rib help

Unknown

Hello fellow eggheads. I have four brand new slabs of St. Lois style ribs. I have cooked them before on the egg, but never have done a good job. The sugar based rub seems to char, and I can not achieve "fall off the bone" ribs. I have tried the 311 method, with better results, but still not as good as the resturant that uses the same type ribs. Would longer in the foil help? What teperature should I cook at? What temperature should the meat be? I know that there is a big difference in a butt cooked to 170 and one cooked to 200. I have been making sure that the ribs in the past were at 170. do I need to accomplish 200 to break the meat down more? I'm willing to cook all night if I have to. I guess that I need to change my rub. Thank anyone sincerely for advice.

Tim M

robbie,[p]Tell us more about what you have done and how you did it. The key to pull clean ribs is to get the meat temp to a min of 185° any way you can. [p]I have yet to find a resturant that has really good ribs - day in and day out. Most are tough or are steamed to DEATH. You may prefer the "no teeth" ribs where you just remove them from the foil and serve. I tried that once and never went there again, but some may prefer that - try it. If the 3-1-1 method doesn't work for you, try others until you get what you like. I have tried 12-15 ways and I have my favorites.[p]Tim[p]Tim

Zeke

I cooked some STL style and baby backs two weeks ago at 250° for three hours indirect, then about 1¼ wrapped in foil and the last hour was used to sauce the ribs. I ate at many of rib joints in my days. These that we cooked on the BGE were the best and the meat pulled off the bone. Like Tim said, give us more information.
[ul][li]Ribs[/ul]

Unknown

Zeke,and tim m, thanks for the help. I think that changing from a sugar based rub will help with the charing, and I evidently need to cook them until they reach 190-200*? does the tenderness come into effect when the temperature reaches over 170?, or is this just the case with a boston butt? I usually just cook the meat until it is to usda recommendations,but have been reading on the forum about everyone cooking there butts to 200*, I tried this and it pulled apart properly. What types of meat need to be cooked to higher temperatures to reach desired tenderness? Thank ya'll for the response, any advise will be apreciated and heeded.

Tim M

robbie,[p]I was emailed about a year ago by a person who claimed to be a KCBS judge (like hearing from Deep Throat from Watergate days) telling me to monitor rib meat temps and that your goal is 185 - 205 deg between the bones. This has proven to me to be 100000000000% on the money to get "pull clean" ribs. Below 185 the rib meat stays on the bone and they seem tough. If cooked to long they seem dry and they might pull clean but they are too dry. Longer cooks help render the fat better but the ribs can get to dry for some, to little time and the meat temp is low and they are tough. Foiling them for the middle part of a cook seems to make the meat temp hit the magic number easily, but the meat is too wet and moist for me - the last hour direct firms it back up nicely. Too much time in the foil, or if you use a foil cooking bag makes the meat too "fallin' off the bone and a shorter time in foil is advised. The foil cooking bag speeds it up a lot and 30-45 min is my max when I use one of those.[p]Tim