"crust" on ribs.

Raymont · May 2016

I normally like my ribs fall off the bone (2.5,1.5,1 method for me), but last night I had some ribs at a pub that were very tender, yet had a "crispy skin" (very thin outer crust). I couldn't decide if this was a type of caramelized sugar or a non-thick sauce that hardened in final stage of cook. Any thoughts or ideas on how to add this little "crust" ? Is it possibly they fried it for a little bit to heat?

Theophan · May 2016

I've never tried it, but I've seen a bunch of recipes for braising ribs or cooking them some other way indoors, and then searing them on a very hot grill. I would think that would give a very tender rib with a thin crust?

Turk2011 · May 2016

I normally cook mine unfoiled the entire cook. Basting with a apple cider vin brown suger mix a few times during the cook. Cook time 4-41/2 hrs typically I try to hold 275ish but doesn't hurt anything to creep up to 300 This is how i get what you are referring to as "crust " I believe

msloan · May 2016

turk is correct........the few times I have not wrapped have resulted in a wonderful crust that was pretty unique.

Raymont · May 2016

I'll have to try unwrapped again. Last time I did it, they came out dry.

Turk2011 · May 2016

The mop sauce I use
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
a few shakes of black pepper
whisk together and mop once in the first hour then I usually mop a couple more times up until the last hour. I hope you enjoy

coachdavis07 · May 2016

Are you aiming for Memphis dry ribs like Rendezvous?

xfire_ATX · May 2016

When I smoked ribs on my offset I ran them closer to a dry rub method- only rubbed no foil served dry. Only time I tried this on egg it was so so, next tried a foil method- again so so.

I am going with the Memphis version this weekend after seeing this thread and see how the come out.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/06/memphis-style-dry-ribs-barbecue-rub-recipe.html

dougcrann · May 2016

I get this crust with no trickery involved...on either the Egg or the Reverse Flow....was told that it is due to the brown sugar in my rub. When I substituted turbinado (sp?) it didn't happen...

johnnyp · May 2016

The wrapping portion of your method is what softens your ribs. It's also what makes them fall off the bone.

Personal preferences vary, but most BBQ folks would consider a perfect rib one that holds together, but pulls cleanly away from the bone when bitten.

consider using a rub with high sugar content and don't wrap when cooking.

Theophan · May 2016

Turk2011 said:

I normally cook mine unfoiled the entire cook. Basting with a apple cider vin brown suger mix a few times during the cook. Cook time 4-41/2 hrs typically I try to hold 275ish but doesn't hurt anything to creep up to 300 This is how i get what you are referring to as "crust " I believe

I'm like you, I never foil my ribs, and I love them my way. But bark from long smoking seems like bark, to me, and I'd never have described the bark on my ribs as "a 'crispy skin' (very thin outer crust)." Words don't work very well for describing food, so who knows. And it just sounds easier to me for a restaurant to have some braised ribs in the fridge, warm them up, give them a quick grilling on a grill (not a smoker), and they'd be very tender with a bit of a very thin outer crust, or so it seems to me. And the OP didn't describe them as particularly smoky. I still am guessing they were cooked without a smoker at all, were probably mostly braised, but then at the end maybe lightly sauced and grilled or even broiled to give a crispy exterior to very tender, mostly braised ribs. Dunno.

dougcrann · May 2016

Agree with the no-wrap. Have not wrapped since trying them unwrapped. At 225*, if I remember right unwrapped spares took about 35 minutes over wrapping them...with no worries about them getting soft. Ever since cooking them on my Reverse Flow the first time I now cook them at 275* on the Egg. Last rack on the Egg was done in a few ticks over 4 hours...and were just as tasty as those done at 225*. I understand that "tradition" is 225* but....

Raymont · May 2016

The ribs were smoked. I guess I'll need to go back and ask for their secret!
"Check out Clyde’s amazing appetizers, fresh salads, homemade soups, crazy-good sandwiches and certifiably INSANE smoked pork, brisket and chicken, always cooked low and slow in our smoker." http://clydesonchurch.com/

DaveRichardson · May 2016

For my finishing sauce this last time around, I added some catsup and brown sugar to my regular mustard-based sauce. Gave them a good enough crust as to where they didn't fall off the bone by picking them up; that's how I like them!

I'm assuming the brown sugar helped in caramelizing and forming the "crust" on the ribs.

tonyled · May 2016

Turk2011 said:

I normally cook mine unfoiled the entire cook. Basting with a apple cider vin brown suger mix a few times during the cook. Cook time 4-41/2 hrs typically I try to hold 275ish but doesn't hurt anything to creep up to 300 This is how i get what you are referring to as "crust " I believe

agree, i just sprayed apple cider vinegar on them the last hour every 15 mins or so, total cook time was 5 hoursish at 250ish. rub was meatchurch honey hog

Biggreenpharmacist · May 2016

DaveRichardson said:

For my finishing sauce this last time around, I added some catsup and brown sugar to my regular mustard-based sauce. Gave them a good enough crust as to where they didn't fall off the bone by picking them up; that's how I like them!

I'm assuming the brown sugar helped in caramelizing and forming the "crust" on the ribs.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xKCMpO6Gjm8

smokeyw · May 2016

johnnyp said:

The wrapping portion of your method is what softens your ribs. It's also what makes them fall off the bone.

Personal preferences vary, but most BBQ folks would consider a perfect rib one that holds together, but pulls cleanly away from the bone when bitten.

consider using a rub with high sugar content and don't wrap when cooking.

I wrap my ribs every time and never have "fall off the bone" ribs. They are always tender, but they hold together and pull cleanly from the bone when you take a bite. It is all about timing and technique. I didn't get it right the first few times though.

pescadorzih · May 2016

I cook my spares at 275 for 4 hrs. Nice clean bite off bone, not fall off.
I have brown sugar in my rub. Coat them with a little yellow mustard and then rub.
No wrap. I feel it is too hard to hit the window of doneness with wrapping. Plus, it softens the bark. I just check them with a toothpick at 3.5 hrs and every 15 min after that until done.

"crust" on ribs.

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