Never done Ribs---Tips needed

tclamberth · February 2017

bought 2 slabs of baby backs

going to use bad byrons as the rub.

cook temp?

should you foil?

any help appreciated. Haven't been steered wrong here yet

derka123 · February 2017

Salt, Pepper, 3-4 hours at 275 would be a nice way to prepare your first rack.

Killit_and_Grillit · February 2017

My tip is you should really do some ribs.

You will get a thousand answers and they will all be right/wrong depending on who you ask.

I would do a forum search and pick two or three and try them at the same time and see what you like. Foil, leave on, different rubs. Then you can cut them up into smaller segments and let people try them and see what they like best.

Save yourself half a dozen cooks finding out what the family likes.

tclamberth · February 2017

derka123 said:

Salt, Pepper, 3-4 hours at 275 would be a nice way to prepare your first rack.

I got a cyber q...would you place a probe in between two rips ?

Carolina Q · February 2017

Do this...

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/06/baby-back-rib-class.html

lousubcap · February 2017

All in with eggsperiment as mentioned above. Successful rib outcomes are quite consumer dependent so change it up til you find what works. I am a big proponent of the toothpick test for the finish-and the only way to go if you cut the racks. Insert into the thick rib meat-no resistance and you are there.
Never have run with a controller or whatever pedigree you would assign to a cyber-q so no help there. FWIW-
My simple definitions of rib cooks:

All rib cooks are some variation around X-0-0 which translates into the following: Basically ribs are cooked as usual (bone side down for me) for the first X hours. Then they are removed from the cooker and wrapped with liquid (Q sauce, some other liquid for flavoring etc) in a foil pouch with the meat side down. This becomes step -0- mentioned above. The sealed ribs are then returned to the cooker. At the end of the "0" time-frame, the ribs are removed from the foil and then put back on the BGE for the final "0" time-frame. This is when sauce is added if your desire. X-X-X defines the cook cycle.

etherdome · February 2017

Don't overthink it. First thing I ever cooked on the egg was ribs, without the forum (but I had google) and they were freakin awesome.

tclamberth · February 2017

Carolina Q said:

Do this...

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/06/baby-back-rib-class.html

Looks awesome. Thanks

gdenby · February 2017

Ribs cook fine anywhere between 225 and 350, dome. Lower end may take like forever, 7 -8 hours. At 350, maybe 2.5 hours, but maybe some burnt surface. I aim at 275. For BBs, I expect 5 hrs, but sometimes 4 is enough.

I go with the bend test. I do use a Thermapen to test the meat temp when I think the slab(s) are getting close. But the final determination is when the slab folds almost in half when picked up in the middle. Or the bones start to draw out from the meat with a gentle tug. Or a finger pinch will take away a bite of tasty.

The ribs can be pretty good if a little under done. The meat will be tender, but some shreds will cling to the bone. But best is when the bones are left clean, quite dry, and the meat comes away clean w. the fat crisp, not burnt.

westernbbq · February 2017

6-7 hrs at 220. No need to probe, juat watch for when ribs peel back from bone..nothing magic with dry rub, peel membrane from underside

Drip oan with some beer

Brush with sauce 30 mins before pulling them off

RRP · February 2017

You have already rec'd a lot of good advice, but here's one more suggestion. My wife is a salt-aholic yet even she found Bad Bryons pretty salty. So for your first ribs you might want to leave that BB in the cupboard and just use normal table salt as people advised. Let the taste of the ribs stand on their own legs - or ribs that is! You can always salt to taste on the table. Good luck!

FATC1TY · February 2017

forget your temp probes and your thermapens and all that crap.

ribs are for the purist and a feel cook..

shoot for 250-300.. 325 if needing shorter cook.. rub how you like.. wood how you like.. apple, hickory, pecan, oak, cherry, bourbon, wine, maple, peach, it's all good..

uncovered, smoking, till you like the color and bark.. if you want them fall off the bone after roughly 2-3 hours, then wrap them in foil. add moisture, and fat and flavor.. butter, sugar, beer, juice.. whatever.

if you like comp style, pull from bone but a bite, don't wrap.. cook till they can pick up and bend, and almost break in half at the tongs, and crack on the bark.

if you like sauce, remove the stone/platesetter.. sauce up.. direct heat to carmelize the sauce.

dont over think, be flexible like the ribs should be.

tclamberth · February 2017

Went on about 4 hours ago. Just put the sauce on and threw back on for 30 mins

Hntnhrd · February 2017

I call them done when the bones poke out about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch

Chubbs · February 2017

Looks like I am late to the party but membrane being pulled is a must for me. Desired doneness depends on who is eating. Competition ribs require a little more bite than what I do at home. I tend to go 4 hours with rub only and 30 mins to an hour with sauce depending on how done they are. I shoot for 250 but am fine with anything below 300 usually

tclamberth · February 2017

Haven't really pulled back from the bones at all. Meat is very tender but I guess I'll let it roll a little longer

JethroVA · February 2017

i started in the 3-2-1 club where the 2 hours is in foil and liquid such as apple juice. It's really braising the ribs and they are completely fall off the bone. Sometimes to a fault. Now I'm more of a four hour guy with just rub and when they're about done (see guys above) sauce them and crank up the heat to caramelize the sauce. my family's favorite combo is mickey's coffee rub ( search this forum) and sauced with Sweet baby Ray's for the final 20-30 minutes

bweekes · February 2017

Check out the below post from @TexanOfTheNorth - well documented and very detailed. And he's a friggin legend.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1183674/ribs-the-way-i-do-them-pic-heavy

pgprescott · February 2017

Tooth pick don't lie! If it probes like butter between the bones, they done man. If they tug pullling the pick out keep em on.

tclamberth · February 2017

They were done and they were damn good

blind99 · February 2017

Nice work!

if you find some baby backs on sale some time, try turbo - 350 degrees - done around 90 minutes or so.

bgebrent · February 2017

blind99 said:

Nice work!

if you find some baby backs on sale some time, try turbo - 350 degrees - done around 90 minutes or so.

90? You sniffing glue?

pgprescott · February 2017

blind99 said:

Nice work!

if you find some baby backs on sale some time, try turbo - 350 degrees - done around 90 minutes or so.

I can't hardly get drunk in 90 minutes. I'll have to have a few prior to going to the store.

bgebrent · February 2017

Turbo is a great method with ribs, as is L & S. Brother snow-blind99, who by the way is a brilliant guy, (if living in Chicago and brilliant ever equates), had an obvious typo. 350 done at around 190 minutes. I think he was very tired from saving lives overnight.

Never done Ribs---Tips needed

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