Ribs

SamIam

I just got my egg and love it. I'm also new to KC, so I thought I'd try to make my own ribs similar to the delicious ribs you can so easily find here in KC. I used Bubbas Top Secret Rib Rub and it was a great rub. I was wondering if somebody could help me with a question... I cooked up 2 slabs of pork spare ribs at about 250 degrees for about 4 hours. The larger ribs were tender, but not as tender as I would like (falling off the bone!) The smaller ribs seemed to be quite a bit more tender. Does that mean I should have cooked the ribs longer or at a different temp? I'm opposed to boiling good ribs, so I was hoping someone could help.

Mike Oelrich

Sam I am,[p] Probably just needed to cook the larger ones a bit more. Did you cook direct or indirect?[p]MikeO

SamIam

MikeO,
I cooked direct. I thought I might need to cook a little longer. Thanks!

Char-Woody

Sam I am, spare ribs are a longer cook, usually in the 5 to 5.5 hour class. Baby backs are a bit faster in the 3 to 4 hour range. A St. Louis cut of spares, (minus the flap) could give you a more uniform time.
What you have described, highlights one of the things hanging on my memory tabs, about the purchase of grilling meats. Chops, steaks and I will go with ribs also. Uniformity of thickness does matter. For instance, when you buy thick cut pork chops, ask that they be uniform bone to tip in the cut..Stands to reason they will not be as uniform in the cook if thin to thick in the thickness.
So if one buys spares or baby backs, try and hand pick the ones that are as nearly identical as possible.[p]Since your new to the BGE..GFW (Check his website) and others advocate using a foil finish or somewhere in the cook. For instance..if you just use a rub on spares, at about the 4th hour at 225F degrees, Quickly wrap them in foil, return to the BGE on the grill, and for all intents and purpose, you can shut down the BGE for the rest of the cook and just let em ride in there for another hour. The will be as close to fall of the bone as you can get, and still retain some of the crusty exterior on great ribs.
More will follow from the rib gurus..here..and we have some great ones..some slightly different in the approaches..
Cheers and welcome to the forum.
C~W[p]

Tim M

Sam I am,[p]Meat temp is the key. The smaller bones will heat up more than the larger meat & bones so the meat is eaier to pull clean off the bone. I cooked some the other day to 190 deg and they were great- pulled clean and really tender. Often the meaty side is 160 deg and the smaller side is reading 200 so I pull them and always find the 160 deg ribs to be tougher to pull off the bone.[p]The 3-1-1.5 method works very well and so does lo&slow indirect for 4.5-5 hrs. You will have some hot spots, put the meatier ribs there to cook. I always cut my racks in half to aid moving them around or wrapping in foil (3-1-1.5 method).[p]Enjoy
Tim