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Ribs ?

Pa_BBQ
Pa_BBQ Posts: 132
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Bought some ribs to cook tonight, going to really test out the egg as it will be snowing and blowing with a temp of 20 degrees, wind chill will really be down there.

I bought spare ribs instead of baby backs, I had watched the video on the BGE site and was planning on 250-300 for 3 hours for 3 slabs of ribs.

How much longer will Spare ribs take than baby back ribs?

Thanks
Large BGE
Meadow Creek TS120 Stick Burner
Stoker, BBQ Guru. 

Erie, Pa. 

Comments

  • JB
    JB Posts: 510
    I do mine 6-7 hours 250-275
  • Pa_BBQ,

    I've never seen, or tried, the method on the BGE web site you're referencing but have never had Baby Backs done in less than 4 and 1/2 hours.

    If you have the time to read through it, Carwash Mike's Rib Class on Thirdeye's site is the best method I've found for making killer ribs. The link is here:

    Carwash Mike's Rib Class

    From my experience, Baby Backs take between 4.5 and 6 hours, depending upon their size and Spares are pretty close to that, if prepped St. Louis Style. There's a great video on the Virtual Weber Bullet Bulletin Board for the knife work. Whole spares can take another hour or two, depending upon your tenderness preference. Ribs are a real feel cook and doneness is very subjective.

    Link to Chris Allingham's YouTube St. Louis Rib Prep Video, here:

    St. Louis Rib Prep Video

    Hope some of this helps. If fall off the bone tender is what you want, you'll fall into the longer cooking time ranges. I like to try to nail them just before that for some pull and test by picking up a slab in the middle with tongs and looking for about a 45º bend downward on either side. If the meat starts to break apart from the bones, it's time to get them off, or sauce them, if that's your preference.

    Good Luck and enjoy those ribs!

    BABYBACKS_WET_X2.jpg

    Joe
  • Pa_BBQ, if you're just starting out, I'd probably go with the 3-1-1 method of rib cooking. In a nutshell, it's:

    * Three hours of the ribs cooked indirect at 250* (give or take)

    * One hour of the ribs cooked, wrapped in foil with a little liquid like apple juice, indirect at 250*

    * One hour of the ribs cooked indirect at 250* to firm them up, saucing the last half-hour or so if you're so inclined.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    The time depends a little on the size of the slab. The fastest I've ever had was about 4 hours with a slab that only weighed 4.5 lbs before trimming. (Probably less than 3 when trimmed.)

    You might be able to get them done in 3 hours if you boost the dome to 350, and foil them meat side down for an hour with apple juice after the first hour, and then out of the foil bone side down for the last. I've only tried hotter temps since getting the Egg a few times. The results were passable, but not as good as at dome 250.