Will be trying baby back ribs for the first time tomorrow

Jackster21

Not sure yet if I want to turbo cook them, or do a longer low and slow. I have a digi-q so holding around 225 isn't a problem.

So far, I've cooked pork shoulder, steak,hamburgers, boneless chicken breasts, beer can chicken, and smoked a ham a few years ago. My plan is to rub with Willingham's original wham dry rub, and then just put in the egg and forget about it until I think it's done. I want a good bark and Memphis style dry ribs. Will my plan work? I'm not really wanting to get all fancy with FTC. Just put the ribs in, let'm cook, and then rest in a pan.

Will it work?

Thanks,

J.

rifrench

I generally try to stay around 250*-275*

Kevinboatright

When doing ribs is everyone cooking to time or temp? 

Theophan

Two suggestions:

1. 250° (if not higher), not 225°.  I just get better smoke, everything's better in a BGE at 250° or above.  Lower is for stick burners, in my opinion.
2. Don't take them out till they either bend 90° when you hold one end and let the other end hang down, and/or till a toothpick goes in very, very easily, no matter what the time is, no matter what the temp is.  Tell they're done by testing whether they are tender or not.

Your plan is fine!  I never foil ribs, and often don't sauce them.

SmokeyLopey

Theophan said:

Two suggestions:

1. 250° (if not higher), not 225°.  I just get better smoke, everything's better in a BGE at 250° or above.  Lower is for stick burners, in my opinion.
2. Don't take them out till they either bend 90° when you hold one end and let the other end hang down, and/or till a toothpick goes in very, very easily, no matter what the time is, no matter what the temp is.  Tell they're done by testing whether they are tender or not.

Your plan is fine!  I never foil ribs, and often don't sauce them.

@Theophan: I've seen the posts abt cooking for an hour and forty minutes at 350 for a turbo cook...approx how long do you cook at 250?

bgeBill

Here are notes from one of my better rib smokes.  274, 4 hrs
(1) 2.42 lb BB pork ribs  (Kroger "Natural" brand)
Smoked indirect, plate setter legs up w/ drip pan, on grate
Royal Oak Lump, Apple wood
Smoker grate temp 275°F
Time  4 hr
Rest 1/4 hr covered.
Rub (not real spicy)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp paprika
Comments:
*temp ~190-200°F, pull back on bones, cracks when picked up.
*Tender, but not fall off bone.

Skrullb

I agree with not worrying about 225. I pretty much cook everything 250-300 now and it comes out great. My XL likes that temp range. 

Beaumonty

I am doing exact same thing. My egg naturally gravitates to 250-275. 

I have experimented with foiling and such but get better results doing nothing but rubbing and smoking. 

My best indicator is the seeing the meat pulling back from the ends of the bone. Once that happens you KNOW it will pull off nicely when you bite. 

good luck. Post pics when you’re done. I am starting three racks in about four hours. We can compare notes. 

dmchicago

Bend test done. 

jtcBoynton

Not sure yet if I want to turbo cook them, or do a longer low and slow.

Neither.  Moderate temps work better on an egg.  Smoke profile is better than low and slow. No worry about burnt sugars like can happen with turbo.  Aim for around 275ºF.

Beaumonty

I have a large so I have to use a rack  so, I also depend less on the bend test.  Just put them on  ger, 

Theophan

SmokeyLopey said:

@Theophan: I've seen the posts abt cooking for an hour and forty minutes at 350 for a turbo cook...approx how long do you cook at 250?

I'm honestly not sure, but I'd guess anywhere from 4-5h.  I almost never good for company -- it's usually just me and my wife, so it's not like I have guests coming who expect to eat at a set time.

Like some others above, my Eggs just like to be 250°-275°, and everything's better if I keep it at least that hot.  Sometimes if I think they're not going to be done as soon as I wanted I'll nudge it up to 300°, but not often.

Jackster21

Jackster21

One hour in so far. Went with 275 on the digiq

pgprescott

Kevinboatright said:

When doing ribs is everyone cooking to time or temp? 

Temp. I’m a toothpick test kinda guy. I often use the thermopen as the toothpick and find that 197-205 is the temp range depending on the degree of tug you want. Even at 205, they won’t be fall if the bone, but close. 

Jackster21

After 2 and 1/2 hrs.

pgprescott

Middle rack needs checked imo

Beaumonty

Four hours in. 

Jackster21

Beaumonty said:

Four hours in. 

What temp you cooking at?

Dawgtired

My last cook was St Louis cut. I used APL’s method, stacked, wrapped in bacon, cling wrap, foil wrap, etc from his newer book and of all the ribs I’ve cooked I believe those were the best ever 

Jackster21

When I first removed the middle rack of ribs, they tore apart. Oops, those are overcooked, or so I thought. I took the middle rack out about an hour after pgprescott said they needed to be checked. I then continued to cook the other two racks for about an hour to 1.5 hours and then removed them. They didn't tear apart like the middle rack. After letting everything sit for about 45 minutes, I discovered that the middle rack was actually really good. It was moist and very tender. However, those were really salty. Maybe I over did it on the rub. The other two racks were very dry and kinda tough.

I'm not serving these, it's just for me. This was a test run.

Why would the middle rack cook much faster than the other 2? I used a digi-Q to maintain a steady temp of 275 at grate level.

milesvdustin

If they were the kroger ribs, the ribs were the culprit for the salt. 

lousubcap

For me the sure fire way to determine the finish-line with any rib cook is the toothpick test.  Much easier than the bend test that is full rack dependent.  FWIW-

Beaumonty

lousubcap said:

For me the sure fire way to determine the finish-line with any rib cook is the toothpick test.  Much easier than the bend test that is full rack dependent.  FWIW-

I did that this time with my thermapen and it was spot on. 

Cornholio

Turbo ribs have been turning out really good for me, best racks yet came off the egg yesterday afternoon.

1:50ish at 350 (first 10 mins were more like 330)

Little but of sauce and back on for another 15 minutes or so.  

lkapigian

Looks amazing