How do you prep your ribs??

East Cobb Eggy

I am looking for some of the reasons for my inconsistency in my ribs.

What do you do to prep your ribs?

I pull off the membrane and cover with some Dizzy Dust rub.

My ribs are pretty inconsistent and are not really that moist using the 3-1-1 method.

I thought my ribs were better when just smoking for a long time at 250.

Greg

Fidel

i have pretty good luck with putting on a light coat of rub the night before and resting in the fridge. The next day I add a coat of plain yellow mustard, then another coat of rub.

Back in the fridge while the egg comes to temp, then indirect at 240-250 dome until they be done. Once done I sauce them for 10-15 minutes. Then I eat like a maniac.

The 3-1-1 method works well, but they final product is a little mushy for my taste.

Car Wash Mike is the man for ribs....

Jeffersonian

I strip the membrane, slather in yellow mustard and dust with my rub. If I'm feeling ambitious, I inject a quarter ounce of Cajun butter between each rib - it gives the meat a little kick. I used to just smoke them indirectly, but I had good results with the 3-1-1 method, so that will be my approach until I find something better.

East Cobb Eggy

Thanks for the feedback.

Any idea what the yellow mustard brings?

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Fidel,

Thanks for this.

Any idea of the purpose of the mustard. I see a lot of people using it but I have not tried it yet.

When you say that you smoke until done, does this mean until the temperature has been reached?

I thought with ribs the longer the best despite the meat temp. Is this not correct?

Greg

DynaGreaseball

When you pick 'em up on one end and they droop like this....they're done.

TRex

I pull off the membrane (if I didn't get the "butcher" to do it already - often he will if you ask him), rub with light coating of yellow mustard, then apply 1:1 mixture of Dizzy Shakin' and turbinado sugar.



After 5+ hours at 250 indirect (no 3-1-1 for me), they look kinda like this:



I usually get pretty consistent results. Variance is usually in when I take them off - sometimes I get impatient and take them off too early.

Here's my rib page for more info:

http://www.houseoffaulkner.com/bbribs.html

Cheers,

TRex

Fidel

I don't test temp on ribs. I test by twisting a bone. IT is a feel thing, but you will know when they are done. Or you can pick them up one one end and see if they bend 90*.

Mustard does a couple things. It holds the rub better. I think it contributes to a nice bark. Some say the vinegar in the mustard acts as a tenderizer. One thing is you cannot taste the mustard at all on the final product.

DynaGreaseball

The mustard doesn't add much taste. It mainly acts to make a paste for the rub to stick to. 'least that's what it does for me.

Know what else? Cooking like you used to may be your favorite taste for ribs. I think everyone has a little different preference for them.

I used to want 'em coated with bbq sauce. I now like them best sticky with just the rub and bark.

Each to his own, huh?

East Cobb Eggy

I have kept on using the 3-1-1 method and they are not near this tender.

Does this mean that they are not on long enough?

Last time, I tried to keep on longer and wife said they were a little dry.

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Okay... thanks for the feedback.

I do think that I do not have enough bark on mine and maybe some of my rub goes to waste. Therefore, I will try this next time.

Greg

AZRP

I use salt, pepper, cayene, and fresh mint. -RP

Jeffersonian

A base for the rub to adhere to, plus some think the acidic nature of the mustard helps to break down the collagen.

Jeffersonian

Now that you mention it, my 3-1-1's were a bit too "fall-off-the-bone." If I foil next time, I'll probably just do it for a half hour to see if they give a bit more bite.

East Cobb Eggy

Wow, those look really nice.

I like the idea of the apple juice and cider vinegar spritz. Must keep them moist.

It is the first time I have seen sugar used on the ribs, does this give a little more bark??

BTW, I made a couple of your TRex steaks last night. It was the first time that I was able to get the egg up close to 700. I have learned to use multiple EGG firestarters to get better lava. They turned out great.

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Very cool.

I have learned that you have to be careful with that Cayenne. Potent stuff.

However, this is the first time that I have heard the use of mint.

They must be a real different taste, right?

Greg

Unknown

everyone has individual preferences but i remove the membrane and rub with whatever strikes my fancy at the time. let sit overnight in the fridge. i use Guldens or a horseradish mustard and another coating of rub then on the egg at 225-240 for about 5 hours or when the bend test is satisfactory. this always works for me and they are consistent.



finished

East Cobb Eggy

Very nice.

Thanks for the feedback.

Greg

Bobby-Q

Hey Greg,

I do basically what you described for prep. I use spares and trim them down to a St. Louis cut. Dizzy Dust is a great rub for ribs and plenty of folks mix it with Raging River for great results. I fluctuate between the Dizzy Rubs and Myron Mixon's rub.

You can play around with the 3-1-1 method or you can do them indirect low and slow the whole time also. Hitting them with some more rub after they come out of the foil on the 3-1-1 method can help also.

Once Charlie and I got away from dehydrating the baby back ribs in the first part of the season last year, we did pretty good in ribs.

On a side note I drove up and then back down Peachtree Industrial the other day and I said to myslef out loud in the car that I needed to aplogize to East Cobb Eggy. I was only joking when I gave you a hard time about living here but it was pretty "not so glamorous" when I actually looked at it.

Rick's Tropical Delight

one of my favorite rib preps is a jerk marinade applied an hour or two prior to smoking. some is hotter than others so watch it! :P

AZRP

Mint on ribs is something I picked up from Justin Wilson years ago, it works very well with pork. -RP

Beanie-Bean

Gotta love those ribs!

Spares are trimmed St. Louis-style, and all the extra trimmings are cooked along with the ribs. Total cook time (indirect) is between 5-5 1/2 hrs.





Baby backs also have the membrane removed:




These were cut in half to fit the cooker before I read how to use something else (a coffee can, I believe) on the grate to give it more surface area in order to fit the longer ribs. i just ended up using the v-rack.

Seasoning is whatever I happen to feel like at the time, and I don't use mustard on the ribs. I do spritz with apple juice of sorts after the first two hours, then every 30 minutes or hour thereafter until the ribs are done.

For the apple stuff, I've used a mix of apple juice/apple cider vinegar, and just plain apple juice.

Smoking woods are hickory and apple chunk.

fishlessman

its not the prep, its the method producing inconsistant ribs. you cant watch the ribs while they are foiled, and ribs in my opinion cant be timed, they are done when they are done. i stil cook them that way on occasion, but not often.

East Cobb Eggy

Thanks for the feedback on the ribs.

As far as Peachtree Industrial, they kind of take car-buying down to the minimalistic standard for the "I just wanna buy a car" people. With this, I always seem to get my best deal there.

However, Chamblee is changing quite a bit with all of the new construction and shopping areas. I just hope that I do not need to find a new place to buy my cars.

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Wow, those look great.

Do you just pick up the jerk marinade at the local grocer?

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Mike,

Thanks a lot for this.

I definitely think that I was missing the spirtzing. I thought the drip pan with apple juice created most of the moisture.

I will definitely have to try this.

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

When you watch them, what are you looking for?

Dryness?

Doneness?

Greg

fishlessman

i want them to be floppy when picked up in the center, that way they usually will cut without falling apart. if they go too long they fall off the bone and are hard to cut, too little and they are chewy. ribs are inconsistant in themselves, two racks side be side wont cook the same. you have to go by look and feel. try some cooks inderect and cut a rib off every hour after about 4 hours so that you can see how ribs cook, they go from chewy (some would even say dry)under cooked, to pull off the bone with a nicer texture, to fall apart, to dry. if your cooking with foil, you need to let them steam until they are just about falling apart, the last hour is to firm them back up again and even then you go by looks and feel, not time as you can overdo it in an hour.

Hammer

Justin lived in his later yers in Dixie Springs. Mississippi. I used to take him a case of wine each month re; Carlo Rossi that he used on his cooking shows and for his personal use.
He was a good person to know. Fun to be around.
Hammer

stike

you make a good point. a lot of folks assume a 'dry' rib (and chewy) is overcooked, when it's more likely they are undercooked.

Hammer

Basically do the 3-1-1; with nustard and rub. However, I sometimes make a paste of the DP rub and some peach brandy. Just enough to make it pasty or as Dr. BBQ says a schmear. Good taste.
Hammer