Marinade for Baby Backs

Berky

I have a recipe here for marinading baby backs overnight in some apple juice, cider vinegar, worcestershire and some herbs and spices.  I am wondering if this will affect the cooking time?

I am hoping for sort-of fall off the bone (want to bite 'em too).

Any thoughts?  thanks

Berky

boatbum

I did some ribs last week - still learning but I think the fall of the bone effect is more about how long they are cooked.   These were not completely fall off the bone, but pretty darn close.

 

JerkChicken

I don't think it will effect the cook time. I also don't think marinating them overnight is necessary. Do a search for the 3-1-1 method. You can just season the ribs up, throw them on the grill for 3 hours, then put your marinade along with the ribs into the foil packets and back on the grill for an hour. Then finish them off another hour for some caramelization.  

Berky

Thanks guys, the recipe is for 'apple flavoured' ribs, i am thinking hybrid here, maybe marinade for a few hours only and then put the rest of the marinade in the foil too....

Got 8 guys coming over for Superbowl Sunday, so my reputation is on the line!

JerkChicken

Ohh man, you might wanna do a test run before next sunday so you don't wind up ordering pizza lol

Berky

Ha ha, no fear of that, have done lots of ribs on the egg, just never tried this apple recipe/marinade....

to be safe i might do 3 rack normal and 3 apple....then again, God hates a coward!

They sound great, with an apple-y sauce at the end too....

Will let you know on Monday if i am a hero or a goat...

Thanks!

gdenby

On the one hand, the marinade will add some moisture to the ribs, which will take some extra time to cook off. On the other hand, the vinegar in the marinade will pre-cook the outside of the meat. All-in-all, the time change should be minor. I'd expect the flavor to be fairly strong after a whole night.

One thing to notice in boatbum's fine looking ribs is how the meat has drawn back from the bone ends. That's always a good sign.As the bones dry out, they conduct heat to the connective tissue that holds the meat on them. Then the bones dry and shrink a little. At that point, the meat still needs a little bite to eat it, but just slips away from the bones. This is different from some mass produced ribs. The meat is so mushy that it much of it can be sucked from the bones, but the bones are left with a residue. Unfortunately, many people mistake mushy ribs for ones where the bones are falling out.

AD18

I would be cautious of the extended marinade time with apple juice.  I followed a recipe some time ago that specifcally stated 2 hours in just apple juice.  I pushed it to 3 hrs. wanting more apple flavour and the ribs went to a greyish mushy texture.  Not good.  Some juices supposedly start to cook meat after extended exposure.  If your recipe states over night then go for it.  If your hybrid marinate is your own, I'd stay 2 hours or less. 

Berky

I agree, living here in Northern Alberta most restaurants only serve the mushy type, and to me that is not how a rib should be.  The pictures of boatbum's ribs look perfect to me, tender but you know you are still eating a rib.

The extra flavour intrigues me, something different, should be yummy (i hope!)  Hard to go wrong with pork and apple.....

Ptuna

Just like the difference between iodized table salt and a good natural salt, I would be very careful of the apple juice you select.  In order to reduce the sugar content, many have artificial sweetners and other ingredients you would never have intentionally added, especially for an overnight soak.

I'd go with JerkChicken's recommendation if you really are after that added apple flavor. 3-1-1, with a good apple juice or cider for the  first 1.