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Rib contest

Cecil
Cecil Posts: 771
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am entering my first cooking contest Sat.- the Seven Hills Swim & Tennis Club grill master rib cook-off. (I'm sure you are familiar with it.) I AM NOT a rib person. Before BGE I cooked ribs once. Since BGE I have done ribs thrice. That said, I have taken advice from here and my brother in-law and formulated my own recipe/process. My question is about brining. I cooked a dry run the other night and they were awful. I soaked them overnight in a mixture of 3c. water, 1c. apple juice and 1c. salt. They were so salty after 2.5hr @275 1.5 hr. in foil and 45min. back on the grid they were inedible (almost). I will cut back on salt for Sat. cook. Why were they SO salty? That seems like the correct levels af liquid and salt. The ribs were not previously "enhanced". Just wondering, will let you know how it turns out.
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Comments

  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
    cecil,
    That seems like way too much salt to me. Have you looked into some brine recipes?
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    cecil,[p]I bet they were salty. I think you got cups and quarts mixed up. 3 quarts of water, 1 quart of apple juice would take 1 cup of salt (kosher, coarse grain) for a standard brine. [p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Rollocks
    Rollocks Posts: 570
    I never brine my ribs, and I use very little salt in in the rub. I generally marinate them in vinegar, soy, oil and beer or wine (depends upon what I'm drinking) mixture.

    I then dry them up coat them with a layer of yellow mustard and then coat them with a layre of rub. The amazing thing is that the mustard seems to disappear when they cook. it does a good job of holding the rub to the ribs though.
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  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    thirdeye,
    Et all, oops; I was at work and called my 10 yr.old (egglet) and had her prepare my brine to my(incorrect c. vs. qt.) specs. I shall correct and conquor this weekend!
    Thanks,
    Walt
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  • Hoss's BBQ
    Hoss's BBQ Posts: 435
    cecil,
    Why are you brining your ribs? JUst curious why not just a dry rub and smoke them? Or even the 321 method. Well good luck. Hoss
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  • Tony
    Tony Posts: 224
    cecil,
    Gotta love it when the little ones follow directions correctly, eh? [p]A <somewhat rhetorical> question: With only 4 cups of liquid total, how was there enough to cover the ribs?[p]Since 1 qt = 4 cups... I am guessing they were on the order of 4 times too salty... perhaps more as the absorption rate and saturation point may not be linear with respect to the salt concentration. ; )[p]TD
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  • Don from NJ
    Don from NJ Posts: 50
    Hoss's BBQ ,[p]I have to agree, I did the 3-1-1 method last weekend on my LBGE and you couldn't ask for better ribs, moist, smokey, tender, great bark on the outside (i sauced for the last 25 mins) no need to brine...
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  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    Tony,
    It was one rack, cut in half and it was all in a gallon zip=lock bag. Yes, for once she did what I told her.
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  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    Don from NJ,
    Just playing around with different ideas, I guess there are as many variations on cooking as cars on the road @ rush hour.
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  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    cecil,[p]I'd skip the brining and try this............
    [ul][li]Rib recipe[/ul]
    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    drbbq,
    oh the irony....[p]got a good recipe for wings?
    (sorry man, couldn't resist)[p]still love the good dr., just also like messin with him too!
    peace
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    cecil,
    gotta start with the basics and understand WHY ribs are usually done without brining.[p]when you first get the egg you are in an egg honeymoon, and try all sorts of crazy stuff. i guanrantee someone here smoked a birthday cake.[p]anyway. there's a good reason 90% of people don't brine ribs. mostly because they maybe did it once and found out it not only was unnecessary, but maybe even awful.[p]best advice i can offer is that when you try something new, follow a traditional method. do it a couple times so you understand what's happening, then make it your own.[p]otherwise you are flying blind
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Don from NJ
    Don from NJ Posts: 50
    cecil,[p]no doubt, either way good luck with the contest, hope you do well.
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  • tach18k
    tach18k Posts: 1,607
    cecil,
    yea no brine, unless your looking for ham taste.
    No boiling either, just fresh from the wraper.
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