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Texas crutch / no Texas? Does it really matter

I'm cooking on my bge for the first time tomorrow and have some really nice ribs from the butcher Quite a lot of comment around foiling the ribs or not. I have no preconceptions but am leaning towards a long slow cook of plus three hours no foil I have 3.5 kilos / 4 racks of spare ribs already prepped with a nice Cajun rub, So my question is Foil no foil?! How long and how hot!? How much (in weight) wood chip? Spritz. Does it matter? Your input appreciated eggers

Comments

  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited April 2013
    I would suggest keeping it simple for your first time. No foil, no spray, no flipping, no worries. Check em at 4 hours and see where they're at, then go from there. Enjoy the simplicity of the egg and make things complicated later on.

    Are they baby back, spare, or St. Louis?

    In regards to chips, mix in a couple handfuls with your lump.

    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Mr_Egg
    Mr_Egg Posts: 13
    Thanks cazzy. I'm in the up so I'm not sure but If I was to guess St. Louis def not baby back I bought two whole sides then cut in half each Good size albeit not masses of meat sat on the bone
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Okay, what temp are you going with and what time is dinner?
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Mr_Egg
    Mr_Egg Posts: 13
    Seven thirty dinner - ready to roll from about 1 pm Open to temp suggestions - fire away!
  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    5ish hours at 275-300. Don't touch them other than sauce toward the end.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited April 2013
    Hi54putty said:

    5ish hours at 275-300. Don't touch them other than sauce toward the end.

    I agree, don't touch em till it's saucing time. You can peak really quick at 4-4.5 hours and see if you're getting any meat pull back.

    I'm in the 250-275 camp, but you'll be good either way.

    Good luck and post pics! :)


    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Mr_Egg
    Mr_Egg Posts: 13
    Thanks - will show the results. Last one. Two handfuls of chips?
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Mr_Egg said:

    Thanks - will show the results.
    Last one. Two handfuls of chips?

    Yep
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,082
    edited April 2013
    @Mr_Egg- Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  WRT ribs-all good info above and you will read different approaches to the cook.  All rib cooks are some variation around X-0-0 which translates into the following:
    <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; MARGIN: 7.5pt 0in; COLOR: #213d30; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode'">Basically ribs are cooked as usual (bone side down for me) for the first X hours. Then they are removed from the cooker and wrapped with liquid (Q sauce, some other liquid for flavoring etc) in a foil pouch with the meat side down. This becomes step -0- mentioned above. The sealed ribs are then returned to the cooker.  At the end of the "0" time-frame, the ribs are removed from the foil and then put back on the BGE for the final "0" time-frame.  This is when sauce is added if your desire.  X-X-X defines the cook cycle.  Those of us X-0-0 run without any of the above extras.  It's all in what you like.  </SPAN></P>
    <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; MARGIN: 7.5pt 0in; COLOR: #213d30; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode'">And to determine when they are finished-the bend test if you have full racks-pick them up on one end and if they bend around 90* they are finished.  Another method-use a toothpick and insert in the thickest meat-in and out with no resistance and finished.  Also look for a good meat pull-back on the bones.  </SPAN></P>
    <P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; MARGIN: 7.5pt 0in; COLOR: #213d30; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode'">Your chips ?-I would go with two good handfuls of chips dispersed throughout the lump load so where there is fire there is smoke.  And don't worry about the exact calibrated dome temp during the cook; if you are stable at 270+/- 20, close enough-don't chase the temp.</SPAN></P>
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Good post Cap!
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,082
    Thanks cazzy-just tryin to be a frictionless conduit and spread some info along.  Forgot to mention that if you are striving for "fall off the bones" ribs you need to foil.  I've never been able to get there otherwise-and since I don't like "fotb" ribs and SWMBO does-guess how I figured it out-self-preservation comes to mind :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.