Ribs in foil?

Vogs · April 2002

I am cooking some ribs today. I normally use the indirect method with no foil. I notice many people cook their ribs in foil for one hour during the cook. Is this necessary and what does it do to the ribs? Thanks for any advice.

Unknown · April 2002

Vogs,
as a generalization it seals in moisture which produces a better heat transfer thereby decresing the cook time. [p]Smoke 'em for a while like ou normally do for the smoke flavoring then wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil after a couple of hours. [p]Send me a couple when you're done and I'll let you know if you done did it right. There is a chance that you will have to send me dozens of racks over the next few months before you achieve perfection but I am willing to eat that many if it means helping another! That's the kind of sacrifice I am prepared to make.[p]Have a nice one.
Matt.[p]Matt.

JM · April 2002

South O,
I to have used the 1 hour foil method and it does appear to increase the temp of the ribs rapidly. I notice that after I remove from the foil (approx. 10 minutes) and continue cooking, the meat temp will drop 20 degrees out of the foil. Can you explain this? Is the meat temp really high when in the foil or is it just so hot from the steam build up in the foil?
JM

Unknown · April 2002

JM,
Well, I aint no injuneer or nuttin but my initial thoughts (ie., wild duess) would be that is is beacuse of the steam. If I have a pot of rice boiling and I remove the lid, the temps begin to drop instantly. I can only assume that the same principle applies here. Hopefully someone with a better grasp of thermodynamics will chime in and teach all of us.[p]Matt.

BBQfan1 · April 2002

South O, Yup; it steams 'em. Not necessary. Some folks still figger 'fall off the bone" is a compliment, not a sign of using a 'crutch' like boiling or steaming, but I tend to disagree. As Spin says, 'pull clean from the bone' is your goal; fall from the bone is a myth, a misnomer and a sign of taking a shortcut, usually steaming or (cringe) boiling.
Stay true to yer cue, keep practicing til they're 'pull from the bone' without foiling. You'll be happier and prouder of the results in the long run. Just my opinion.
Qfan

Gfw · April 2002

[p]BBQfan1, [p]Sorry - al little typo will get you evey time, but...[p]I would have to disagree - the best method to make ribs is the method that make the ribs the best - for ME![p]These have all been done in foil. Notice that they aren't "fall-off", but they do pull nicely :~}[p]
and again...

and again...

and again...

and again...
[p]Anyway, I think you get the picture. Maybe it's not as much the method as the person who implements.[p]Just my thoughts! :~}[p][p]
[ul][li]Gfw's BBQ[/ul]

Marv · April 2002

Vogs, I have tried the foil thing in my catering business, and was not satisfied with the results.
Some folks swear by this method and that is fine, that's what makes us all different kinds of cooks.
I personally would have to say that by foiling causes unnessary work and causes you to have to open the egg more often than necessary there by losing heat and taking longer to cook than if you just left them alone. It really does nothing to add to the flavor of the finished product.[p]Marv

Unknown · April 2002

Gfw ,
Your too touchy about people not liking ribs foiled.. Its like you take it personal.. Aside from that..
I just got three bbq video tapes, by Chris Lily, Pitmaster at big BoB Gibsons.. One was on whole shoulder, One on whole pig and the other on ribs.. Nice tapes..[p]Anyway, he does spares and babies (loinbacks) He did the loinbacks for 2 hours, pulled them out of the jedmaster, (cool pit) and then he laid all three slabs on individual double wrap foil and before sealing dumped a 1/2 cup of different stuff in each one.. Like pineapple juice in one, cant remeber the other two but anyway.. Then he sealed them back up
put them back in the Jed for an hour..[p]Then he took them out of the foil and put them back
in the Jed for the last hour.. Well he sauced them and left them in for another ten minutes, then he took them out.. [p]He showed how to cut them a double cut for the judges so they get more meat ( he has awesome knife) then he held a rib up and pulled on the meat to show it wasnt falling off the bone and mushy, but had some pull to it..[p] And the Moral of the story is... Ok Ok Ok, your ribs probably arent mushy![p] [p]Dylan

Nature Boy · April 2002

Mornin' Dylan.
Just a positive word for Gfw. I did not read that Gordon took it personally....and after reading his posts for years, I expect he did not. He tends to be very open minded, and has tried cooking ribs many ways, but settled in on his fave. [p]I enjoy reading your wisdoms. Sometimes your little jabs are both funny and accurate. But Gfw is not touchy. Life is too good for that![p]Beers
NB

Gfw · April 2002

Q.N.E. tyme, NB is right - I try never to take much of anything personally and I didn't take your post that way. [p]98% of the time it isn't meant that way and the other 2% I just don't care about. :~}[p]

Ribs in foil?

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