bad ribs 4 times!!

Unknown · December 2007

ok! I have cooked ribs 4 times now. All of them have good flavor,but they are NOT fall off the bone. I would rather fall off the bone tender than good flavor right now. I have tried x
direct, indirect, foil, mustard... What am i doing wrong. Temp at 250 baby back ribs. Someone please help me!! Everything else on the egg i cook is great i just cannot get the ribs right!!! Help!!!!!!!!

Unknown · December 2007

chad,
I know it's not a common method, but I swear by 300 indirect for 4-5 hrs for baby backs. No foiling. Sauce the last 30 min. Great flavor. Meat is firm, but pulls nicely from the bone. I don't rely on it, but I have noticed that when I pull them they are around 195 with my thermapen. gl.

Buster Dog BBQ · December 2007

chad,
So are they a slight tug to get off the bone? when you pick them up in the middle do they fold in half?

AZRP · December 2007

chad,
I do BBs indirect, 250 dome temp, about 5 hours. Mine usually fall off the bone even though that's not what I'm looking for. You may want to check your thermometer, it might be reading low. -RP

Unknown · December 2007

Ryno98,[p]To clarify, that is 300 dome.

stike · December 2007

chad,
tell us how you did them... maybe there's a 'fix'. [p]sometimes, ribs just need to cook more. if they don't flop and fold in half when you pick them up from one end, they aren't down, regardless how long they've been on.[p]one thing to remember... "fall off the bone" is a bit of salemanship that has become a goal. true fall-off-the-bone ribs usually were boiled, and that isn't a good thing for barbecue. god for making soup, maybe. the goal of most of the guys winning these contests is to have the bone come away clean, but with a small tug. 'falling off' is frowned upon.[p]don't pooh-pooh the fact that you have ribs with great flavor and smoke! THAT is the real goal! now, just keep going. maybe you need to open the dome toward the end and keep twisting a bone. if it doesn't twist, they aren't done, then shut the lid and wait some more.

gdenby · December 2007

chad,[p]How long are you cooking them? Baby backs usually take at least 4 hours.[p]Do you have good air flow around the ribs. I find that if I cram them on in a rack, they cook much slower. 1 or 2 slabs laying flat cook faster and get more tender. [p]Was the meat fresh? I had a box of ribs where a few were ruined by freezer burn. All the un-burnt ones turned out tough.[p]It sounds like your temperature was steady, but if it wasn't, meat seems to end up tougher.[p]gdenby

mb168 · December 2007

chad,[p]Are you following a particular method such as 3-1-1 or Car Wash Mike's or just throwing them on for a few hours? both of these call for around 5+ hr cooks. Give us details.

thirdeye · December 2007

<p />chad,[p]I generally cook BB's hotter than spares since they are leaner, maybe 275° or so at the grate (which should be around 300° dome). To get fall-off-the-bone quality ribs you have to keep them as moist as possible and then introduce them to some braising. Try starting your rack in a foil boat. Mix some oil into your basting liquid too.[p][p]During the first 2 hours, baste them 2 or 3 times, making sure the liquid in the boat does not evaporate between bastings. When they get some nice color...[p][p]...have a double-layer foil pouch ready to go and and some warm liquid handy. If you like sweet or saucy ribs, have some apple jelly, honey or BBQ sauce thinned out and warmed up too. As quickly as you can, paint up the ribs and turn them meat side DOWN in the pouch and seal all but one end. Add the heated liquid then make the final seal. Return to the cooker or your oven, at the same temperature. Check in one hour, If you want them more tender, re-seal and go longer.[p]When they are where you want them, you can take them out of the pouch, rest and serve. Or you can send them back to the cooker to set them up. This takes 10 or 15 minutes.[p]~thirdeye~[p][p][p]

tjv · December 2007

<p />chad, quick test I use for doneness. If they don't bend to the point where you think they'll break off, chances are they are not done.

fishlessman · December 2007

chad,
they will can be made fall off the bone with pretty much every method, bring them up to 195 or more degrees with a thermapen between the bones at pretty much any temp between 225 and 275. easiest way is with the foil method you talked about. when you foil, make sure the liquid is "hot" when you add it to the foil, make sure it doesnt steam out and add more if you have to, and something that is very important is that the "MEAT SIDE" is down so that they braise. then its just a matter of time in the foil, check it at 45 minutes, go longer, go 2 hours in the foil if you have too, they will eventually fall apart. i like them done raised grill direct and like them drier with some pull, but you can even get fall off the bones direct, foil will be easiest, start there. it actually took me longer to get the meat not to fall off when i started cooking ribs on an egg

EddieMac · December 2007

If you're ribs don't come out right 4 times in a row - - you're suspended!! Turn in your card! Just kidding of course!! For most aficionados, "fall off the bone" ribs isn't "real bbq"...per se...That happens at Tony Roma's and Flanigans where they par-steam the ribs first..then grill..sauce...and flip a few times...and then serve...[p]I do babybacks using the 2.5 hours / 45 minutes / sauce & flip method...2.5 hours indirect...45 minutes foil...then sauce and flip a few times...I put white wine or apple juice in the foil pouches for a 45 minute duration...which really moistens and to a certain extent steams...And mine always come out very tender....[p]I don't like mine falling off the bone...but I think if I left them in the foil pouches with the white wine or the apple juice for a longer period of time...they would be..."falling off the bone"....[p]Ed McLean
Ft. Pierce, FL

Avocados · December 2007

Are you removing the membrane before rubbing and cooking?[p]Also try buying the ribs from another source next time.[p]I had dissapointing results with baby backs purchased at Publix and switched to Sam's Club and other sources.

BGE Pit Crew · December 2007

eddiemac,
you took the words right of my mouth or keyboard. Keep smokin, Dana

Eggin in Peoria · December 2007

chad,
3.5 to 4 hours indirect at 250-275, rubbed with mustard and whatever rub you like. After that, put in a foil pan, cover with stout beer for another hour or until you like them. Sauce if you like...I prefer to sauce at the table. [p]good luck.

Unknown · December 2007

chad,
thank you all for your help. I am going to buy my next ribs from sam's and try some of your mentioned techniques. I have been dying to get ribs right and I will let you know how they come out. Thank you everyone. P.S. They don't have to fall off but they shouldn't be rip your teeth out of your mouth like the ones I have been making. Ha ha ha!!!

bad ribs 4 times!!

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