"Competition" rib help

JJ4473 · September 2016

So I entered a neighborhood rifest coming up. 10 or so chefs, a mix of eggers and other grills. Issue: I rarely ever do ribs. I am considering a modified 3-2-1 method where I do a 3-1-1. I'm kind of against the whole foil/boil part as I've heard it can make the ribs too soft versus having a bite. When I have done ribs I used a rub but I want to sauce them for the competition so I'm thinking a beer bbq sauce that I'm testing today. The judges are not pros so my question is if I go with the modified version at 225 will the ribs turn out "competition worthy"? Also, does anyone have a suggestion as to the type of ribs I should go with that may be more forgiving for a 1st time competitor? Any other competition tips? Thanks for the info!

ryantt · September 2016

I cook my ribs 3-1-1 and they are usually spot on. They have a enough bite not to fall off the bone yet are tender. I cook my ribs at "250". Best advise I can give you is to grab a few slabs and cook them. Make only one change at a time, and see what works.

lousubcap · September 2016

See if you know the judges and their preferred tastes. That could help with how to finish-Surprised that the type/cut of ribs hasn't been standardized for the neighborhood contest. Absent any direction I would go with baby backs as that is the most common back-yard rib cook. Beyond that hopefully some experts will be along. FWIW-

THEBuckeye · September 2016

This feels like cheating

Theophan · September 2016

I've never used foil, but I agree with you that for neighborhood judges, a 3-1-1 might be safest -- very moist. I love my non-foiled ribs so much I've never had much incentive to try foiling, but somehow I'd guess that kind of rib would be what a lot of other people would be expecting and prefer.

FWIW, my own favorite ribs are the Bourbon-Glazed Ribs from the Smoke & Spice book, with their "Bour-BQ Sauce." For me, that sauce is so good it ought to be ILLEGAL!!!

@UncleFred posted the entire recipe farther down on this page. You might want to give it a try.

And another FWIW, I feel like I get better smoke flavor at 250° or above, so my own suggestion would be to cook at 250° rather than 225°. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

JJ4473 · September 2016

UPDATE: I tested some ribs today using a 3-1-1 method, though they were ok, not outstanding. My wife and daughter thought they were great though. I can't seem to get the right flavor on the meat, maybe its the rub. I used a homemade bbq sauce and thought that was pretty good. I used apple wood with a simple brown sugar/garlic/salt/pepper rub. See pics.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/ah/f0w73azs8kcy.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/7c/kvejfmn90czg.jpg

Hans61 · September 2016

I usually do mine 3-1.5-1 dome temp 250-275 with sauce available on the table. The thing on really really tender ribs is to have a VERY sharp knife so as to not massacre the ribs when slicing. If you don't like foiling just spritz once an hour. Another thing that makes a big difference for me is doing a good trim of the bad thick fat before seasoning. Good luck, and most importantly have fun with it!

Hans61 · September 2016

after thought...i follow bbq contest shows on tv, watch a lot of youtube and read a lot of posts here (disclaimer haven't competed) my guess is non-professional neighborhood judges will like tender sweet ribs. please share your results tuned in!

"Competition" rib help

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