Spare Ribs - a bit dry

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Made spare ribs for today's lunch/dinner. Went 275F for 3 hours, wrapped in foil with brown sugar, honey and margarine for 1 hour, and then back to grill without foil at 350F for 30 mins. Forget where I picked up those instructions but they seemed like a good idea. Overall, good, but just a bit dry. I think next time will try 2 hours, then foil for 2 hours, then unwrap for final 30 minutes. I've never done much BBQing before getting the egg, actually starting to enjoy this. The IQ-110 and Maverick 733s I got from @stlcharcoal made it more enjoyable as soon as I started using them also. I like not having to fiddle with vents and worrying about temperatures. I guess if I BBQd more often and drank more beers sitting out there watching it, I'd be more adept at temperature control...

Little Steven · September 2014

You are going the wrong way. You need to cook longer not shorter.

cazzy · September 2014

Yeah, I agree with LS...I think they were underdone.

When you picked up a rib, did the meat fall off the bone or did they hold on? Were they tough?

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Little Steven said:

You are going the wrong way. You need to cook longer not shorter.

Cook longer to make less dried out?

NPHuskerFL · September 2014

@DoofusOfTheDay‌ Yep, longer will be a better outcome. Always probe for doneness (bend test/ toothpick test). I usually go uncovered at 275℉ for average of 4-5 hrs. But, I always test first before pulling them. Also it is a possibility that they were just a poor cut (it happens).

SkinnyV · September 2014

Did 3 racks 5 hrs or so @ 250 on Sat.
Due to cancellation a we ate the next day reheated and they were great.

No foil no wrapping I just let em ride low and slow. When I reheated I did foil but that was it.

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

cazzy said:

Yeah, I agree with LS...I think they were underdone. When you picked up a rib, did the meat fall off the bone or did they hold on? Were they tough?

They were falling off the bone. My daughter went to pick a couple up and slid right off the bone. However, when I was cutting them lengthwise between the bones, I noticed they were kind of tough to cut through.

pgprescott · September 2014

Really high temps for me. The idea is to keep the meat in the zone where the collagen and fat break down. Also, the particular cut of meat should contain a lot of fat. The pros look for the cuts with more fat and marbling. I have a real hard time drying food out on my egg due to the efficient fuel consumption, lack of airflow required and the nature of the ceramics.

badinfluence · September 2014

Go 2 hors on foil with honey and butter and brown sugar for 2 hours then 1 hour direct again to sause. I also spray with 50/50 apple juice and apple cider vinegar when not wrapped.

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Think I am going to experiment, talk my wife into ribs again later this week. Do half just with a basic S&P type rub like Sensai Franklin does -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSFdddaRnk no foil, just let them go until pass bend test.

For other half of ribs do 2 hours, then foil for 2 hours, then unwrap for final 30-60 minutes until they pass the bend test.

henapple · September 2014

I egg mine the same way but shorter times. I really don't use time. 250 till the meat shrinks back exposing the bone. Usually around 1.5. Foil with butter and honey...till basically done ... 45 minutes to a hr. I bump the temp to 325 during foil. Pull, sauce and go till sticky. Usually around 3 hrs total.

Phatchris · September 2014

I just go 250 till done, sauce last 30 minutes.. No foil, usually takes 5 hrs or so.

jaydub58 · September 2014

I'm big on no-foil also. 5-5 1/2 hours at 250, flipping and spritzing with 50/50 apple juice and apple cider vinegar every hour until done.

Good ribs!

cazzy · September 2014

DoofusOfTheDay said:
Think I am going to experiment, talk my wife into ribs again later this week. Do half just with a basic S&P type rub like Sensai Franklin does -&nbsp no foil, just let them go until pass bend test.

For other half of ribs do 2 hours, then foil for 2 hours, then unwrap for final 30-60 minutes until they pass the bend test.

Simple is great. I will experiment from time to time, but I always come back to simple.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1151775/lets-get-er-done/p1

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

cazzy said:

Think I am going to experiment, talk my wife into ribs again later this week. Do half just with a basic S&P type rub like Sensai Franklin does - no foil, just let them go until pass bend test.

For other half of ribs do 2 hours, then foil for 2 hours, then unwrap for final 30-60 minutes until they pass the bend test.
Simple is great. I will experiment from time to time, but I always come back to simple. http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1151775/lets-get-er-done/p1

Cazzy, 255 dome temp is probably like 225 grate temp?

Zmokin · September 2014

I think your final 1/2 hour at 350 dried them out, too high on the heat IMO.

Many people swear on the 3-2-1 method. 225 to 250 the whole time, 3 hours smoking, foil for 2 hours (steam effect that really gets the meat to release from the bones and yet stay moist), unfoil for final hour to either develop a little bark if dry rub only or if you sauce them for that last hour, to get the sauce to glaze. I like glazed sauce, so after the 2 hours of foil, I sauce mine and then let them glaze.

I'm also different in that I don't cook them as racks, I pre-slice them into individual ribs. I get more meat exposed to smoke and when I sauce them, I literally dunk them into a bowl with lots of sauce and then place them back on the grill.

cazzy · September 2014

DoofusOfTheDay said:

cazzy said:

Think I am going to experiment, talk my wife into ribs again later this week. Do half just with a basic S&P type rub like Sensai Franklin does - no foil, just let them go until pass bend test.

For other half of ribs do 2 hours, then foil for 2 hours, then unwrap for final 30-60 minutes until they pass the bend test.
Simple is great. I will experiment from time to time, but I always come back to simple. http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1151775/lets-get-er-done/p1

Cazzy, 255 dome temp is probably like 225 grate temp?

At stock grid height, it would be about 230-235. These were a few inches above the felt so it was prolly about 240-245 at the grid. Everything cooks a lil more even the higher you get in the dome.

Bobbareeno · September 2014

For spares I go with 250 degrees with them in a vertical rib rack. I rub them the morning of the cook and let them sit in the fridge til they hit the grill. I never foil and usually they take right at 5 hours until finished. They are always moist and tender, never tough. My family all likes to sauce at the table to I never apply sauce on the grill. Just my two cents,

Bob

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Okay I think several of you were right my ribs last week were undercooked. I went raised indirect at 235 for 6 hours bumping up to 325 for the last 30 minutes as family was getting impatient. The internal temp was 195 and they passed the toothpick test. I did half the ribs with pepper and salt, 2 to 1 ratio, and the other half with a local rub I bought at BBQ joint. Both were very good, the salt and pepper had a little kick to them with all that pepper that was a little too spicy for wifey, but not too bad she said.

The outside had tremendous bark, I mean really good. Maybe almost too much bark. I am thinking next time bumping up the temp to 250 as this would get them cooked a little faster and maybe produce a little less bark?

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Pics of some of the ribs. Nice and juicy.

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Oh I did spray every once in a while with apple cider vinegar and apple juice. Maybe that contributed to my abundance of bark. Maybe spray less next time too. I sprayed every half hour or so.

Little Steven · September 2014

You should try a straight 6 hour or so cook and see if you like the results. What happened in your first go was that there wasn't enough time in the first stage to get the connective tissue to break down, then you steamed them so they fell off the bone but you didn't break the meat down.

DoofusOfTheDay · September 2014

Little Steven said:

You should try a straight 6 hour or so cook and see if you like the results. What happened in your first go was that there wasn't enough time in the first stage to get the connective tissue to break down, then you steamed them so they fell off the bone but you didn't break the meat down.

That's exactly what I did last night and had MUCH better results. (See me post from early this morning.) You bring up an interesting point. There is a family recipe that most of my family likes when we get together. It goes something like pre-bake the ribs in the oven covered with foil for 3 hours, then finish on grill with BBQ sauce. Yes, the meat falls off the bone, but they are terribly rubbery. I am in the minority in my dislike for them, but what can I say I have higher standards! I think the connective tissue never get's broken down like you said LS and thus poor results.

NeilTheBeerGuy · October 2014

great thread gentlemen I love the differences in opinions

Cheers.

Spare Ribs - a bit dry

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