in meat sauce to season polenta. The ribs can also be baked or sautéed with sweet and sour sauces (honey, balsamic vinegar, orange, Coca-Cola) or with tomato and olives. The ribs are used in some very rich regional dishes, such as the Lombard cassoeula (with cabbage, sausages and other poor cuts of pork) and the Neapolitan-style soup, made with pork, escarole and chicory.