Tough Spare Ribs. Cooked too long or too short?

Unknown

Hi all...[p]So I took my BGE on it's maiden voyage on Saturday night (thanks to everyone for their NYC charcoal suggestions/"connections"). [p]The Jerk chicken turned out perfect.[p]The chicken thighs were great.[p]The ribs were TOUGH! I cooked 3 slabs. I did a little research on the forums prior and followed everyones suggestions:
- Cut of the cartilege and removed the silverskin from the inside of the ribs
- cooked for 2 hours at 250 degrees with plenty of hardwood chunks and A LOT of smoke.[p]The meat was done (no pink) and juicy, but not soft. I don't need them to fall of the bone but tough is not good. Is that a symptom of overcooking or undercooking?[p]Thanks,[p]Miah

Nature Boy

Miah,
Sounds like some good cookin goin' on!
Tough ribs are almost always a sign of undercooking. At 250 you need 5-7 hours and they'll give up. They actually get more moist too once the collagen gets plenty of time to break down. When you pick up the slab in the middle, it should bend freely, and will want to split apart.[p]Give 'em time, and have fun!
Happy holidays
Chris

Unknown

Chris,[p]Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try.[p]After 5-7 hours do they get crispy on the outside? Or do they need a high tempature sear at the end?[p]-miah[p]

Nature Boy

<p />Miah,
I usually raise the temp to around 300 toward the end, and keep them indirect. They end up with a nice crust. If you like them crispier with a little char, then finishing them direct over the coals for the last 10 or 15 minutes should give you the effect you want. [p]Good ribs can be had at 275-300 in about 4 hours or so, but they seem to benefit from the extra couple hours at a lower temp. So many ways to good ribs, but not very many shortcuts. I think I heard JAppledog once say "cook them til you think they are done, then another hour". In a lot of ways this is true...at least til you get it figgered out![p]Best of luck, and keep us posted on how they are coming out!
Chris

tn slagamater

Miah, an easy way to know they are done is to watch where the bone meets the pork and when the meat pulls back from the bone 1/4 inch, it should be ready. HTH

Nature Boy

Howdy Jim,
That is not a bad rule of thumb, but I have found that judgung how far the meat is pulling back from the bone is not too reliable by itself. As an example, look at the picture I posted. They are all done about right, but the one on the left is not pulling back really...while the one on the right has pulled back a full inch. It is different with every slab. So while it is definitely something to watch, it pays to watch for other signs as well....tenderness with toothpick, droopability, etc.[p]Hope you, Carol and the family have a great holiday season!
Chris

Unknown

Miah, the last couple of batches of back ribs that I bought at Costco (or Sam's) were tough. I'm going to look up a meat purveyor who knows that he sells quality meats, and try a box of premium ribs. I like bargain prices, but not worth it if the ribs are off of old brood hogs.

tn slagamater

Nature Boy, good point ! Have a Great Virginia Christmas!