3/1/1 or 12.5/2.5/1 rib methods.

egghead2004

Last week the was a short discussion on the best way to cook ribs. Jersey Joe asked if spare ribs or baby backs were used. Good question, which type of rib is better? I do have a rack of spre ribs on the egg right now, trying the 3-1-1 for the first time. But when I was buying these ribs yesterday, I could not remember which type to buy. Any suggestions?[p]P.S. All this Eggtoberfest talk is making me real jealous. I'd love to go next year, but my wife's niece's wedding in Colorado might get in the way. We'll see.[p]Thanks

Car Wash Mike

egghead2004,
I prefer babybacks, I have a slab on now. Has been on since noon. At 3 I'm going to wrap in a bbq/apple juice mixture for 1 hour. Finish off the last 45-60 minutes. I do every step indirect.[p]CWM

ScottinKC

egghead2004,[p]I personally like the 2/1/1 method. That is 2 hours indirect at 250 degrees, after baby backs (membrane removed) are rubbed with KC Rib Doctor and covered with French's mustard. Follow that with 1 hour of ribs covered with sliced apples and wrapped loosely in aluminum foil. Finished with 1 hour (sometimes less) of direct grilling with Gates BBQ sauce. This is done to the point where they are tender, but not quite fall off the bone tender.

Mark Backer

egghead2004,[p]I have trouble with the 2.5/2.5/1 method because, by the time I get to the 1 part, the ribs are so tender that they are literally falling apart when I try to do anything with them. I am adopting a 2-2-1 method next time to hopefully help that.[p]Or, as I learned at the fest, put them in a rib rack for 4.5 hours, saucing regularly, but otherwise leave them the heck alone.

egghead2004

Mark Backer,
I'm only 1 hour into my cook, so a 2/2/1 might be better? I might add some apple slices when I wrap with foil. I've yet to make good ribs, my wife won't eat ribs until I get it right so she get's steak tonight. [p]I see you had a good time at eggtoberfest, I would like to make the trip next year, souns fun.

egghead2004

Scottinkc,
Mark Backer said the same thing, 2/2/1, I'll go thgat route.[p]Thanks

Yazoo

egghead2004,[p]I prefer pork loin back ribs. They're not as fatty as spares and the size of the ribs are a little more consistent throughout the whole slab. Also, whenever I do cook spares, I trim them down St. Louis style, without the breast bone cartilage. There's nothing wrong with that part, you just have to work around the cartilage. I chuck it though.[p]I'm not sure that "pork loin back ribs" are exactly the same at as "baby back ribs". Both terms seem to be used interchangeably. I think the "baby back ribs" are just pork loin back ribs from a smaller hog, maybe? What I think makes the difference, regardless of the correct term, is the size of the slab. I've seen slabs sold 2 per pack and the whole pack weighed less than 3 lbs. I have a hard time cooking slabs less than 2 lbs without over cooking them. I try to make sure I get slabs as close to 3 lbs as possible. Smithfield Pork Loin Back ribs are a good product. They cost about $15 for a single 3 lb slab at the grocery store, but you can get a 4 slab pack at Sam's for less than $30. The only problem with the 4 slab pack is you don't know the size of each slab. You only know you're buying 10-12 lbs of ribs.[p]Of course, if some spare ribs happened to show up at my door, I'd cook'em.

Car Wash Mike

Yazoo,
Check out the ribman link. Everything you ever wanted, needed or should know about ribs is there.[p]CWM
[ul][li]Ribman[/ul]

Gfw

<p />egghead2004, check out the link - works about every time.

[ul][li]3/1/1.5 Memphis Style Ribs[/ul]

Car Wash Mike

Gfw,
None of your pics are showing up for me. What is wrong this time with my puter? Any ideas?
Any jerky lately?[p]
CWM

Gfw

Car Wash Mike, probably nothing wrong with your computer. On my computer, they are showing up on mine. I even got out of my VPN and took another look. Anyone else having a problem?[p]No jerky lately, but did 2 nice strip steaks tonight. We're home this weekend (usually up in Chicago) and Jerky sounds like it might be about perfect -- thanks for a great idea![p]

[ul][li]Gfw's BBQ[/ul]

Gfw

Car Wash Mike, I haven't done anything on my BBQ site in a while. Keep thinking about it, just never have the time - who says the economy is bad - only 1,536 days to Retirement! Then I'll hopefully have a little more time...[p]Life is GOOD :~}[p]

Car Wash Mike

<p />Gfw,
Gas prices are killing my business right now. I always think about jerky this time of year. I use rump roast and it gets a lot less pricier this time of year. I'm been sperimenting with your basic and will send some results your way.[p]One more time, thanks for introducing me to jerky on the egg. It doesn't last long, as soon as people know I've got it marinating or cooking, I see them quite a bit the next couple days. [p]
CWM

ChefRD

Gfw,

ChefRD

Gfw,
I hate it when I hit return first!
Yor are right Gordon, life is good,
however, you are wrong on the retirement days,
57 days here!
My plans for the future are pretty sketchy, (like almost none ) However I plan on attending lots of eggfests and meeting as many eggers as I can.
hang in there friend, maybe we'll get to meet up next year and get to chew the fat for a while. Who knows?
hope to see you sometimes,
ron.

egghead2004

to all who tossed in thier 2 cents,
I'm onto it. They were not the best ribbs I've ever had, I think mostly because they were not babyback, but they were by far the best I've ever cooked.
Here's the blow by blow
The rub was based on TNW's "Oh, Baby That's A What I Like" Rub No. 1 -- or whatever ingredients I had on hand.
Sugar, Kosher salt, Emerial's essence (paprika, garlic powder, oinion powder) chillii powder, and ancho chili powder. Not bad cosidering I had no cumin or cerlery salt.[p]The ribs set in the fridge 24 hours with the rub.
2:30pm- start the egg
3:00pm- egg stable @ 240 added drip pan with water, 3 pieces of apple wood, and ribs.
4:25pm- I had to peek, wow they looked good. Dome @ 250.
5:00pm- removed ribs, wrapped in foil with 1 large apple sliced, placed on top side of ribs.
7:00pm- Red Sox holding onto a 2-1 lead. Removed ribs from foil. Placed on back on egg and added the soft apple mush to top of the ribs.
7:15pm- Added JD BBQ sauce, I know it's not the best, but I don't use BBQ sauce much, it's all I had.
8:00pm removed ribs carfully.
8:30 Sox blow a 2-1 lead (Pedro, why did you hit Cairo, Jeter is on deck, bonehead)[p]These were cooked almost to perfection. The rack stayed in tact, but the meat could be pulled apart very easily. very moist and tasty. I did not like the part of the ribs that was opposite from where the meat pulls of the bone. I think thats why I'll try the baby backs next time. But I am very happy with how the cook went and the simple rub was good to. I may invest in some Dizzy Pig products. [p]Most of all thanks to everyone here, I've always been good with a grill and family and friends enjoyed my BBQ in the past. But the knowledge in this forum has put my BBQ on a completely different level. We had a prime rib a couple weeks ago, my first on the egg. I literaly fell apart and so much juice was still in this meat, we were able to make a cups worth of gravy with it after carving (yes I let the meat rest for 10 minutes before carving).[p]PS 10:58pm- SOX WIN!!!!

Unknown

Car Wash Mike,[p]Hi Mike
Saw your post on BBq/applesauce mixture. Sounds good and l would like to try it. Give me some idea of how you make it.
Thanks
jim[p]

egghead2004

Smokin' Oval,
ohhh....it's good. That's how I did it Monday.
I put the ribs on indirect for 2 hours @250
Then I sliced a large apple and put them on the ribs then I wrapped everything in foil. indirect for 2 more hours @ 250
Next step was tricky, but I got the ribs out of the foil and on the grill again. The apple was like butter. So I spread it over the ribbs and added BBQ sauce and cooked indirect for 1 more hour @ 250.
By far the best ribs I've cooked.