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Disappointing Rib Results

GumpFu
GumpFu Posts: 7
edited July 2012 in Pork
I cooked my first ribs yesterday in my egg
following the Car Wash Mike technique (5-5.5 hours at 225 F).   I didn't have a rib rack and cooked on the
grill, bone side down.  The ribs were ok
but not nearly as tender as I had hoped. 
The thick pieces were almost rubbery and tough. Did I cook too long or not long enough?   I've only had my egg a few weeks and
everything I have cooked has been great, except these ribs.  I am not only new to the BGE but new to cooking.  Up until 2 weeks ago, I had not been inside a grocery store in years! Obviously, being a rooking,  I'm probably doing something screwy with the ribs.  Any suggestions?
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Comments

  • Kristinnn
    Kristinnn Posts: 133
    from what i have read if they are rubbery they are not done yet
  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
    Were they spare ribs...or baby backs?   225 is kinda low for me. I've always had good luck doing BB's at a higher temp. I just did two racks of BB's at 250-275 for about 4.5 hrs, and they came out really tender.

    When checking for doneness, I grab a rack of ribs in the center of the rack with a pair of tongs. If the rack bends in the middle, and the meat starts to crack and split....they are done! You can also slip a knife into the meat between the bones to check for doneness(is that a word?)

    You don't need a rack to get tender ribs. I only use a rack when I need to fit more than two racks on my large.

    Did you open the egg a lot to check on the ribs? Openening the egg often can affect the temp, and extend cooking times.  It sounds like you just didn't give them enough time. It just takes patience...and practice!

    Good Luck!
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    Mine turned out the same way Gump. They were my first cook on my XL on Saturday.

    I agree that temp is too low. Next time I'll bump it to 260/275 for the same amount of time. When I pulled them, they didn't pass the bend test either.
  • Logger
    Logger Posts: 309
    Calibrate your dome thermometer (in rapid boiling water should read 212° depending on your elevation)
    Mine was 30° off when I checked it.
    I have to agree to AleBrewer's temps as well.
    OKC area  XL - Medium Eggs
  • C3H8Hater
    C3H8Hater Posts: 13

    Was the 225 grate or dome temp?. If that was dome temp then you were cooking most likely at something below 200 and the ribs werent cooked enough and consequently tough/rubbery. Also make sure to get the membrane off the back.  

  • All great advice above. They were definitely not done. Ribs that are overdone fall apart.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • GumpFu
    GumpFu Posts: 7

    thanks much guys, I will chalk it up to lack of experience.   I should have kept them on longer but am an impatient person and followed the instructions verbatim, which may not be a good thing in cooking.   They were baby backs and the BGE thermometer temp was at 225 for most of the cook. 

    C3H8Hater, just curious, why do you hate propane?

    Anyone want some tough leftover baby backs?

  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    @grumpFu
    Put them in food savers, and or zip locks, and put in hot water for a while. I can't guarantee it will work, but...
    I've had leftovers come out more tender the next day.


    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • GumpFu
    GumpFu Posts: 7
    Taz- dumb question...but how long do I put them in hot water, how hot and for how long?  How do I know when to pull them?
  • I would throw them back on the egg or in the oven at 275-300 until they get very tender and eat them.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    275 for 4 hours than glaze usually works perfect for me every time...I'm a spare rib guy thou. 
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited July 2012
    I took a dutch oven, and got the water up to about 200, and dropped the bags in, and then chase my son around for a while so I lost track of time.  
    Just pull them when they are warm, longer if you want to try and get them more tender.  
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344

    Was the 225 grate or dome temp?. If that was dome temp then you were cooking most likely at something below 200 and the ribs werent cooked enough and consequently tough/rubbery. Also make sure to get the membrane off the back.  

    </

    Interesting.. So the dome temp is always hotter than the grate temp?

  • GumpFu
    GumpFu Posts: 7
    I would think the grate is hotter than the dome.....thermodynamics laws are consistent inside BGE's right?
  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
    Dome is usually hotter than grate temp....to a certain degree. As you continue to cook without opening the lid, the temp difference between dome and grate will tend to even out a bit.
  • The rising heat gets trapped in the dome. This happens more on low and slow when you have the daisy closed to slow airflow. There can be a significant difference in dome and grate temp (higher in the dome) on low and slow cooks.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    The Cen-Tex Smoker

    what no mention of Sous-vide to reheat? you just cost me $5!  ;)
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker

    what no mention of Sous-vide to reheat? you just cost me $5!  ;)
    No. I'm all egg all the time

    =))
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,660
    I cook my baby back ribs at 275-300 for at least 4 hours
    indirect
    water pan on platesetter legs up

     They end up tender but not fall off the bone.  I never was able to achieve fall off the bone on the egg without foil (i'd be happy to!).  For fall off the bone, I wrap in foil for 3 hours @ 300 then 1 hour on the egg with bbq sauce @ 225-250 



    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
  • I cook my baby back ribs at 275-300 for at least 4 hours
    indirect
    water pan on platesetter legs up

     They end up tender but not fall off the bone.  I never was able to achieve fall off the bone on the egg without foil (i'd be happy to!).  For fall off the bone, I wrap in foil for 3 hours @ 300 then 1 hour on the egg with bbq sauce @ 225-250 


    If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    The rising heat gets trapped in the dome. This happens more on low and slow when you have the daisy closed to slow airflow. There can be a significant difference in dome and grate temp (higher in the dome) on low and slow cooks.
    Very good to know.

    I've actually watched Fred from BBQ Guru on YouTube videos, remove the BGE some thermo, and replace it with a probe. Would be an interesting experiment to see the difference in grate vs some temps.

  • majorpain
    majorpain Posts: 7
    Since you say your new to the cooking experience I must ask you if you remembered to remove the membrane from the backside?  I have done ribs at 230 for 3 hours with meat side down.  I then pull them off and throw them in some heavy duty foil with a little apple juice and seal it up tight.  Then I throw them back on the grill for about another 2 hours and they are always awesome.  It sounds to me like you did it right.  It could have been the meat itself.  I have found there is a big difference from "meat house" quality and a "walmart" pieces of meat.  After the apple juice has done its magic I can actually pull the bone right out of the meat with ease.
  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
    If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.
    I've never understood how the foil raises the temp so they cook faster.....I think I think the foil holds steam in so they steam instead of convect, which would tend to cook them faster ..... 
  • Rich_ie
    Rich_ie Posts: 268
    Calibrate + 
    patients = great food!! You need an accurate way to check temps of the food. 
  • rickHP
    rickHP Posts: 49
     
    Very good to know. I've actually watched Fred from BBQ Guru on YouTube videos, remove the BGE some thermo, and replace it with a probe. Would be an interesting experiment to see the difference in grate vs some temps.

    Another way to look at it is that in low and slow cooks, the platesetter blocks the direct heat off the grill, so it flows around and up to the dome.

    I got a Maverick wireless probe, which has a meat probe and a  grill level thermometer, a little while ago. During a pork butt cook, my dome temp ran 20-30 degrees hotter than the grill over the platesetter once temps stablized. 

  • If you want them to fall off the bone, just cook them Longer. you Don't need foil or anything else other than time. All foil does is raise the temp so they cook faster.
    I've never understood how the foil raises the temp so they cook faster.....I think I think the foil holds steam in so they steam instead of convect, which would tend to cook them faster ..... 
    The crutch (foil) works with or without adding extra liquid. If you think about it, adding foil is an insulating layer that keeps heat from escaping. By adding liquid, it adds steam which also makes it cook faster (but destroys bark which is why I don't).

    Not being smart here but run a mile in gym clothes, then run a mile wrapped in foil and take your temp :).
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273
    Cook'em till the meat starts sliding up the boneimage
    Cookin in Texas
  • ribnrun
    ribnrun Posts: 174
    I cook cheap walmart ribs a lot for my own personal consumption. I buy better ones for company. I have had racks of spares cook for 6+ hours at 250+ dome and still not be ready to eat. I look at bone size when I buy them. If they are really big, thick bones you know that rack came off a big ol sow and will likely take a long time to cook themselves tender.

    Almost any method of cooking ribs has worked for me, but each rack tends to be a little different. I've had racks be done after 4 hours, and others take nearly 7.
  • Airwolf
    Airwolf Posts: 76
    I have never had mine pull away from the bone like that.... but this last batch was almost fall off the bone tender.
  • GumpFu
    GumpFu Posts: 7

    I pulled the membrane off the backside as instructed in the Car Wash Mike instructions.  Another issue was that I put them on the grill at 1 p.m.   By 6 p.m. everyone was hungry and I thought they were done, but now I see where they could have used some more time.  I will have to start earlier next time. 

    I see Ribs are like babies, they are brought into this world on their own schedule.