Best baby back ribs

Mpmarschall33475

Me being a new Egg owner and absolutely loving it my boss is challenging me to a baby back rib cook off. I was wanting to reach out and see people's recipes and ways to make the flavor pop and meat fall off the bone. Ive now owned the Large Egg for 4 weeks and got the temperature thing down now I need some winning recipes! Anything will be appreciated 

Legume

What does he cook his on?

Eggcelsior

Look for Car Wash Mike ribs. They are excellent. The technique isn't necessary to get good ribs, but I've had consistent results with it.

gdenby

CWM rib method does guarantee a good result. However, it produces a sticky sauced rib. I go more for sauce on the side.

My method is really simple. Brush the ribs w. a thin coat of neutral flavor oil. Apply rub generously. My go to is a 60/40 mixture of DP Dizzy Dust and Swamp Venom. Dome 250-275. Ribs, raised, indirect, no water in the drip pan. I prefer oak or hickory for smoke, but some people like a lighter taste. Pecan or apple does fine.

After 4 hours +/-, check and see how they're doing. Meat often is pulling back from the bone ends, and the slab is starting to bend a little. Here's my "trick." A lot of the flavors in rubs fade away during the cooking. Black pepper, garlic, paprika and many herbs. I brush on a little more oil, and add a 2nd coat of rub made from the above.

Usually by 5 hours the ribs are starting to pass the bend test. The slab buckles under its own weight. I dust on a little raw sugar a few minutes before pulling them. Typically I serve w. some pre-heated mustardy sauce on the side.

Legume

that sounds good @gdenby I've never reapplied rub, never thought to do this, probably fear of over salting the ribs, but I can control with rub choice.  I'm going to do this next time.  do you think the oil is necessary?

gdenby

The oil is not absolutely necessary. But it seems to seal a little more moisture into the meat, and some of the flavor compounds in spices are not water soluble, but are oil soluble.

I came up w. the 2nd rub addition when I recalled that lots of prize winning chili cooks have a series of "dumps" for their flavors. Garlic, for instance, looses a lot of its pungency when heated. I like black pepper a lot, and after I made some of my own rub with lots of black pepper, I was perplexed that so little of the flavor was left at the end. I suppose that the flavor and aroma chemicals just bake away, so a fresh grind towards the end works better than letting it cook the whole time.

Mickey

I am not a fall-off-the-bone fan. Want a little bite. Also not a fan of ribs sauced. This is my go to. 

Baby Back Turbo Ribs (No flip)

350 indirect for 1hr 40 min. 

Before cooking: Pull membrane , rub, mustard, rub. 

Put on at 350 and leave the hell alone for about that time. This is called turbo ribs and I will never go back to 4 and 5 hour ribs. 

Note: with or w/o mustard works .. I like Bad Byron's Butt Rub / I like cherry & pecan mix for wood. 

If you want sauce: opened 15 min early and sauce. I like the sauce on the table.

 

ElCapitan

I do it like Mickey does. I don't like the bend test as much as the toothpick test. If the toothpick slides into the meat easy they are done. 

I've also done it Adam Perry Lang style where he takes them off after about and hour (turbo) or 2.5 hours (225), seasons them again with diced onion and brown sugar, wraps in foil and cooks for another 30-45. He then removes from foil and goes back on w a little sauce to make the bark a little crisper. These are awesome this way. 

My advice would be to practice first. 

johnnyp

A lot of people like  more bite to the ribs and the method Mickey gave is great for it.

if you want fall off the bone, super tender ribs.  Go with the 3-2-1 (spare ribs) or 2-2-1(baby backs) method.  

2-2-1 goes as follows.  2 hours in indirect heat and smoke.  Then 2 hours wrapped in foil.  Finally 1 final hour unwrapped to firm up the crust.  Sauce for final 15-20 mins if desired.

from a flavor standpoint, I'm a huge fan of Dizzy Pig's Dizzy Dust.  Order a bottle immediately.  You won't be sorry.

jtcBoynton

Legume said:

that sounds good @gdenby I've never reapplied rub, never thought to do this, probably fear of over salting the ribs, but I can control with rub choice.  I'm going to do this next time.  do you think the oil is necessary?

One of the reasons to use salt free rubs. Salt the ribs, and then you can add as much of the rub as you want without oversalting. 

Mpmarschall33475

Thanks for the tips I will try these and without a doubt will probably like them all. I'll get my judges opinion and see what they like the best. Results will follow thanks everyone! 

jak7028

That is good advice with using a salt free rub and re-applying near then end.  I have never considered the flavor cooking off.  I have made outstanding ribs from a feel and texture standpoint, but they needed a little more flavor (without just adding sauce.)

MpMarschall - consider your audience that is going to be tasting the ribs for the contest.  If they are a knowledgeable BBQ crowd, then do something like what Mickey suggested so the ribs are tender, but have a little bite.

If they are just people that like to eat, do a variation of the 2-2-1 ribs to make them more tender or "fall off the bone."  The foil will help give this result.

Personally, I like to be able to bite tender meat off of the bone, not just pick up a lose bone.  So Mickey's technique gets my vote.  I have never turboed them like him, but who can argue with that picture.

Legume

if it's just you and your boss judging, you already lost

dh7

johnnyp said:

A lot of people like  more bite to the ribs and the method Mickey gave is great for it.

if you want fall off the bone, super tender ribs.  Go with the 3-2-1 (spare ribs) or 2-2-1(baby backs) method.  

2-2-1 goes as follows.  2 hours in indirect heat and smoke.  Then 2 hours wrapped in foil.  Finally 1 final hour unwrapped to firm up the crust.  Sauce for final 15-20 mins if desired.

from a flavor standpoint, I'm a huge fan of Dizzy Pig's Dizzy Dust.  Order a bottle immediately.  You won't be sorry.

dh7

What dome temp do you use

bigbadben

i will add my two cents.  Most people don't believe these ribs are as amazing as they taste, but trust me they are.

1)coat baby backs with 1:1:1 salt:pepper:sugar.  
2)cook for 3-3.5 hrs at 275 F.
3)coat with 1:1 mustard:molasses
4)finish cooking for a total of 4 hrs, or until the meat probes tender like a butt.

I find these are not quite fall off the bone.  I can cut them with a knife, but a good bite pulls the meat cleanly off the bone.

perfect for my family!