Anyone out there not foil ribs?

Unknown · August 2006

I'm planning on cooking both beef and pork ribs at separate time this weekend. I was hoping to just put them on indirect at 250 and leave them til I have to sauce near the end. I wanted to skip the foil part which I have become so accustom to using. Sounds like a crazy question, since it how pitmasters have done it for decades, how do you cook ribs without foiling them but still having themn fall off the bone tendder and not dry out?[p]Howard

WessB · August 2006

Howard,
Absolutlely...I certainly dont foil every time. You can see on my website a baby back cook not using foil..If youd like...Your idea is right inline, although they wont be as fall of the bone as foiled....[p]Wess
[ul][li]WessB`s[/ul]

AZRP · August 2006

Howard,
I don't foil mine and they are plenty tender. -RP

ronbeaux · August 2006

Howard,
I tried them without foil and they came out great. Just baste them occasionaly. I put the sauce on in the last hour of a 5.5 hour cook at 250. They were very tender and when you bit into one it was no effort and still left teeth marks where you bit down. IMHO the egg helps keep the moisture in but you still need to "wet" them every 30 minutes or so.[p]Above all it was fun and a lot less work than the pitmasters you are talking about.

Nature Boy · August 2006

Howard,
Foil is the work of the devil.[p]Just kidding. Seriously, foil has it's place in BBQ, but if you are not in a hurry, just keep your temps low and let 'em roll. It will be a different product, and take a bit longer, but you can certainly get them just as tender. We almost never foil in competition, and we have not done too poorly against other teams that foil. I like the crust better too.
Happy Qn
Chris

Car Wash Mike · August 2006

<p />Howard,
I quit foiling some time ago. Although, I think I will a 1/2 slab this weekend. Your idear is good.[p]Mike

RRP · August 2006

Howard,
let's keep this thread going - I for one do foil but only for 1 hour after 3 hours of indirect at 250 with a drip pan half full of water and apple juice or orange juice. BUT I never peek let alone flip in that first 3 hours. Just seems to be all that flipping and spraying is a waste of time and precious steady heat. What do they rest of you say?

ronbeaux · August 2006

RRP,
Well OK, I agree that if you open the lid you might loose a little time. I've done it both ways. However you can always use you drip pan with liquid in it for the whole time. Just have everything ready to go when you open the lid, a few quick squirts or a quick refill of the pan and shut the lid. I never flipped the whole time except for the last 1 hour just so I could coat them with the sauce on both sides and by then it was iffy because they were really limber.[p]It was still easier than tending a wood burning pit.

Unknown · August 2006

RRP,[p]The main reason I do not want to foil this weekend is I want to load up the egg using Old Dave's contraption. If I do that with a couple of Weber rib racks there won't be any roon to foil and then lay them down for that hour. I was thinking of just keeping them in the racks for 5 hrs or until tender. Then saucing near the end. [p]If there is a way at the foiling stage to do so with about 8-10 St Louis cut ribs please let me know.[p]My whole goal is too cook as many tender ribs as possible. I never understood the idea of cooking 2-3 ribs for 5 hrs. Just too much time and effort with so little output.[p]Howard

Unknown · August 2006

Howard, I don't foil mine. For one thing, I can't tell how done they are when they are in the foil. I cook them low and slow (210*-225*) at grate temperature, not dome temp, for about two hours and then kick it up to 275*-300*. After I kick the temp up, I spray with a combination of apple juice and apple cider vinegar, 1:1 ratio, at least every hour, sometimes a little more often. I also add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the juice/vinegar to add a little flavor. Cooked three racks last week in a rib rack that was placed on the grid, above a plate setter and drip pan. Put'em on at 1:30 p.m. and took'em off at 6:00 p.m. They were perfect according to the way I like'em -- not falling off the bone, but would pull off the bone when eating them. Little apple wood, little hickory. Good luck and let us know how they come out.

SuperDave · August 2006

I do them both ways.... I like them both. Usually the foiled are more tender, but sometimes that isn't always a good thing. I enjoy a little bite effort to get the meat, sometimes they're so tender the meat falls off the bone and cheats me out of the whole effect! Tough to call my favorite..... !

Eroc · August 2006

Howard,
I never foil either, just hit em up with a little apple juice/apple cider vinegar mix every 45 minutes or so, after its been 3/3.5 hours or so.
i'm down with the crust.

Celtic Wolf · August 2006

Howard,[p] I just put the foiled ribs back in the racks. Nobody has complained yet [p]

Unknown · August 2006

Celtic Wolf,[p]Huh.....that's interesting. And you get the ribs to renderize? I'm thinking the ribs would need to lay flat in some liquid, meat side down to really braise. Does anyone else do this with good results?[p]Howard[p]

fishlessman · August 2006

<p />Howard,
ive been cooking ribs direct and the meat is at the point where it falls off the bones. you need to be careful very late in the cook as they will start to dry if you dont watch them, but you can make very moist fall off the bones ribs without foil. the problem i have foiling is that sometimes i end up with very sloppy mushy fall of the bone. with the direct setup i have been expirimenting with how little lump i can put in there and maintain the temps for the 6 hours. dont go filling the egg up with new lump to the top, you want to get as much distance between the fire and the ribs as possible. these were done direct and they were hard to cut as the bone wanted to fall out when cutting, actually just a little over done for my tastes, but still moist enough that liquid squirted out when cutting

Whitetail · August 2006

Howard,
Sort of. When I foil I do it in 3’s, which means the top 2 racks are not in liquid. All are fall of the bone. I have also foiled without adding anything to the ribs. No honey no juice no nothing. They steam in their own juices and still come out fall off the bone.

Porkchop · August 2006

fishlessman,
that's the straw that broke the porkchop's back right there! i've been considering trying direct; been an "indirect" ribber for so long. never did hold with foil, tho. i guess i've been a little apprehensive about using direct, as i am a lazy cook. do you tend the ribs more on a direct cook, fishless? do you turn em every hour or so? do you baste?[p]email or post here if'n you have the time or inclination!

Essex County · August 2006

Howard,
I only foil after the cook. I wrap the ribs in foil for 30 minutes or so before serving.
Paul

fishlessman · August 2006

Porkchop,
use small pieces of lump (old spent lump and some well lit new pieces work well), with a weed burner i hit it hard with fire to get it all burning. i havent been filling up any higher than the holes in the fire box and if you dont get most of it burning it may go out. thats the hard part. the rest is flip after about 4 hours then sauce at the end. the higher you raise the grill the better, however i have only been raising it to the lip and it seems thats enough distance from the fire. cant be anything simpler, these were my first attempt at the small fire burning and i didnt use any smoking wood, 2 nights ago i did some riblets at a little higher temp, 310 verse the 225-250 i use for ribs and i think i like the riblets cooked at the higher temp. but for the ribs the 225-250 works fine. i havent been basting infact these ribs were put on during my lunch break, and taken off after about 5.5/6 hours when i got home. if you have been cooking inderect, tthen you know that the ends will dry if you leave them on for too long, same thing with direct so you need to watch them at the end of the cook.

Nessmuk · August 2006

fishlessman,
I do not nor never have foiled ribs.[p]I cook them indirect @ 250 grid temp. It takes 4 to 6 hours.[p]I marinate the ribs overnight in a plastic bag using grapefruit juice. I slather the ribs with mustard & dust with a locally made rub.I spritz each hour with olive oil & apple juice.[p]My family prefers ribs without sauce..to include the 8 & 3 year old.[p]My opinion is that foiling ribs is akin to boiling them.[p]Yes, most BBQ contestants foil.[p]

fishlessman · August 2006

Nessmuk,
ive pretty much given up on the foil, and cook either direct or inderect. wonder why the comp guys like to make those sickening sweet foiled ribs for comps. sometimes i add some sauce at the end sometimes not, depends on the crowd

Porkchop · August 2006

fishlessman,
sounds good. small hot fire. flip once about 2/3 thru cook. i might soak some cherry chips and put them around the edges of my lumpsaver. love that cherry smoke!

Celtic Wolf · August 2006

Howard,[p] Before I seal up the foil I squirt some juice all over the ribs. It will settle down into the foil and steam up. I have tried laying them down too and when I open the foil I have the same amount of liquid in the foil either way. [p] Last contest I did this in they got 8's and 9's across the board for taste and tenderness. [p] .o0(now if I can just get the presentation down)[p]

Nessmuk · August 2006

fishlessman,
Called Fast Eddy who lives here in Metro Kansas City as I do.[p]Cookers foil to tenderize the product. The tradeoff is loss of flavor as juices exit the product & are the liquid that "boils" the product.[p]He foils only brisket.[p]

Anyone out there not foil ribs?

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