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beef ribs

pokey
pokey Posts: 59
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
first attempt at beef ribs and I will have to say it is the first thing I have prepared on the egg that I am disappointed with. I had the temp too high I believe because the ribs turned out tough and dryer than anything else I have prepared. :( Had ribs on for 5 hours and temp over 300, sometimes over 350. Next time will cook closer to 250.

Comments

  • Also make sure your thermometer is calibrated. I lost a rack of baby backs to that one time :pinch:
  • Dreggs
    Dreggs Posts: 147
    Crock pot fixes all mistakes
  •  
    Pokey, one of my first egg cooks was beef ribs. Heck, they ended up making the neighbor's dog run away. Terrible, my first bad cook. The ribs were over cooked. I mostly cooked them to time.

    It took 3 years to give them a try again. I picked up some meaty ribs, seasoned and frankly wasn't expecting much at all.

    This cook I cooked to taste & texture. I used the thermapen to check the meat temperature. I also used thirdeye's probe (something like an ice pic) to check for doneness. I wanted to make sure the meat was tender when I inserted the probe and I didn't want any pull when removing the probe. When I had the tenderness where I wanted it I then took a taste test. Oh my, they were some of the best tasting & texture ribs I have ever cooked.

    beefrib3done.jpg

    beefrib1.jpg

    beefrib2.jpg

    Don't give up, just watch the cook for meat pull back from the bone and use a probe of some type to tell when the meat is tender. It is a great cook and you will really enjoy the end results.

    GG
  • pokey
    pokey Posts: 59
    I was using a toothpick to check for tenderness and about 4 1/2 hrs in while basting I could see the meat moving with just slight pressure from the basting brush. I guess the last 1/2 hour did them in. I did not use our digital thermometer as I was trying to check with the toothpick but will not make the same mistake next time. We did buy enough ribs so that if these flopped we could try them again soon. Thanks for all of your input.
  • Pjoe
    Pjoe Posts: 224
    I learn something every time I fire up the Egg. I have had more successful cooks than not. Just look at it as a learning experience and you found one way NOT to cook ribs! ;)
    Bill
    LBGE AR SMALL BGE WOO RING
  •  
    Using a toothpick is a good method even without the thermometer. I like using a probe, even something like an ice pick or a awl would work. Thirdeye sent me a stainless steel probe he makes and I use that all the time. It is about 3/16" diameter and about 6 to 8 inches long. It is easy to feel the resistance going into the meat and easy to feel the pull when removing the probe. I also use his plugs to stop the juices from running out of the meat once probed or once tested with a thermapen.

    Here is a picture of the plugs being used.
    chicken3plug3rdeyeplug.jpg

    Keep in mind the residual cooking once the food is taken off of the egg, also the bones are hot and will continue the cook also. When I did my first beef ribs we could not even salvage much of the met at all and the taste wasn't all that good as I remember.

    Since that first beef rib cook I had done a lot of pork ribs, BB, Short and Country style. When I decided to try the beef ribs once again I was painfully careful not to over cook. I wasn't expecting much at all with the results. I think I used salt and pepper for the seasoning, or maybe a light coat of Dizzy Dust. As I previously said the ribs I did were unbelievably good.

    Don't let the beef rib cook trough you off. Give it another try. Select meaty ribs and watch that done temperature. Even cut some pieces of meat off if you must. You might even pull the rack a little earlier than you think you should.

    I have seen other members cook the ribs to a more done stage, and those look pretty darn good. I was just too gun shy of going too far and getting that overdone cook.

    Good luck and let us know how the next beef rib cook comes out.

    GG