Tough Ribs

Unknown · March 2004

I can't seems to make "fall off the bone" pork ribs in my BGE. I've read most all posts related to ribs. I rub them with mustard and dry rubs (have used various suggested rubs) and refrigerate them for 24 hours before placing on the BGE. I stabilize my egg temperature at 180 or so and cook for about 7-9 hours. Indirect heat over a drip pan. They come out tough everytime. Please, please, please - Any suggestions?

Nature Boy · March 2004

Rookie from the West,
180 and you are almost cold smoking.....especially with a drip pan, where your cooking level is probably no more than 170. [p]Kick it up to 250 dome, and then they will actually cook. Usually the 4-5 hour range will get you where you want to be. You can even do 275 dome, and they will be better than what you have been getting.[p]Good luck!
Chris

WooDoggies · March 2004

Rookie from the West,[p]You could always foil them for an hour or more during the cook if you want them to fall off the bone.[p]180 sounds a little low and 7-9 hours sound a little long. You could be drying them out. Try upping the temp to 220-240 grate temp and cooking for less time. Checking for doneness when the meat is pulling back from the bone and when the bones want to pull away from the meat when you lift the rack.
Are you using babyback's or spares?

bigarms · March 2004

Rookie from the West,[p]I had the opposite problem....bones falling out. I had to reduce the foil time and that took care of the problem. Are you foiling your ribs. There is a good method here that some use called 3/1/1 method. Google in the archives and dig it up.....hope it helps.

JM · March 2004

Rookie from the West,
No question - your temp is too low and 7 - 9 hours way too long. I agree with the other posts below. Consider 240 -250 grill temp for 5 - 51/2 hours. Also - read about the 3/1/1/ method.[p]Another peice of information that has been mentioned on this site and is certainly true. The temp that you get from the dome thermometer is ususally much hotter than at the grill temperature. In the early part of the cook there could be as much as 20-25º difference between the temp. where your ribs are and the top of the dome.

Nature Boy · March 2004

Great points JM.
That difference between dome and cooking level can be as much as 100 degrees with certain setups, and a load of meat. I think everyone can benefit by monitoring their grid level temp, and knowing just what is going on where the meat is. After reading this forum daily for five years, if I had to guess what the most common problem eggers have, it would be not knowing what their actual cooking temp is.[p]Cheers!
Chris

Smokin Joe · March 2004

Nature Boy,
I'm with you. This RediCheck will help knowing the chamber/grill temp vs the dome temp. Plus has a few other neat features - meat temp and cooking time (up or down) with alarms. Pretty neat! Joe
[ul][li]RediCheck[/ul]

WooDoggies · March 2004

SMokin Joe,[p]The redi-check is a great tool. I use it all the time to know whats going on between the dome and the grate.
And carrying the monitor, I can do other things and not worry about missng temp spikes and other unpredictable egg events.[p]Chris makes an important point that is probably at the root of many problems......... know your grate temp![p]John

Unknown · March 2004

Rookie from the West,[p]I had the same quest early on in my egg days. My problems were with spare ribs and I solved the problem with the 3/1.5/1 method. I that found with Baby backs it's better not to do the foil wrap trick, but rather just leave them on for 5 hours @250 and "finish" them by swabbing with bbq sauce for the last 30 minutes or so, flipping every 10 minutes, or less depending on the hot spots. I've found that wrapping the Baby backs in foil will steam out all the fat and leave gaps in the bones if they are very fatty - not very appetizing.
Good Luck
Jeff

RRP · March 2004

Rookie from the West,
Each to his/her own and as Gfw who NEVER claimed to be the developer of the 3/1/1.5 or variation therof likes to say "the best ribs are the ones YOU like". With that background I want to jump in here and tell you that iffin you are using Tyson brand baby back ribs with the 12% injected solution I have locked in to and adhere to the method JSlot came up with. That 12% solution is crap in baby backs at a 250 or lower temp including all the lost heat from the many openings/flips. You have to cook it out!
Go with an indirect no flip-no peek at 300° to 310° for 3 hours. Wrap in foil for 10 minutes at that heat - leave in the foil then, but close vent and cap your BGE for another 30 minutes. Unwrap and place back on the then cooling down closed BGE which is around 240° at that point for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove if meat temp is 185 to 190.

Tough Ribs

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