Disappointing Rib Results

GumpFu

I cooked my first ribs yesterday in my egg
following the Car Wash Mike technique (5-5.5 hours at 225 F).   I didn't have a rib rack and cooked on the
grill, bone side down.  The ribs were ok
but not nearly as tender as I had hoped. 
The thick pieces were almost rubbery and tough. Did I cook too long or not long enough?   I've only had my egg a few weeks and
everything I have cooked has been great, except these ribs.  I am not only new to the BGE but new to cooking.  Up until 2 weeks ago, I had not been inside a grocery store in years! Obviously, being a rooking,  I'm probably doing something screwy with the ribs.  Any suggestions?

Kristinnn

from what i have read if they are rubbery they are not done yet

AleBrewer

Were they spare ribs...or baby backs?   225 is kinda low for me. I've always had good luck doing BB's at a higher temp. I just did two racks of BB's at 250-275 for about 4.5 hrs, and they came out really tender.

When checking for doneness, I grab a rack of ribs in the center of the rack with a pair of tongs. If the rack bends in the middle, and the meat starts to crack and split....they are done! You can also slip a knife into the meat between the bones to check for doneness(is that a word?)

You don't need a rack to get tender ribs. I only use a rack when I need to fit more than two racks on my large.

Did you open the egg a lot to check on the ribs? Openening the egg often can affect the temp, and extend cooking times.  It sounds like you just didn't give them enough time. It just takes patience...and practice!

Good Luck!

JWBurns

Mine turned out the same way Gump. They were my first cook on my XL on Saturday.

I agree that temp is too low. Next time I'll bump it to 260/275 for the same amount of time. When I pulled them, they didn't pass the bend test either.

Logger

Calibrate your dome thermometer (in rapid boiling water should read 212° depending on your elevation)
Mine was 30° off when I checked it.
I have to agree to AleBrewer's temps as well.

C3H8Hater

Was the 225 grate or dome temp?. If that was dome temp then you were cooking most likely at something below 200 and the ribs werent cooked enough and consequently tough/rubbery. Also make sure to get the membrane off the back.  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

All great advice above. They were definitely not done. Ribs that are overdone fall apart.

GumpFu

thanks much guys, I will chalk it up to lack of experience.   I should have kept them on longer but am an impatient person and followed the instructions verbatim, which may not be a good thing in cooking.   They were baby backs and the BGE thermometer temp was at 225 for most of the cook. 

C3H8Hater, just curious, why do you hate propane?

Anyone want some tough leftover baby backs?

tazcrash

@grumpFu: 

Put them in food savers, and or zip locks, and put in hot water for a while. I can't guarantee it will work, but...

I've had leftovers come out more tender the next day.

GumpFu

Taz- dumb question...but how long do I put them in hot water, how hot and for how long?  How do I know when to pull them?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I would throw them back on the egg or in the oven at 275-300 until they get very tender and eat them.

xraypat23

275 for 4 hours than glaze usually works perfect for me every time...I'm a spare rib guy thou. 

tazcrash

I took a dutch oven, and got the water up to about 200, and dropped the bags in, and then chase my son around for a while so I lost track of time.  

Just pull them when they are warm, longer if you want to try and get them more tender.  

JWBurns

Was the 225 grate or dome temp?. If that was dome temp then you were cooking most likely at something below 200 and the ribs werent cooked enough and consequently tough/rubbery. Also make sure to get the membrane off the back.  

</

Interesting.. So the dome temp is always hotter than the grate temp?

GumpFu

I would think the grate is hotter than the dome.....thermodynamics laws are consistent inside BGE's right?

AleBrewer

Dome is usually hotter than grate temp....to a certain degree. As you continue to cook without opening the lid, the temp difference between dome and grate will tend to even out a bit.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

The rising heat gets trapped in the dome. This happens more on low and slow when you have the daisy closed to slow airflow. There can be a significant difference in dome and grate temp (higher in the dome) on low and slow cooks.

tazcrash

The Cen-Tex Smoker: 

what no mention of Sous-vide to reheat? you just cost me $5!  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

The Cen-Tex Smoker: 

what no mention of Sous-vide to reheat? you just cost me $5!  

No. I'm all egg all the time

)

paqman

I cook my baby back ribs at 275-300 for at least 4 hours

indirect

water pan on platesetter legs up

 They end up tender but not fall off the bone.  I never was able to achieve fall off the bone on the egg without foil (i'd be happy to!).  For fall off the bone, I wrap in foil for 3 hours @ 300 then 1 hour on the egg with bbq sauce @ 225-250 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I cook my baby back ribs at 275-300 for at least 4 hours

indirect

water pan on platesetter legs up

 They end up tender but not fall off the bone.  I never was able to achieve fall off the bone on the egg without foil (i'd be happy to!).  For fall off the bone, I wrap in foil for 3 hours @ 300 then 1 hour on the egg with bbq sauce @ 225-250 

If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.

JWBurns

The rising heat gets trapped in the dome. This happens more on low and slow when you have the daisy closed to slow airflow. There can be a significant difference in dome and grate temp (higher in the dome) on low and slow cooks.

Very good to know.

I've actually watched Fred from BBQ Guru on YouTube videos, remove the BGE some thermo, and replace it with a probe. Would be an interesting experiment to see the difference in grate vs some temps.

majorpain

Since you say your new to the cooking experience I must ask you if you remembered to remove the membrane from the backside?  I have done ribs at 230 for 3 hours with meat side down.  I then pull them off and throw them in some heavy duty foil with a little apple juice and seal it up tight.  Then I throw them back on the grill for about another 2 hours and they are always awesome.  It sounds to me like you did it right.  It could have been the meat itself.  I have found there is a big difference from "meat house" quality and a "walmart" pieces of meat.  After the apple juice has done its magic I can actually pull the bone right out of the meat with ease.

SteveWPBFL

If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.

I've never understood how the foil raises the temp so they cook faster.....I think I think the foil holds steam in so they steam instead of convect, which would tend to cook them faster ..... 

Rich_ie

Calibrate + 
patients = great food!! You need an accurate way to check temps of the food. 

rickHP

 

Very good to know. I've actually watched Fred from BBQ Guru on YouTube videos, remove the BGE some thermo, and replace it with a probe. Would be an interesting experiment to see the difference in grate vs some temps.

Another way to look at it is that in low and slow cooks, the platesetter blocks the direct heat off the grill, so it flows around and up to the dome.

I got a Maverick wireless probe, which has a meat probe and a  grill level thermometer, a little while ago. During a pork butt cook, my dome temp ran 20-30 degrees hotter than the grill over the platesetter once temps stablized. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.

I've never understood how the foil raises the temp so they cook faster.....I think I think the foil holds steam in so they steam instead of convect, which would tend to cook them faster ..... 

The crutch (foil) works with or without adding extra liquid. If you think about it, adding foil is an insulating layer that keeps heat from escaping. By adding liquid, it adds steam which also makes it cook faster (but destroys bark which is why I don't).

Not being smart here but run a mile in gym clothes, then run a mile wrapped in foil and take your temp .

boatbum

Cook'em till the meat starts sliding up the bone

ribnrun

I cook cheap walmart ribs a lot for my own personal consumption. I buy better ones for company. I have had racks of spares cook for 6+ hours at 250+ dome and still not be ready to eat. I look at bone size when I buy them. If they are really big, thick bones you know that rack came off a big ol sow and will likely take a long time to cook themselves tender.

Almost any method of cooking ribs has worked for me, but each rack tends to be a little different. I've had racks be done after 4 hours, and others take nearly 7.

Airwolf

I have never had mine pull away from the bone like that.... but this last batch was almost fall off the bone tender.

GumpFu

I pulled the membrane off the backside as instructed in the Car Wash Mike instructions.  Another issue was that I put them on the grill at 1 p.m.   By 6 p.m. everyone was hungry and I thought they were done, but now I see where they could have used some more time.  I will have to start earlier next time. 

I see Ribs are like babies, they are brought into this world on their own schedule.