Just can't get em' rigt (ribs)

MickeyT · May 2001

Although the ribs were good, I had a problem with direct cooking.
Put the ribs on @ 180 or so and let it creep up to 225. Let them cook (as everyone says to) for 45 minutes and flipped them. They were already sizzling at that point. I couldn't even imagining doing the same thing for 3 more hours so I panicked because I didn't want burnt ribs. (These ribs were also on a raised grid) I took the ribs off and covered my lower grid with HD foil and put the ribs back on. Maintained temp and flipped every 30 minutes until completion, saucing for the last 2 flips. Way too smokey (my fault. 6 chunks of cherry seemed a bit much). Am I doing something wrong here?[p]Cooked a flawless brisket, cooked the best jerky I have done to date, husk wrapped corn was off the chart but I still had 2 full slabs of ribs left. Now that ain't right!!!!!!!!![p]My setup again was 2 firebricks up right to hold my second grid. The ribs were then placed on that grid and cooked @ 225 for 45 minutes. First flip was a little too hot I thought..........and so on.[p]Thanks,[p]Mick

Smokey · May 2001

MickeyT.,[p]I've had good success with ribs indirect for the first 4 hours (225- 275 degrees). The last hour, they go on the grill direct. Its a little bit of a pain removoing hot fire bricks and the drip pan, but the results were very good. Meat was moist and tender. They were not "fall off the bone", rather "pull off the bone with ease"![p]Smokey

JimW · May 2001

MickeyT.,
Cat has it down right when it comes to direct cooking ribs. Here's a link to her recipe.
JimW
[ul][li]Cat's Ribs[/ul]

WessB · May 2001

MickeyT.,
you may also want to check the calibration of your thermometer.[p]Wess

Shelby · May 2001

MickeyT.,
I pretty much followed Cat's rib directions as far as the actual cooking. I did mine direct @ 250*. I checked/flipped at 2 hours and they looked to be cooking a bit on the slow side, so I tweaked the vents a bit; thought I had it at 300 but it crept to closer to 400, so I cut back to original setting and at 3.5 hours total, ribs and potatoes were perfect. Bones came perfectly clean! Good thing there's no dog waiting cuz there ain't nothing left on the bones!
My only regret is not basting at the very end the way the spices I got from The Rendezvous in Memphis suggested.

Spin · May 2001

MickeyT.,[p]JJ's direct rib method (laid flat on the grill) first produces a rib that looks almost done, then a rib that looks done and smells great, and then a done rib. The cook is done directly on the stock grill and the dome should be held in the 210-220°F range.[p]Higher temps will make the rib look done sooner. Raising the cook higher into the dome will make the ribs look done sooner. A rub with any sugar in it will tend to sizzle in the first 45 minutes, especially if the meat was wet when the rub was applied.[p]If you are not comfortable using JJ's cooking method, why not give Cat's direct method a try. A rib rack and your Egg is all that is needed. The ribs are cooked vertically, set on their side. Move them around during the cook to learn the hotter spots of the fire and cook the thicker pieces over them. Move the smaller/thinner parts away from the heat. Start with the thicker side up, and flip half way through to make the smaller bone end available to test for doneness. They are done if you feel a good twist of the bone would break the meat free.[p]Best of luck on the next. You WILL get great at it.[p]Spin[p]

Mikey · May 2001

Shelby,
I heard a rumor recently about the secret to The Rendezvous's famouse ribs. Now this will probably offend many of you so you may want to stop reading now....[p]I heard that they *gasp* boil them using a crab boil for an hour or so before they rub and slow smoke them. Now boiling is one of those methods that "true q'ers" seem to detest when it comes to cooking ribs. As a matter of fact, boiling, adding some liquid smoke, and then wrapping in foil would probably pretty much offend the entire q'ing community in one fell swoop. ;-)[p]Anyway, at this point, its just a rumor though my buddy swears its true.[p]Mikey

Char-Woody · May 2001

Mikey, I seem to connect boil's and boiling and lancing and pain and agony. Its difficult to put that aside. Boiling ribs?? Total Blasphemy! Outright outrageous and the most dastardly thing one can do to those beautifully layered hunks of bone and meat and fat. Just imagine those ribs when they display that bronzed mahogany meat, just hangin on those bones, with the slight taint of smoke, and garnished later with a side sauce of your likin, chased with your favoite beer or wine. Then compare that to hot water bathed soaked and saturated grey things from a tub??? Arrrrrrrgh...
C~W
I'm kidding,,,,,,I think??[p]

JJ · May 2001

MickeyT.,
The first thing to remember is NOT to panic. My method as well as Cat's and others are well tested over many years and they work. BTW, I use 250* dome for my cooing temp. When I was in pilot training the hardest thing for me to do was to believe the instruments and not my instincts. Same theory applies here.

Unknown · May 2001

MickeyT.,
Let me see if I can help... Ok the first word is.. T H E M.
and the second one is spelled.. R I G H T.. That as a tricky one because the H is silent in it.. Hey Dont worry about it.. You will get the hang of it. Some of these people have been spelling for years and years.. You just have to get to know your words.. Pretty soon you wil be turning out incredible sentences...[p]
Dylan

Char-Woody · May 2001

Q.N.E. tyme, Does that go for tyme too?? Hey, I had some great just tug off the bone ribs tonight. I must be doing something wrong cause they were scrumtious. Well..a tad over fantastic. At least they were edible..Well..they were pretty good tho..:-)
Cheers to all the ribbers here..
C~W

Just can't get em' rigt (ribs)

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