Just cant get 'em right

[Bigmofo300lbs]

I have tried....and tried...and tried and I just cannot get BBRs to the place where DREAMS ARE MADE! This is the 5th time I have made them and I just cannot get them 'fall off the bone' tender. Don't know what I have to do. Are BBRs as tempermental as I think they are? I mean they are nothing like Spares or Beef Ribs.

[Neil]

Bigmofo,

Are you using the 3-2-1 method? What are your pit temps? Your babybacks should be nirvana ribs if you maintain a 220-240 pit temperature and use the 3-2-1 method.

[Bigmofo300lbs]

Pit was steady at about 212 and I used 2-2-1. Been searching old threads to make sure I haven't missed something. On this particular cook I was a bit distracted with 'honey do's" but still. When I pulled them off the smoker the were dry and a bit tough. That's right folks..PORK WAS TOUGH!! Rub was good but I was very disappointed overall. This is the only piece of meat that still gives me trouble. But in true brethren fashion...I am not gonna give up. Got another 2 racks and gonna fire up the coals in about 30min. Any tips fellahs before I ruin another piece of meat?

[tommykendall]

BigMo -

I plan on having a little rib fest before end of Feb. We'll have you over.

[BBQchef33]

sorry neill.. but whoaaaaaaaaa nelly 3-2-1 on babybacks will wreck them... MoFo.. you were right in 2-1-1 is much better but a little short.. and it sounds like your temps were a little high, or you were close to the heat. For babybacks, I cook at 225 and hold off the foil until they pull back about 1/4-3/8 inch form the tips, This is usually between 2-3 hours, but sometimes has been under 2 hours. You should not use time with babybacks, go by sight.. forget the clock. When they pull back, spray and wrap for about and hour and on the higher side of pit temps.. 235-240. I start checking in 45 miutes though for how done they are.. Sometimes they finish real fast in foil... 45 minutes and if ya let them go, they dryout.. yet sometime thay may need over an hour.

Now, you can either finish them in the foil and serve them steamy and drippy write form the foil. If your going to do this, no more than an hour is all you should need, but sometimes(not often) ya may need 90 minutes. I =check with a toothpick poked in the meat and it should off absolutly no resistance. The other way... if your going to glaze them and want to set the glaze, remove them after the 45-60 minute mark, brush them and finish in the dry heat unfoiled. This may go for another hour plus. In my mind, rule of thumb for baby backs is 4-5 hours total, but the time before foiling is the variable.

[Bigmofo300lbs]

Thanks Neil & Phil for getting back to me.

BBRs are rub'd and ready. Just waitin' for smoker to reach temp. Will let you know what happens!

[Neil]

No problem, it's been a while (almost two years) since I've done any babybacks. Wife and I prefer spare ribs.

[spicewine]

One more thing on Ribs. When shopping for your ribs look at the bone. Young porks rib bone are round and as they get older they become more of an oval shape. Young pork will be more flavorful and tender. If the bones are real oval shaped you might have an old boar, tough and strong flavored.

[Arlin_MacRae]

One more thing on Ribs. When shopping for your ribs look at the bone. Young porks rib bone are round and as they get older they become more of an oval shape. Young pork will be more flavorful and tender. If the bones are real oval shaped you might have an old boar, tough and strong flavored.

I did NOT know that. Cool.

[jminion]

Bigmofo
3-2-1 or 2-1-1 is simply a guide if you want falling off the bone then the time in the foil is what will achieve that. If they are not falling off the bone cook them longer.

[tommykendall]

rule of thumb for baby backs is 4-5 hours total, but the time before foiling is the variable.


Bow to the Poobah - ditto

[Bigmofo300lbs]

Okay...in short...VAST improvement over yesterday! Really good stuff! A couple of things I did different today than yesterday. 1)
When they pull back, spray and wrap for about and hour and on the higher side of pit temps.. 235-240. I start checking in 45 miutes though for how done they are..


and 2) I cooked them at 225 this time. The ones I cooked yesterday didnt have much meat on them and which led to them being over cooked. Meaning I was caught up on the 2-2-1 rather than the advice Phil & Jim gave.

Moral of the story: Less clock watching and more cooking. The meat is ready.....when it's done!

[BBQchef33]

Somethin I forgot to mention. You can tell that the ribs are done just by lifting the rack in the foil. If you lift from one side and they feel like they will just flop over, they are done. If they still have some backbone and firmness.. they will still be somewhat firm. Keep in mind, thats waht ya want in competiion, but in our backyards fall off the bone tender is what i look for.


something else i posted i while back..

Phils McRib sandwich.

Cook a rack of babybacks till the bones just fall out. While the ribs are cooking, peel a vidalia onion and put it in the chamber to roast. Onces its soft, dice it up and foil it to keep hot and retain juices.

Prepare a whole loaf of italian bread, garlic bread or a big hogie roll. I like it best with a loaf of fresh garlic bread. Slightly toasted it in the hot chamber. While the bread is toasting, lay a out finished rack of babybacks, membrane side up, and remove the bones leaving the meat intact. Dont waste the juices. You will use them.. Remove any dry or burnt ends(an eat'em... chefs choice) :) Transfer the entire rack of babybacks on the garlic bread pour juices over it and cover with roasted onion. Add some Bbq sauce if ya want.

I'd like to say slice and serve, but to hell with that, just start eating it whole and what ya cant finish then slice and give out...

maybe.

or just save it for later... after a burp or two... :)

[Cuelio]

My mouth . . . I'm salivating . . . spit rolls off the t . . . drool.

[Neil]

5:56 am, 15*, 25 mph winds, snowing, If I didn't have to work I'd be firing up the 'dera after reading Phil's post. Damn I'm hungry.

[Bigmofo300lbs]

Well, I know I am hungry after reading that. I got two more racks to do this weekend. Followed by a 10+# brisket and maybe....just maybe a shoulder. I will get these BBRs right if I have to cook EVERY DAMN WEEKEND!! Sucks to be me right?

[parrothead]

You go brother! That's the spirit.

[Wayne]

Believe it or not, but I never fix BBRs. I usually fix whole untrimed racks. I even leave the membrane and diaphram on. Brisket and chuck roasts are pretty much my specialty, but I do fix pretty good ribs every now and then. I would also not be too worried. If you want to get good you have to fix a lot of BBQ in a variety of ways. Every good BBQ "cook" has to develop his own style and that takes time. The only mistake you can make is not to learn form the past. If the ribs were not too good then you have to change something, but not too many things. Only change one or maybe two things at a time and this will allow you to zero in on the holy grail of BBRs. Looking at what you just posted I would say you need to increase the cooking time by at least an hour for your first change. There is an old artillery rule that says you need to make bold adjustments when you are adjusting fire. If the first shot is long then try to force the second shot to be short. Then you know that the target is in between and can usually call a final adjustment and fire for effect. If you have trouble with ribs that are not cooked enough then you will not know you want to be unless you can fix some that are over done. Keep at it and you will get there.

[BuckSpin]

FWIW, fall off the bone, to a lot of people, is an "hint" that ribs were taken past their optimal doneness. Grandma's pork roast in a crock pot comes to mind.

If the meat pulls cleanly off the bone and has a little chew to it, thats good stuff. When you pick up a rib, I would like the meat to come along for the ride and come off clean when I bite it.

[BuckSpin]

One more thing on Ribs. When shopping for your ribs look at the bone. Young porks rib bone are round and as they get older they become more of an oval shape. Young pork will be more flavorful and tender. If the bones are real oval shaped you might have an old boar, tough and strong flavored.

Thats a good piece of info. Does that hold true for spares as well as BB's?

I know that I usually try to buy spares that, with the brisket, weigh less than 4lbs, usually shoot for 3.5-3.75.Heavy racks = old pig = tougher meat.

[Arlin_MacRae]

Phils McRib sandwich.

Cook a rack of babybacks till the bones just fall out. While the ribs are cooking, peel a vidalia onion and put it in the chamber to roast. Onces its soft, dice it up and foil it to keep hot and retain juices.

Prepare a whole loaf of italian bread, garlic bread or a big hogie roll. I like it best with a loaf of fresh garlic bread. Slightly toasted it in the hot chamber. While the bread is toasting, lay a out finished rack of babybacks, membrane side up, and remove the bones leaving the meat intact. Dont waste the juices. You will use them.. Remove any dry or burnt ends(an eat'em... chefs choice) :) Transfer the entire rack of babybacks on the garlic bread pour juices over it and cover with roasted onion. Add some Bbq sauce if ya want.

I'd like to say slice and serve, but to hell with that, just start eating it whole and what ya cant finish then slice and give out...

maybe.

or just save it for later... after a burp or two... :)


Lawdy! Forwarded that to the house for next weekend!