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Ribs

Tom67
Tom67 Posts: 10
in EggHead Forum
Would love to have ribs fall off the bone tender. Been trying baby backs turbo, but have not been successful. Just wondering if anybody could help out. Thanks.
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Comments

  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
    I would not go turbo for fall off the bone ribs.  Have you tried wrapping them in foil with some sort of juice?
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    edited May 2014
    By "fall off the bone" do you mean that if you pick up a rib by the end of the bone the meat stays on the plate and all you have is a bone in your hand? If so, you'll probably need to include some cook time with the ribs wrapped in foil with a little liquid.

    I like my ribs to pull cleanly away from the bone with minimal effort. That can be done without wrapping or liquid by cooking them to the proper doneness.



    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,188
    edited May 2014
    This request is in alot of folk's wheelhouse.  For me, it's low and slow, 250*, for almost 5 hours.  It's done when a toothpick glides in and out easily or with the "bend test".  Membrane pulled off, rubbed an hour before it hits the Egg, Indirect with plate setter, and a rib rack on the main grid.  Let the Egg warm up for about an hour, so you can stabilize the temps.  Use apple, cherry, or hickory chunks for smoke, allowing them to smoke off for 20 minutes before putting the ribs on.  Sauce during the last 20 minutes.  Best ribs ever IMO.  Also, do a search for ribs, and you'll see lots of examples and techiques to help.
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,903

    While I'm sure there a few ways to get fall off the bone (FOTB) ribs, the best method for me is to wrap in foil with some liquid (thinned q sauce works).  I will provide this step in an other-wise X-O-O cook sequence if I know some guests prefer FOTB ribs, but only for a rack or two.  FWIW-

    BTW-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. 

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Tom67
    Tom67 Posts: 10
    Basically I have tried both turbo, and 2-2-1 method at low temps. Was just brought up on with ribs fotb. I'm always afraid of over cooking. As thinking they will get tough. I do the bend test and pull back. But same results. Frustrating. I don't cheap out either. Maybe I am not leaving on long enough???
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,903

    I use the toothpick test to check for final "doneness".  Insert into the thickest rib meat and get no resistance, you are there.  For me, better than the bend test.  It does sound like you are ending the cook too soon-overcooked ribs get mushy not tough in my eggsperience.

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Tom67
    Tom67 Posts: 10
    Love this forum. Will do. Going to try a low temp and go with the toothpick. Cheers
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,343
    I like low and slow without wrapping but I've found that 275 degrees is the sweetspot for ribs on my egg.

    Little Rock, AR

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  • geoff7877
    geoff7877 Posts: 35
    I've tried various methods on ribs but for me, I always fall back to 3 hours, (or until done) unwrapped while basting every 30 minutes. When the bone is sticking out almost 1/2" I pull them. I started off cooking ribs this way on my first grill which was an 18" weber kettle. Bought a chargriller with side fire box and tried all the different wrapped 3-2-1 methods and totally lost my way and rib cooking confidence. Went back to basics with 3 hours unwrapped and they have been perfect ever since.
    Petaluma, CA
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    For me, the primary thing is to let them go long enough to bend. For average weight BBs, at a dome of 250F, it takes about 5 hours, sometimes more. Spares, 6+. Haven't done enough turbo to say w. any confidence. I tried foiling for awhile. While the results were generally quite tender, I personally prefer "dry" ribs, and I couldn't get the slightly crusty surface at the end I wanted. I stopped foiling, and found that it was just a matter of waiting a little longer. Sometimes the outsides became a little charred, so I started lightly brushing water on every 15 min for the last 90 min. I came across a tip about using oil. Now I coat the ribs w. a neutral oil instead of mustard to hold the rub. Then, if I find that the outside is getting dried out before the meat becomes bendable, I lightly brush the top w. another coat of oil. Every now and then, they come out close to perfect. The bone can be pulled right out of the meat. Typically, there are a few places that are still a little sticky. Haven't had any where the meat got mushy.
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  • KenfromMI
    KenfromMI Posts: 742
    You can get crazy but here is an easy way to get what you want.  2 hours under smoke at 225 degrees. 2 hours in HD foil meat side down with a few TBSP of Pineapple juice. 30 minutes back on the grate meat side up and then 30 minutes sauced. This is how I cook them for my wife. I don't like them this tender but she won't pick up a rib bone. She likes to use a fork. Mild fork pressure pulls all the meat off the bone on the plate. They do however stay together enough to transfer from foiled to grate without falling apart and grate to plate etc with a good set of tongs.
    Dearborn MI
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  • KenfromMI
    KenfromMI Posts: 742
    Same thing for Spares but 3 hours under smoke. 
    Dearborn MI
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