1st Cook: JJ Ribs - Temp. problem and Dry ribs ??

Topo Gigio · July 2004

Hi All, [p]Just got a Large BGE. Very excited about it! Cooked JJ Ribs as my first cook (from Recipes section). Reason being JSlot's recipe claims "JJ's direct cooking method is by far the best rib cooking method I have used"[p]Gonna try JSlot method next - as it gets rave reviews here.[p]My method: Bought fat Side Ribs (Spare ribs in American) removed the membrane. Trimmed the fat (maybe I shouldn't have). Applied dry rub and rested in the fridge overnight. Cooked direct low for 4 hours flipped every 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Meat fell off the bone, tender, delicious but dry. Any suggestions?[p]Secondly, I couldn't stabalize the egg temp.
My method: Loaded the lump - big pieces near the vent holes then loaded random lump to the top of the fire box. 4-5 pieces of hickory around exterior. Electric starter in the middle of lump. Fire started, removed the starter closed the lid with vents open. Temp rose quickly to 320. Closed the bottom vent to 1/4 inch and daisy wheel to just opened. Eventually, stabalized at 240. Tried to close the daisy wheel a bit more to reach 220 - watched for 5 minuts - no change. Left for about 20 minutes. Checked again temp at 150. And Went up and down from 240 to 200 as I kept trying to adjust. Never hit 220 for extended periods. Any suggestions?[p]Thanks in advance

Luder · July 2004

Topo Gigio,[p]Definitely no rib expert and hope someone else will chime in with ideas, but you are making what is called a "dry rib". May want to try to add some sauce towards the end of the cook to make them a little juicier.[p]My main reason for responding is the second part of your post. Save your money and get a Guru. You will not have that problem anymore. Truly just a set it and forget it item.[p]Luder

Louisiana Redneck · July 2004

Topo Gigio,[p] One of the main differences I see is that I cook my spare ribs indirect over the heat for the first 3 hours turning every hour and then Wrap in alum for 1 hour indirect. I then unwrap and cook direct over fire for about 40 minutes turning every 20 minutes, adding BBQ sauce at turnings. I cook at 225 degrees and also use a BBQ Guru to stablize the temp. It keeps the temp at what you set it on.
Good luck on your next rib cook.[p]Louisiana Redneck

tach18k · July 2004

Topo Gigio, Once the fire gets going, you will watch it rise, as the dome hits 220 start to close the vents. I close mine to an 1/16 of an inch for top and bottom vents. Thats keeps it at 250 forever. Opening and closing the top during the low and slow gets the temp all wacky. Just keep it closed. Its all trial and error.
Everything needs to be in the Egg during the temp startup. If you add platesetter and other things after it gets to temp, it will affect it.
Now then my thought on the Guru. Why? If you cant keep temps at 250 on an egg without checking it every 5 minutes , go back in the house use your oven. For the long 24 hour cooks maybe so on the Guru, I did an 18 hour, no Guru, and had no problems, 250 rock solid.
Its all trial and error. Every Egg may work differently, Humidity is a major roll in fire control.
Any way off my soap box. I just cant justify a $200+ item because you can get an egg to cook for 4 hours at 250. Just doesnt make sense. The Egg wasnt built for the Guru, the Guru was built for the Egg.[p]

Topo Gigio · July 2004

tach18k, thanks for the feedback. I know your supposed to sneak up on the temp. It just got away from me. I was suprised how fast the temp rised. [p]I thought 220 was the magic number for low and slows? Is there a range that is good, since you use 250? I acheived a constant 240, but got in trouble trying to get to 220. Thanks.

Topo Gigio · July 2004

Luder, a "dry-rib"? I didn't know that. I guess my ribs turned out perfectly then!! I'm learning lots here. Still got a long way to go.[p]

JSlot · July 2004

Hi, Topo. With JJ's method, I flip every 15-20 mins. Lowering the constant exposure time to the heat helps retain the moisture in the ribs and keeps them from being so dry. It's work, but it's worth it! It also would have been better to not trim off too much of the fat.[p]Frosty Ones,
Jim

tach18k · July 2004

Topo Gigio, 250 dome is about 225 or so at the food level which is where you want to be.

katman · July 2004

Topo Gigio,
Sounds like you might have been fine if you were stable at 240. Since this is a new egg you also aought to check the calibration on the temp guage. Mine was 65 degress off.

Luder · July 2004

Topo Gigio,[p]You know what I mean. Most prefer to add sauce to their ribs toward the end or on the side as to serving them "dry" (I would assume because this gives them added moisture).[p]You can definitely achieve and maintain a steady temperature without the Guru and the Guru may seem a little costly, but if you do a lot of long and slow cooks, I think that you will come to appreciate it.[p]Good luck,
Luder

eggor · July 2004

Topo Gigio,[p]did some baby backs this last weekend that I really liked. Try putting a tinfoil covered pizza stone on the main grid and a raised grid over that, put the ribs on the raised grid, bone down and let it go about 275 dome not any hotter, this will run an average temp of 230-240 at the grid, I let it go for about 3 ½ hours and spritz it with some lemon juice a couple times. Only flipped the ribs twice and that prolly didn’t need. Then wrapped in loose foil for about ½ hr still running about 275 dome. Uncover and let the ribs continue over the indirect setup with some bbq sauce. This took another hour. You can let the temp drop to around 250 or lower for the last hour. The meat should be pulling back from the bone a little when they are done. The ribs really tasted great, I like the texture better than the 321, might not be as moist as the 321 but meat would pull clean from the bone and wife said they were as good as any ribs. Sorry no pics but you know what ribs look like.[p]Scott[p]

eggor · July 2004

forgot to add that i did mustard and a dry rub in the fridge for 6 hours before cooking. the rub is a secret... acually i forgot what recipe i used - damn it, now I got to start from scratch[p]Scott

Pakak · July 2004

"acually i forgot what recipe i used"[p]LOL - too many beers during the prep?

eggor · July 2004

Pakak,[p]yep, sunday mornin favorite Coors lite with a couple jiggors or tomato juice, also known as a cornhusker 'tall red one'.

1st Cook: JJ Ribs - Temp. problem and Dry ribs ??

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