ribs, need help, foil?

glousteau

Tried my third rack of baby backs today on the egg, followed carwash mikes recipe as best I could. Only modification was that i put apple juice & cider into drip pan as i don't have a way to mist this onto the ribs. They came out a bit dry, very good flavor, but dry.

I've cooked PLENTY of ribs in the past with much luck/satisfaction: oven in foil, then onto my gas grill or charcoal to cook the sauce on. They are always moist and tender; I just can't seem to get that combination on the egg.

I've seen some people doing 3-1-1, etc.. spending some time in the foil in the middle of the cook. I'm guessing this is to allow the smoke flavor at the beginning, then get em tender in the foil? Then take em out to get em sauced?

Is it possible to get them moist and tender without foil? I'm all ears to suggestions.

Richard Fl

I am still EGGperimenting 6 years later.

Pork, Baby Back, Richard Fl

Procedure:
1 After removing the membrane.
2 I like to set the large BGE, for baby backs, indirect, plate setter, legs up, drip pan w/water, 1 inch deep, "V" rack inverted. 250F apple wood and pecan chips both dry wood. Let cook 3 hours and then every 1/2 hour or so, sprayed w/ 6 parts apple juice and 1 part apple cider vinegar. After 4 hours lightly covered w/ bbq sauce diluted 2-1 w/water just for some flavor.
3 Figured out a few years back that foil was just to messy for my tastes, but will use it sometimes. Sometimes I will use orange juice and bbq sauce to keep moist, but you got to like sweet for this one. Will pull about 5 1/2-6 hours and cover w/foil on counter until ready to eat a few hours latter. Serve with whatever sauce each likes.
4 As a senior citizen, most of our friends are past the hot spicy phase in life, save that for Chubby and his crew. Usually rub with a mixture of 2 parts crushed red pepper fine, 1 part fine salt and 1 part fine black pepper and into refrigerator.
Update: 2007/08/25:
1 I like to rub them the night before with whatever rub I am in the mood for. Set up large, indirect with a drip pan of water at 250F with a vertical holder. Cut 3-4 slabs in half and set in the rack. After about 3 hours spritz with orange juice when in a sweet mood, Soy and water when in an oriental one, apple juice and water or worchestershire when in a different mood. Spritz every 30 minutes or so. I do not remove and wrap in foil as many do, just decided a few years back that it was to much hassle, probably too messy. Sometimes I will sauce the last 45 minutes and some times will just take off after 5-6 hours and let everyone sauce themselves. Some like hot sauce, vinegar, or mustard etc. Depending on the crowd.


Recipe Type
Main Dish, Meat

Recipe Source
Source: BGE Forum, Richard Fl, 2007/05/27

Austin Smoker

CWMs recipe works when followed....can't help but wonder if you're a little hot...when was the last time you calibrated your dome thermo?

glousteau

Never! new egg, about a month old. Guess I should do that.... boiling water method the best way? might just do that right now.

Bobby-Q

I've always found foiling leaves a lot of surprises. I don't like surprises when I'm cooking. With the EGG you don't need the crutch of foil to keep the moisture in.

I just cook ribs straight through indirect at about 250°. When they begin to fold in half when you pick them up in the middle with tongs they are done. I usually sauce them for about 15 minutes or so at that point and serve them.

I just rub them with my favorite rub and cook them.

Morro Bay Rich

It seems that people here get indignant about boiling ribs as some people do. What the indignantees lose sight of is when they wrap them in foil with apple juice and put them back in a hot Egg they are boiling them to tenderize them.

I don't like "fall-off-the-bone" ribs so I don't foil them. If you can eat them without teeth they ain't ribs. :laugh: :laugh:

Semolina Pilchard

I agree that foiling ribs is "boiling them in their own juices" so to speak, but when you boil ribs in a pot are you not losing all the juices into the water?

Morro Bay Rich

And if you boil them in a foil packet are you not losing all the juices into the liquid in the packet?

Semolina Pilchard

Seeing as how the ribs I wrap in foil are always so much more juicier than the ribs I did not foil I would have to say no. Don't worry, I am not going to try to convert you, I found a recipe that works for me, as I imagine you found one that works for you. It's all good. But if anyone is keeping score, place me in the indignatee group. :silly:

Morro Bay Rich

Don't you just love the Internet???? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Semolina Pilchard

What I truly love -and I mean this with all sincerity- is that people can be on an internet forum, disagree, and not go nuclear like on most forums. Yes, I know people go off on here sometimes, but it is rare in comparison to most forums, and I thank all of you for that.

JPF

Yes boiling water method, very important to check them. I do mine a few times a year. I have two that have always stayed ok and one that will change a bit.

Desert Oasis Woman

Calibrated mine this morning after 10 weeks of cooking.
The dealer guys who put the BGE together "always throws out" the slip of calibration instructions paper :S so had to get it from the sales person :side:
anyway, hubby indignant that I would do so against his better judgement that all was well in BGE land and when he discovered what I had done, boldly stated "and the thermometer was just right, wasn't it!"...... :blink: to which I replied...
No, it was about 40 degrees too low!

Cooking those weird rib ends, indirect, 250 with newly calibrated dome temp :evil: