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Fine tuning my Rib finish

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eggheadbrown
eggheadbrown Posts: 61
in EggHead Forum
Hey Everyone

I need some advise on finishing my ribs. I like chewy dry ribs but am having a tough time getting a good bark/ char on the outside. 

Go to- I season in the morning with yellow mustard and dry rub. cook 4-5 hours at 225. Sometimes I sauce them for last 30 min.

I am happy with the cook but find the exterior to taste dry and rub almost uncooked. 

I find when I foil the ribs they become too tender for what I am looking for.

Any suggestions? Should I be fishing them direct at high temp?

Thanks!!


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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,341
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    Try cooking them at 275. Shorter cooked time and a little hotter so get a little better bark (in my opinion)

    Little Rock, AR

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  • bigbadben
    bigbadben Posts: 397
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    Biggreenpharmacist said:
    Try cooking them at 275. Shorter cooked time and a little hotter so get a little better bark (in my opinion)
    +1. 

    Raise the temp. 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    Forget about cook time other than to recognize when to look for the finish-line.  Tooth-pick test for the win.  Run the cook til you get the tooth-pick feel for your end-game.  A little tug-trust the feel for that outcome.  Fall off the bone-totally different - like nothing there when you test with the pick.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • eggheadbrown
    eggheadbrown Posts: 61
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    thanks!!

    should I be spraying or mopping them?

    I would love them to look like these:


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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    Have you tried searing them for a couple minutes pre-cook ... I achieve a really nice char this way ...
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • eggheadbrown
    eggheadbrown Posts: 61
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    @eggheadbrown - Just replicate whatever you did to get that result.  The BGE cook process is quite repeatable given the temperature stability over time.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    lousubcap said:
    @eggheadbrown - Just replicate whatever you did to get that result.  The BGE cook process is quite repeatable given the temperature stability over time.  
    Yessir. Whatever you did to get those ribs, keep doing that...and tell us how you did it.

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • eggheadbrown
    eggheadbrown Posts: 61
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    Sorry- I should have been more clear. Those aren't my ribs! I would be very happy to repeat if that was my outcome. Photo was take from instagram.


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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Hmm, if I do 4 - 5 hours at 225, they are almost always undercooked. The meat still is sticking to the bone. Typically, I start seeing the bone ends showing at 4.5+ hours at 250.

    But, here's something to try. Don't base the rub on mustard. Its really only there to hold the rub powder on, and the vinegar in it can pre-cook the meat a little. That helps turn the surface to mush. Just rub the mix on, and let it sit till the meat's own moisture comes out because of the salt in the rub, which then will melt some of the rub into the meat. Or, what I like, is to brush a thin coat of oil on the slab, and let the rub mix with that. That appears to let the surface get a little hotter, leading to crispness, and also forms a temporary barrier to the meat's own water.

    Then, once the bones do begin to poke out, and a tug will slightly loosen them from the meat, brush another very light coat of oil on, or some butter, and put a final sprinkle of raw sugar, coarse black pepper, a bit of paprika, and maybe some onion and garlic powder. A last rub that adds some body to the bark, and restores some of the flavor that tends to cook away.
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