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Rib question: meat side up or down?

I ask because I was watching a BBQ show and I noticed the guy put his ribs meat side down. He was using a vertical smoker. Was just curious.

Live in Austin/From Arkansas

XL BGE

Comments

  • FATC1TY
    FATC1TY Posts: 888
    I've always done meat up. It atleast shields its from the flame source I think at best. 

    But i guess its like brisket and shoulders. Everyone does it how they like it and love it 
    -FATC1TY
    Grillin' and Brewing in Atlanta
    LBGE
    MiniMax
  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
    Up, unless I am jamming 7 racks onto an LBGE, in which case I put them all on their edge
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
  • Meat-side up.  You can always flip if you have the need to even put the cook if your grill is packed.  I have never found the need.  Jmho 
    Go Gamecocks!!!
    1 XL, 1 MM
    Smoking in Aiken South Carolina
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Meat side up. On occasion if I foil with some fixings comp style I put them meat side down into butter brown sugar etc. but other than that meat side up and drink beers while waiting
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Up
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • Meat side up for me.
    South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS 
  • CtTOPGUN
    CtTOPGUN Posts: 612
    Meat side up for any low and slow on my LBGE. It seems to protect the meat from the hotter platesetter (at least it is hotter the first part of the cook) below and the bark does not get ruined by sticking to the grid.

       Jim
    LBGE/Weber Kettle/Blackstone 36" Griddle/Turkey Fryer/Induction Burner/Royal Gourmet 24" Griddle/Cuisinart Twin Oaks/Pit Boss Tabletop pellet smoker/Instant Pot

     BBQ from the State of Connecticut!

       Jim
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    The guy on tv was inebriated.  
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Another vote for up-any indirect cook where you can get additional heat protection from the protein works for me.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • bhedges1987
    bhedges1987 Posts: 3,201
    up

    Kansas City, Missouri
    Large Egg
    Mini Egg

    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf


  • Hntnhrd
    Hntnhrd Posts: 713
    Never even thought differently but meat up
  • Thank you all! @pgprescott it was Moe Cason.

    Live in Austin/From Arkansas

    XL BGE

  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    Thank you all! @pgprescott it was Moe Cason.
    Well he knows moe than I do, that's for sure. My comment was a smart a** joke anyway. I've heard of guys doing that for short periods to carmelizing and such, but never for hours. But, who knows. 
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Thank you all! @pgprescott it was Moe Cason.
    Well he knows moe than I do, that's for sure. My comment was a smart a** joke anyway. I've heard of guys doing that for short periods to carmelizing and such, but never for hours. But, who knows. 
    Moe is an egger- know if he's on the forum?
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Depending on how you set up your egg, the fat should be facing the hottest area.  This is because the fat will insulate so it will compensate facing the hotter part of a never even heating grill. 

    The challenge for you is determining where that is.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • smokeyw
    smokeyw Posts: 367
    Depending on how you set up your egg, the fat should be facing the hottest area.  This is because the fat will insulate so it will compensate facing the hotter part of a never even heating grill. 

    The challenge for you is determining where that is.

    This applies to butts, brisket, and other similar cuts. Not so with ribs. There really is no fat side with them.
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    smokeyw said:
    Depending on how you set up your egg, the fat should be facing the hottest area.  This is because the fat will insulate so it will compensate facing the hotter part of a never even heating grill. 

    The challenge for you is determining where that is.

    This applies to butts, brisket, and other similar cuts. Not so with ribs. There really is no fat side with them.
    Yeah. There is a bone side which acts as a shield to the meat side. 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    smokeyw said:
    Depending on how you set up your egg, the fat should be facing the hottest area.  This is because the fat will insulate so it will compensate facing the hotter part of a never even heating grill. 

    The challenge for you is determining where that is.

    This applies to butts, brisket, and other similar cuts. Not so with ribs. There really is no fat side with them.
    Depends on how they are cut.  Otherwise the bone.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Meat up for 1-2 racks in the large egg. If I'm going 3-4 racks I'll use a rib rack and stack them vertically - if I do this I make sure to flip them 1/2 way through for even color. 
    Formerly of Houston, TX - Now Located in Bastrop, TX
    I work in the 'que business now (since 2017)

    6 Eggs: (1) XL, (2) Large, (1) Small, (1) Minimax & (1) Mini - Egging since 2007
    Also recently gained: (1) Gas Thing (came with the house), (1) 36" Blackstone Griddle & (1) Pitts & Spitts Pellet Smoker
  • dgaddis1
    dgaddis1 Posts: 140
    Meat up for 1-2 racks in the large egg. If I'm going 3-4 racks I'll use a rib rack and stack them vertically - if I do this I make sure to flip them 1/2 way through for even color. 
    Is that really necessary?  Have you done a cook without flipping?  The Egg isn't that big, with a low and slow  and indirect cook I would assume that the temp is pretty consistent across the grate.  
    Dustin - Macon, GA
    Southern Wheelworks 
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    dgaddis1 said:
    Meat up for 1-2 racks in the large egg. If I'm going 3-4 racks I'll use a rib rack and stack them vertically - if I do this I make sure to flip them 1/2 way through for even color. 
    Is that really necessary?  Have you done a cook without flipping?  The Egg isn't that big, with a low and slow  and indirect cook I would assume that the temp is pretty consistent across the grate.  
    If I use a rack I like to move them to try and get the most uniform smoke and crust on them. Not a huge deal, but a rack can sometimes restrict the flow of the smoke around the ribs as they tend to get crowded. By no means a necessity, but it does make a slight difference. 
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    doesn't really matter since you are on the Egg and indirect.  That typed, I would recommend bone down.  Wrap our no wrap this works every time.
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    Did a rack, raised and 4 on the bottom grid for a total of ten, never flipped them. Perfect.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky