Rib refers to a cut of meat taken from an animal's rib cage: the curved bones plus the meat, fat, and connective tissue attached to them. The term spans beef, pork, lamb, and veal, with the specific cut and cooking method varying by animal. Beef ribs come from the rib primal between the chuck and short loin; pork ribs come from the loin or belly, giving baby back ribs and spare ribs respectively. Because the connective tissue and fat need long, gentle cooking to soften, ribs anchor slow, sauce-glazed cooking in American barbecue, marinated grilling or braising in many Asian cuisines, and slow braises and roasts in European cooking.