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Several questions on ribs.

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kybowhunter
kybowhunter Posts: 4
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hey - I am totally new to the BGE - just picked up my new Large BGE this past Sat.

So this upcoming weekend I want to smoke some baby back ribs and I have several questions.

1. Do I use direct or indirect method? I did pick up the plate setter.

2. What is the recommended dome temp and cook time?

3. I did search the forums and saw some references to the 3-1-1 method to make ribs but I cannot find anything that explains that method.

TIA!
Dan
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Comments

  • Chef Charles
    Chef Charles Posts: 871
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    Welcome to the club.

    Ribs are usually cooked indirect ... 250 dome.

    Here is a link to Thirdeye's blog site which provides a description ... it is a great resource:

    http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/06/baby-back-rib-class.html

    Tom

    Tom

    Charles is a mischevious feline who always has something cooking

    Twin lbge's .. grew up in the sun parlor of Canada but now egging in the nation's capital

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  • Frank from Houma
    Frank from Houma Posts: 5,755
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    Here is a good tutorial

    http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2002/06/baby-back-rib-class.html

    3-1-1 refers to foiling after three hours and then taking out of the foil for 1 hour to firm the ribs back up.

    Personally - No foil zone here

    240 - 250 for around 6 hours

    Don't cook to time. Use the bend test to determine when they are done and then sauce for +/- 20 minutes

    IMG_5984800x600.jpg

    Good luck with it.
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  • MA egger
    MA egger Posts: 51
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    here's something I learned the hard way this past weekend during my first attempt at ribs: cover the platesetter in foil. I've now got an icky PS with carbonized sauce splotted all over it. I guess a high temp would burn it all off.

    JPY
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  • SmokyArkie
    SmokyArkie Posts: 65
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    I've been there and done that. Yes, a hot fire will turn the gunk to ash and most of it will come off of your plate setter without scraping etc.

    But because I didn't use a drip pan when I was cooking several large roasting chickens the grease rolled off the plate setter and then down the inside of the BGE. On my next hot cook the grease ignited and fried my gasket. The BGE was squeaky clean though!

    I would suggest the foil and a drip pan.
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  • astro_bbq
    astro_bbq Posts: 5
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    After many times cooking without foil I tried 3-1-1 and did not like the results. Wrapping in foil made the meat a bit too mushy for me. It wasn't total mush but enough that I didn't like it even if it might be considered BBQ competition correct for texture.

    I do as other recommend and cook them indirect at 250 and it seems to take around 6 hours each time.
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  • reelgem
    reelgem Posts: 4,256
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    I'm doing some ribs today myself and I'm doing them indirect. That would be platesetter with legs up. A foil drip pan and then the grid on top. Get the egg to 250 and stabilize. A few pieces of a smoking wood of your choice. Let them go for 3 hrs. Then I put mine in a pan on a rack meat side down with apple juice in the bottom of the pan (make sure the meat isn't touching the juice) and cover the pan tightly with foil. Cook for another maybe 2 hours, it depends on the ribs. There is no set time which I found out the hard way. :(
    Check occasionally to see if they're bending when you pick up with tongs in the center of the rack. Then take them out of the pan and sauce bottoms, flip over and sauce the top and put back on the egg for about 30 min. or until you have a nice glaze. I mix beef broth with my sauce so you don't have really thick sauce, just a nice light glaze.
    Hope this helps.
    Also check out wessb.com he makes some excellent ribs!!
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  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
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    You can check the "cooks" section of my website linked below for some help..
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Welcome and congrats. When I teach my classes, I always suggest you foil at some point if it is your first time. My technique is a guideline. You can e-mail me if you need more detailed help.

    Mike
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    I'm a non-foiler too. Also, just say "no" to mustard. :)

    Regarding the platesetter, IMO the sooner one gets used to the idea of it being dirty, the better off they will be. Covering it in tinfoil just means you have to deal with nasty greasy tinfoil. The foil will have more surface area with the crevices allowing for collection of more crud. If avoiding getting anything dirty is the idea, might as well cover the inside of the egg with foil too.
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    No mustard for your hot dogs? :)

    Mike
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    Yes, and those corndogs that the Carnies sell, slathered in only the cheapest of the yellow stuff. Now THAT is good eats.
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  • Eggatorium
    Eggatorium Posts: 99
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    Yea Mike, I had a couple of your ribs and they are the best!
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Thanks Joe, at Denver last year?

    Mike
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  • schmeetex
    schmeetex Posts: 69
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    Hey Dan...I'm new to the BGE world as well. Although ribs have always been a favorite of mine, I had never cooked them until three weeks ago.

    They turned out great and I can't wait to continue to experiment with different methods in the future. After much research on this site, here is what I did.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=861536&catid=1#

    Good luck...let us know how they turn out.

    SchmeeTex
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