I am going to do pork ribs, what style is your favorite?

BigBlackV

I plan on doing some pork ribs this weekend probably 2 racks. I watched the 2 clips on BBQ with Franklin on youtube and he says to do regular pork spare ribs not St Louis cut and not baby backs. I am sure everyone has their own pref and I know baby backs are more tender but what do you think or like? 

I am going to probably try it this way unless you eggheads have better thoughts/idea's..

part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSFdddaRnk

part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMQ7g2EJMoM



Jay 

Thatgrimguy

Who said babybacks are more tender?  I cook St. Louis Cut for Comp because I can achieve the best tenderness on that cut. I cook that at home because I like eating them the best that way. My wife prefers baby backs so she doesn't have to eat around cartledge at all.  Spares are just St Louis with the tips and breast bone on (I remove that no matter what I'm doing)

BigBlackV

Thatgrimguy said:

Who said babybacks are more tender?  I cook St. Louis Cut for Comp because I can achieve the best tenderness on that cut. I cook that at home because I like eating them the best that way. My wife prefers baby backs so she doesn't have to eat around cartledge at all.  Spares are just St Louis with the tips and breast bone on (I remove that no matter what I'm doing)

I may be wrong but I thought he said that in the video. I am a total noob so for that I am sorry. 

What is your favorite recipe or any advice you can give me? 

JMCXL

this was my Super Bowl rib cook  (not mine from a book)

RIBS – SUPER BOWL COOK

ST. LOUIS CUT - like these the best

NIGHT BEFORE

RIB APPLE GLAZE (PG 318 “ULTIMATE BOOK OF BBQ”) VERY GOOD

            ½ CUP APPLESAUCE

            ½ CUP BBQ SAUCE

            ½ CUP HONEY

            ¼ TSP KOSHER SALT

            ¼ TSP COARSE BLACK TELLICHERRY PEPPER

            ( I DOUBLED EVERYTHING TO HAVE EXTRA FOR DIPPING)

 

DAY OF COOK

            RUB – SEASON ALL RUB (PG 329 “ULTIMATE BOOK OF BBQ”)

            ¾ CUP PAPRIKE

            ½ CUP TURBINADO SUGAR

            ¼ CUP SEASONED SALT

            ¼ CUP BLACK PEPPER

            2 TBSP GARLIC

            1 TBSP ONION POWDER

            1 TBSP OREGANO

            ½ TSP CHIPOTLE POWDER

 

12:00 PEANUT OIL BOTH SIDES AND APPLY RUB – LET SIDE FOR 1 HOUR

 

1:00PM – RIBS ON LOWER (3) AND MIDDLE (2) RACKS – I had a BRISKET ON TOP WRAPPED IN FOIL

 

1:40PM – SPRAY RIBS WITH APPLE JUICE

 

2:45PM – DID THE WRAP IN FOIL THING

            BROWN SUGAR AND HONEY ON FOIL

            COAT RIBS WITH HONEY, RUB, BROWN SUGAR AND ONION POWDER

            WRAP TIGHT WITH DOUBLE LAYER HEAVEY DUTY FOIL

            BACK ON TBGE

 

4:50PM – REMOVE AND TAKE OUT OF FOIL (THROW AWAY FOIL AND JUICE)

            COVER WITH RIB APPLE GLAZE

            BACK ON TBGE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR

 

DONE - REST AND CUT

 

NOTES: MIGHT BE THE BEST RIBS I HAVE DONE YET!!!

BigBlackV

That sure is a lot of work just for ribs LOL

Thatgrimguy

BigBlackV said:

Thatgrimguy said:

Who said babybacks are more tender?  I cook St. Louis Cut for Comp because I can achieve the best tenderness on that cut. I cook that at home because I like eating them the best that way. My wife prefers baby backs so she doesn't have to eat around cartledge at all.  Spares are just St Louis with the tips and breast bone on (I remove that no matter what I'm doing)

I may be wrong but I thought he said that in the video. I am a total noob so for that I am sorry. 

What is your favorite recipe or any advice you can give me? 

If you get enhanced ribs, then just cover with your favorite dry rub and smoke till tender.  

I recommend not using enhanced ribs though. With non-enhanced ribs, salt them with kosher salt about 2 hours before smoking (not a lot more though or you could end up with a hammy flavor) then rub them with your favorite rub and smoke at 275 for about 4 hours. Check for tenderness often. You want to pick up the ribs from about the third or fourth bone and the rest of the rack should fall over and the skin should start splitting. You want them to almost, but not break under their own weight.

I wrap for comp but never at home. I would suggest you just let them go on the egg till done at 275. No spritz, no wrap.

Legume

I used to only cook BBs, then got tired of seeing them get thicker and thicker over the years, tried St Louis and loved them.  The family likes BBs better, so it's a negotiation. 

Just this weekend I picked up some BBs and took a knife and trimmed the really thick end down, cooked that as a little chefs treat alongside the ribs.  The ribs were back to a more consistent size both ends of the rack which made everything easier.  I'll be doing this from now on, keeps everyone happy.

I cooked bone side down for 5 1/2 hours.  Dry rub only for the first 4 hours, then brushed twice with some sauce thinned 1:1 with ACV.  I pulled them, foiled them with another brushing of sauce and put them in an oven at 150 to hold for an hour or so while I cooked a few other things.  I didn't wrap them tight, so they didn't go mush on me - they were balanced between a nice bite and fall off the bone.  Tenderness of a wrapped rib with the moisture content of a dry cooked rib.

It's far from traditional, but your favorite sauce thinned with ACV ends up going really well with ribs or any pork for that matter.  Friends and family grabbed that mixture in a squirt bottle over the full strength sauce.

Ragtop99

I keep them simple. Mostly I make spares, but babybacks sometimes as a change.

I cut off any huge chunks of fat, remove the skin from the back side, and apply a rub on them while the grill is heating up.  The rub is a mix of peppers, garlic, oregano, and couple other things.  I don't use sugar in the rub as the BBQ sauce is plenty sweet for me.  I make a big batch a few times a year and put it in a spice jar. 

I put them on the grill, close the lid, and don't touch them for 3 hours.  I flip them and let them cook 1 - 2 hours more depending upon whether the temp was close to 250* or it heated up to 275*.  If I don't flip, its not a big deal.  At the 4 - 5 hour mark, I use the bend test and see if they are almost done.  If yes, I apply a coat of sauce and open the vents and allow the temp to rise to around 325*.  After 10 minutes or so I flip them and apply sauce to the back side.  In  another 10 minutes flip and apply a second coat to the top.  After 10 - 20 minutes I pull and serve them.  If I'm making multiple slabs, I don't sauce one slab.

I like them tender, but not fall off the bone.  Fall off the bone can be achieved by cooking for an hour longer, or for the same time at 25*  - 35* higher temp. 

I don't use foil because that is cooking by steaming. 

I'd suggest starting simple and seeing the results.  Then experiment by moving to more complex recipes like posted by@JMCXL. 

Mosca

I prefer baby backs, IMO they are a bit milder flavor. Not much, but a bit. It's like a light meat/dark meat for fowl, but without the huge texture difference that chicken and turkey usually have between the white/dark.

Foghorn

I honestly like them all.  I just pick whatever looks good at the store at the time I am shopping.

I know that makes me no help to you at all.  But it is OK to not have a favorite and just be an opportunist.

SmokeyPitt

I like them both but the family seems to prefer baby back so that is what I do most often.   I am sure the Franklin ribs would turn out great.  Just my $.02, but I would probably just buy the St. Louis style ribs.  I know he says not to but the St. Louis style ribs are just spare ribs that have already been cut for you so it will save you the step of cutting them. 

BigBlackV

I agree with you guys above and will buy St Louis style so I do not have to cut and trim them much. That guy IS a pro and trims them very easily. 

gmac

Spare seem to be a lot more forgiving in my experience, especially if you over do them. They seem fattier to me. I buy full spare and trim off the breast bone and flap meat for sausages. 

Hub

I've always preferred St Louis style as a happy median, but I think I am changing my mind.  I did a rack of St Louis style on my egg this past Saturday.  They were tender and tasty, but just too much fat and cartilage for my tastes, plus I noticed that the lean parts of the rib tended to separate from the fatty parts as I was eating them.  They were somewhat layered with the lean meat and the fat.  I think I'm going to switch to baby backs going forward.  Sure, that means less meat and a more difficult cook, but I want the leaner meat.

BigBlackV

I am gonna go with St Louis style just so I do not have to trim the area's and its a lot easier for me being my first time smoking ribs. I found a nice 3-2-1 method that I am going to try from a guy on the Cadillac forum that isnt too hard and looks easy enough. Most in my family want tender and are not judging me so if they fall off the bone that will be fine but I will try to get them off just before that happens.