Pork spareribs mishap

jld

Tonight was my first time making ribs on the egg and they didn't turn out so well. Maybe you guys have some ideas where they went wrong?

They tasted good, but were fairly tough. I was expecting near fall off the bone, but I ate mine with a fork and a paring knife. :S

One slab was OK, and the other was a really odd slab, pretty thick with the bones running almost lengthwise down the slab. This odd slab was nearly inedible, due to being really boney. Is this a different cut of ribs?

Anyways, here's what I did.

4.7 pounds of pork spareribs
240* indirect heat throughout. First they were on for three hours, then wrapped in foil with apple juice for 45 minutes, and then finally unwrapped again and back on for 45 more minutes.

Can you guys suggest of what to look for when buying ribs?

Thanks! I'm looking forward to figuring this out and having a better round 2.

jld

Oops, forgot to mention that I had some trouble stabilizing the temperature a couple times and the dome got close to 300 for about 5 minutes at one point, before I shut it down and got it back to 240.

SWOkla-Jerry

Ribs takes practice. Learn from each cook. There are alot of good rib cookers here on this forum and will chime in. Sometimes it is just the quality of the ribs.

stike

they just weren't done long enough.

even with steam, they take longer than baby backs.

i did babybacks today, put them on at 9 am and took them off at about 6. went an hour longer than i wanted (but i was at a football game).

they pulled clean from the bone, and were only beginning to get dry.

at 250, for foiled spares, expect at BEST 3 hours/1 hour/1 hour. you were ten degrees cooler, which would slow them down a bit too. even when foiled, my spares at 250 take maybe 6 hours in all.

they can go nine hours or so when just indirect at 250 (no foil).

a tough but moist rib is underdone. tough and dry, over done.

Luvs to shoot clay

I don't know much about spareribs but you can't go wrong with baby back ribs IMO. They cost more but are really worth it in the end. If you want your ribs to be as good as the resturant's ribs you have to start with ribs as good as the resturant's and they all use baby backs.

bubba tim

I agree with the other post. 220 to 240 for 8 hours.
Also you need to learn how to trim spare ribs. We have all been there. I had to smile, rminds me of my first attempt at spares. Go to http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/01/pork-spare-ribs-preparing.html. Thirdeye has great info on triming and preping spares. Also if you can, try NOT using foil during your cook. Good luck

rpurkey

although i am a newbie, i think i have the whole Rib thing figured out. i did them again this weekend and they were perfect.

the key for me is the type of Rib...I always get BabyBacks.

i cook them between 230-250 for around 4 hours without opening the lid. i then wrap them in foil with some beer (or apple juice) for another hour or so. the last 30-45 minutes i baste them with sauce. this sounds very similar to what you did...except for the type of Rib.

jeffinsgf

They're different, not better. Spares have more character, in my opinion. They're harder to cook, but worth the effort if you get them right.

Try to find baby backs in any BBQ joint in either KC or STL. They'll laugh. Baby backs are for chains and places that can't figure out how to cook spares.