Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Sparerib Fail

Options
Botch
Botch Posts: 15,471
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum
Every so often my fire would not come up in temp in my Large, never could quite figure out what the problem was; since getting a High-Que fire grate I haven't had the problem since.
Until today.  I cleaned out the Egg (it was a bit overdue) and fired it up at seven this morning, expecting to feast on spareribs for lunch.  Once the fire was going I filled up with fresh lump, and let it catch until I had clear smoke, and it stabilized at 250.  Threw on the ribs, but soon the temp started dropping, and settled at 200.  I left it alone, but by 2 it was dropping more so I stirred up the coals and opened it up a bit.  The bones weren't exposed at all.  It went up to 300 and I decided to keep it there, but by 4 the bones were just barely peaking out.  I stuck it with my Thermapen and it was over 195!!  
I pulled it and sliced up a tomato while it rested.  The bottom was almost burned, and the top was delicious but almost jerky-like in consistency.  The interior meat, surprisingly, was juicy and perfect.  But, all the smoke flavor was on the "jerky", and the surface peeled away from the rest of the meat, really weird.  I got one meal out of it, but am not keeping the leftovers.  
Spareribs cooked for me perfectly in 4-5 hours in my old water smoker, and other ribs I made on the Egg were fine, this was just a bad day I guess.  Glad it was just one rack.    
_____________

Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • GreenhawK
    GreenhawK Posts: 398
    Options
    You can't always go by the bones sticking out.  Especially on a meaty slab of ribs.  Some are butchered different than others, and some pigs are meatier than others.   The bend test works every time.  I would use that, and start looking for them to be done around the same time that you are used to.
    Large BGE Decatur, AL
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,471
    Options
    Thanks GreenhawK; this was a meaty slab... 
    _____________

    Remember when teachers used to say 'You won't have a calculator everywhere you go'?  Well, we showed them.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Baysidebob
    Baysidebob Posts: 489
    Options
    Oh man!  I'm still seeking the perfect spare ribs (baby-backs are almost cheatin').  They're defrosting as I type.  Now I gotta a whole new set of worries.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jay75
    jay75 Posts: 153
    edited August 2012
    Options
    @Botch, I have a hard time getting BBR in the UK so have spares almost all the time, in your case I would guess that at those temps it would of needed at least 6 hrs especially if it was a whole rack, not St Louis style?.... The best way to decide when they're done is by trial n error. I've well over done and under done many a time, still a bit of a hit and miss due partially to the difference in animal and butcher skill, don't take it to heart :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
    Options
    With a LBGE about half the time I have to half the rib rack to easily fit-so I rely (either full or half-rack) on the good ol toothpick test-insert into the thickest meat and no resistance either way-ready to pull.  FWIW-
    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.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jay75
    jay75 Posts: 153
    Options
    lousubcap said:

    With a LBGE about half the time I have to half the rib rack to easily fit-so I rely (either full or half-rack) on the good ol toothpick test-insert into the thickest meat and no resistance either way-ready to pull.  FWIW-

    Wow! That must be some porker!... Most of the time my full racks wouldn't fully cross my large?...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories