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Baby back ribs

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Dawgtired
Dawgtired Posts: 632
in EggHead Forum
What’s the best way y’all have found to tell when baby backs are done?

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

Ronald Reagan

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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    Pick 'em up with a pair of tongs at one end. If they start to break in the middle, they are done.

    Other test: push a toothpick between the bones. If it goes in no resistance: done.
    Mountain View, CA
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,385
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    I am a big fan of the tooth-pick test as described above.  No need to screw around with tongs and picking 'em up.  Besides the toothpick test works with any size of rib rack (if you have to slice 'em to fit) or species of ribs as well.  
    But however, you get there is all that counts.  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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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 632
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    I knew about the tongs test, but I left the membrane on the ribs and was curious if that changed the “breakage” point. 

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Dawgtired said:
    I knew about the tongs test, but I left the membrane on the ribs and was curious if that changed the “breakage” point. 
    As far as I know, the membrane is made of elastin, which does not soften from heat. So I would suppose leaving the membrane on would make the slab less bendable. I've read that some people leave the membrane on to keep more fat in the slab, but run the temp up at the end to crisp it away.

    In my experience, a slab that will pass the bend test will also have bones that can be easily tugged out. Instead of tongs, I often pinch an exposed bone end, and lift. if the meat falls apart around it, food is done.
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    Toothpick test. It never breaks the rack in half like the bend test can. 
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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,989
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    "Toothpick for the win."
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Dawgtired
    Dawgtired Posts: 632
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    Thanks everyone. I recently read the book “Meathead” and he was all about the tong bending. I’m with y’all that the toothpick test sounds like a better idea

    If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

    Ronald Reagan

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