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How To Tell When Beef Ribs

Grandpas Grub
Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
How does one tell when beef ribs are done?

Temps between the meat range from 147° to 168° depending on which end of the rack I check. There is about 3/4" to 1" pull back on some of the bones (not all).

GG

Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Kent,

    The last time I did them they looked like lollipops and they were good.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Long pullback on the bone?

    Kent
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Kent,

    I'm no expert but the longer ribs 6-8" pulled way back but they were as tender and moist as anything I have ever had.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    They don't bend as well as pork. But you should have a few bones that wiggle a little. :ohmy:
    bfribs-1.jpg

    Mike
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    General Tso Beef Ribs.


    RIBSDONE.jpg

    I like to have them cut into thirds and cook indirect high in the dome for 2-3 hours or so at 325F.. Use a general Tso sauce for basting.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    That's a long pull back...

    I will take some pictures in just a minute.

    Kent
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Thanks for the pictures Mike, I didn't check the bone wiggle.

    I just took some pictures and will get them up in a minute.

    Kent
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Richard, mine have been at 250° grid for 3 hrs.

    Kent
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Temps are as stated in the first post.

    Used a little EVOO and Raising the Steaks, no sauce. 250° grate 275° dome for 3 hours now.

    beefrib1.jpg


    beefrib2.jpg

    GG
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    I have found that the shorter pieces take less time. When I do full beef ribs I do indirect 225-250F about 5-6 hours.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Do you get them more to a well done state?

    This is only the 2nd time I have done beef ribs in 2 years now. Obviously, the first ones didn't impress me all that much. The 1 st try was ok but too well done.

    Kent
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Kent,

    They look a lot meatier than what I have done. If I were to make a choice, I'd go with CWM cause we're not worthy.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    "we're not worthy" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Now, that's funny.

    Kent
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    Kent,,, I've never checked temps or did the racks but here's what mine look like.

    101_2144.jpg


    101_2146.jpg
  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    You should be able to stick in a fork part way and twist with out too much effort, that's how you know they are tender. here's the last beef ribs I did sauced with Carnivore.
    DSCI0043-2.jpg
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Thanks Pat for showing the pictures that helps.

    Kent
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Talk about a brain fart...

    The first time I tried cooking beef ribs they came out OK good right off the egg but not worth saving for left overs.

    I was so concerned about muckin em up again, I didn't even think to try a fork test. As I was reading your post I remember the thermopen probe went in easier just before I pulled these to eat. I wish I would have thought about that, it would have been good information to share.

    I do need to sauce my ribs before taking pictures, that Carnivore does look good.

    Kent
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Well, thanks all, the cook is over and leave it to the Egg & Thermopen for some great eats.

    This is only the second time I have tried beef ribs in about 2 years and a heck of a lot of lump used.

    I wish I would have thought to use the fork test, thanks Big'un.

    These came out fantastic.

    beefrib3done.jpg

    GG
  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    Haha. That why we help each other remember. :laugh: As far as the Carnivore, I know where you can get some. :whistle: Enjoy your ribs Kent!
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Carnivore... me too. I will get some ordered as soon as things get sorted out here.

    Kent
  • After following this thread, the ribs look fantastic.

    Why don't you summarize what you did? Time, temp, etc. since it was hard to follow throughout the whole discussion?

    I GOT the fork test thing. :) AND the Carnivore plug, Big 'un. :whistle:

    Thanks.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Big'un deserves a plug now and then.

    Thanks for the suggestion, good idea - if I don't I won't remember what I did 2 or 3 weeks from now.

    GG
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Misippi Egger suggested a summary of the above cook - here ya go...

    My first beef rib cook, a couple of years ago now, was ok - just ok. Yesterday, I decided to give it a go again and this cook turned out excellent.

    Large egg, lump to the top of the fire box light and at 250° dome, 3 chunks of apple wood. Indirect set up consisted of a inverted spider, heavy stainless steel deep dish pizza pan. Adjustable rig and grid on top. Ribs were at fridge temp, membrane removed, light EVOO and DP Raising the Steaks rub fairly heavy. Ribs were put bone down on the grid and never rotated or turned the ribs during the cook.

    A quick note about egg temperatures. In the above posts I said 275° dome 250° grid which I need to correct. I wasn’t monitoring the grid temp and that was just a guess. I set & stabilized the dome thermometer at 250°. When I put the meat on the dome dropped to 220° at the very end of the cook the dome was about 285° - I never did adjust any vents during the cook.

    I did some forum searching and couldn't locate how to know when done so I submitted this post. For whatever reason I didn't even think about doing a fork test for being tender until big'un's post - after I pulled the ribs.

    At 3 hours the ribs looked like they were coming along fine. I used the Thermopen to check the meat temp. There was a pretty big variance in the meat temperatures and that got me concerned about trying to decide a done temp. The butcher cuts the ribs, both beef & pork in half so the ‘bend’ test doesn’t work for me.

    I used the Thermopen to check the ribs at the 3 hour mark. 147° to 168°. Cut a small slice and the meat looked medium rare. After looking at some pictures provided by others above.

    beefrib2.jpg

    beefrib1.jpg

    The slice taste was excellent and texture was a little chewy. I decided to let the ribs cook a little longer. Another 45 minutes or so.

    So 3:45 hrs in all. Meat temp 180° to 200° depending on where I probed.

    The flavor better than before and texture was very good. These ribs were big, meaty and the cook really turned out excellent.

    beefrib3done.jpg

    I just let the egg do it’s job and again a wonderful cook.

    GG
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    the biggest variable i find is "meaty" if they dont look meaty they just dont cook right and its pretty hard to find them with enough meat on them
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    That is a good point.

    I remember back to my first beef rib cook. Besides my overcooking them there wasn't much meat.

    These were very meaty and cooked easily.

    GG
  • I got my LBGE in April and have gone through over 10 bags of BGE coal.  I love the thing and use this forum and NakedWhiz all the time.  In my Weber and Gas days I lived by my meat temp.  Everyone loved my food in those days and it has only gotten better since I got my BGE, but a lot has had to change in how I look at cooking and beef ribs and all slow cooks have taught me some very important lessons.  Anyone that isn't afraid of losing some hair on your arms can do a phenomenal steak (yes I know I should remember the gloves) but the slow and low is a whole new learning curve.  I now understand why many of you will not talk temp, because newbies like me will try to force that issue.  I did a 8.5lb brisket Saturday that took 18 hours and I had to fight urge to bump the temp up to help things along.  I have already placed in a local rib competition and the best advice I have to anyone wanting to master this is to trust the people that tell you how to use your eyes to determine if it is done.  I have learned when all my ribs look "DONE"...no other way to put it.  There are a million youtube video's but look for BGE peeps as they seem to really know what they are looking for.  Wow, lots of words to say, trust the folks that have been doning this for a long time, it is the look and feel and not the temp.  The temp only tells you went top open the egg and start checking your feast!
    LBGE replaced a 22.5 Weber Kettle and Weber Gas grill.