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I want to make good ribs

glenn
glenn Posts: 151
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have made several attempts to make ribs and have neve been able to get them quite right
They turn out all right but nothin to brag about , and I want to brag ;)
My method should work
I start with A rack of ribs (usualy not baby backs-they cost to much for what you get ($5.00 lb local)
I skin the membrane from the bone side
I slather them with plain yellow mustard
I rub heavily with home prepaired rud
(kosher salt,cumin,black pepper,chili powder,onion powder,granulated garlic,celery salt,dried chipolte,a little cayene,and turbino sugar)
The sauce is usualy store bought "Sweet Baby Rays" that I have kicked up by adding some honey and Jack Daniels
I cook them bone side down over an inverted plate setter with a pan under the grill grate for 2 hours @ 250 (1 lb of dry hickoy chunks for smoke)
I pull after 2 hours, and put them in a covered foil pan with a mixture of 1 cup grape juice and 1 cup apple juice.
then put the foil pain back in the egg for another hour @ 300 deg
I then pull the ribs from the pan and return them to the indirect grate to cook for another 30 minutes to firm them up a little
then I kick the heat up to around 450 and apply the sauce
they are fall off the bone tender but the taste is a little off
the are good but not great.
Can one of you rib guru's out there look over my method and give me some pointers on a realy good rub/ sauce combo
I want to cook up a batch of ribs for my cohorts at work and I would really want them to be more than just OK
thank you
Glenn
maybe I need some device guidance on how to make up rub and sauce

Comments

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Glenn,[p]Rubs are kind of a personal thing (depending on your tastes) and yours sounds good. Many folks start with store-bought sauces as a base. I like to add wooster, cider vinegar,apple juice & cayenne then simmer for a few minutes.[p]For the cook, I prefer cherry or apple to hickory (but again that's a personal thing, hickory is too strong for me on ribs). I think your stage one cook time of 2 hours is too short. Not long enough for the true flavors of the pork to develop. I also think the 2 cups of braising liquid may be too much. You could be extracting some flavor during the braising, especially if you raise the grate temp to 300°. You could try cutting the amount of liquid down and adding some apply jelly or honey. Try foiling at your ribs using the 250° temp. I also like to save the braising liquid and reducing it to add to sauce or just to use alone as a table sauce.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • closeup-ribs.gif
    <p />Glenn,[p]The folks on the chili cookoff circuit have a saying that may ring true for you... They say that if you want to make your chili better try removing an ingredient or two. [p]Try a batch with no mustard, and make a simpler rub... salt, pepper, garlic, and maybe one other ingredient (try ginger). Then sprinkle it on LIGHTLY. When you wrap them leave out the grape & apple juice. Let the ribs taste like ribs![p]Maybe a milder smoking wood would help too? Hickory can be harsh. I like apple, or just a simple oak. [p]Good luck!![p]

  • Clay Q
    Clay Q Posts: 4,486
    Glenn,
    Everything sounds good untill I read about the grape juice. Just thinking here and I don't really know....but grape juice and apple juice, total 2 cups---that's a lot of acid to react with the aluminum, could affect the flavor of the rib. I'd mist with apple juice, drop the grape, plenty of moisture left in the meat. After foiling I like to stay around 275-300 degrees dome for about 45-60 minutes to slowly crisp up the edges and then sauce, 450 seems to hot. That's my spin.
    Good luck next time!
    Clay

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    jiarby,[p]I'm more of a dry rib guy, but those look wonderful, a cookbook quality picture![p]PS .... Do you ship overnight FedEx??[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • Read and then re-read jiarby's post.[p]It sounds like your rub might be fighting with your sauce.[p]B I
  • KevinH
    KevinH Posts: 165
    Glenn,[p]I agree that 2 hours isn't enough for the first stage. 3 hours seems to work for a lot of people. I also think you need to flip them during the first stage, every 45 minutes to an hour. You want the fat to end up in the drip pan, leaving the flavor behind.
  • Smokin' Todd
    Smokin' Todd Posts: 1,104
    111442338_4c4070dec0.jpg?v=0
    <p />Glenn,
    If your co-workers arent much into cooking BBQ and most of the BBQ they eat are from resturants I bet they will rave over your ribs despite you thinking they are ordinary.
    I would eliminate the mustard and simply add the rub to the raw meat and see what happens.
    As thirdeye said ribs are a personal thing and there is no "one way only" approach. Just have to try differnt methods to achieve your desired results.

  • tach18k
    tach18k Posts: 1,607
    Glenn, I do not put any fluid in the foil wrap hour, too much liquid will more or less boil the ribs @ 300 degrees. [p]These are at the 3 hour mark before foil...[p]
    ribsnrack.jpg

  • Glenn,[p]Here are my thoughts:[p]a) I personally prefer Babyback ribs
    b) I only apply sauce during the last two hours of the cook
    c) I like the mustard effect, but I always go light on a rub because I like the natural rib taste
    d) I did the foil thing once, but I prefer indirect at 250 for about 8 hours myself.[p]As someone mentioned previously, different strokes for different folks.[p]Good luck.

  • Smokin' Todd,[p]Glenn,
    Todd's the man, don't let him tell you he isn't! I've had his ribs, and they are the $hit! [p]Now, on the ribs! I've only been egging a little over a year, but I do have some advise for you. Put on some rub, put them in the egg and leave them alone! I don't foil my ribs, but will open up the egg and spray some apple juice on them with a spray bottle. About 225 for 5-6hours.. Sometime I mop, if I have time, my wife likes them dry, so that's noramlly how I do it. Just keep working at it, keep it simple, and keep having fun!