24 Hours Away- Need Last help

[twinsfan]

Hi guys


from previous posts you'll know i'm doing my first competition- non KCBS- tomorrow- and I need last second help. I've done ribs a lot but I'm second guessing all the itty bitty details... worry worry worry


in my rub I use dried mustard, quite a bit, but the flavor never comes through. Does the mustard flavor hide/go away in the smoke?

with my spares I often get the meat falling off the bone- literally becoming bone and meat just by cutting- but the meat has a little bit of chew. I think it's alright but how do I keep the meat a little more attached while getting less chew?

Cadillac or regular cut?

Finally- what's your thoughts on the amount of sauce on them? None, a little, or drenched?


These things are just bugging me a little. Sorry to bother you- AGAIN.

 

[boogiesnap]

mustard, powdered or otherwise, tends to lose flavor in the cook. you can prolly leave it out with noticing any difference.

for texture, longer out of foil, to get the same tenderness, but not fall off the bone.

sauce, brush on what you think is a good amount to balance out the rub and meat.

regular cut.

hope that helps.

 

[Divemaster]

First of all, second guessing is always part of competition. The first comp is the worst.

in my rub I use dried mustard, quite a bit, but the flavor never comes through. Does the mustard flavor hide/go away in the smoke?

Personally, I think that the flavor of mustard gets cooked out during the smoking process.

with my spares I often get the meat falling off the bone- literally becoming bone and meat just by cutting- but the meat has a little bit of chew. I think it's alright but how do I keep the meat a little more attached while getting less chew?

You are going to want it a bit less done. You want to be able to take a bite to the bone and only come away with the meat in your mouth.

Cadillac or regular cut?

I'm not sure of the difference. I use a standard St. Louis cut of spare ribs.

Finally- what's your thoughts on the amount of sauce on them? None, a little, or drenched?

I just put a glaze on mine. To much and you are going to end up with a sticky mess that only tastes like your sauce.

These things are just bugging me a little. Sorry to bother you- AGAIN.

It's not a bother. Really. We are here to support each other!

The important thing to remember is to go out there, meet some great people and have a bunch of fun!:thumb:

 

[Lake Dogs]

Twins, you're beginning to over-think it. Honestly, IMHO, do what YOU do best. It's when you start to vary that you get in trouble.

For starters, I'd wouldnt change my approach and have that rib even slightly more stick-to-the-bone. Why wouldn't I change it, you ask? Because, it's an unsanctioned comp. Odds are that the best tasting rib, regardless of standard, will win (with any luck).

Sauce: No matter the sanctioning body, or whether sanctioned or not, if there's not a balance between the flavors you'll get hammered by one judge or another. So, to answer your question, use the amount that's best suited to your meat. For most it's only a little sauce...

 

[twinsfan]

Cadillac cut I believe means you cut away from each bone to give each rib more meat

 

[Lake Dogs]

Cadillac cut I believe means you cut away from each bone to give each rib more meat

Yep.

Again though, do what you do best.

 

[Ron_L]

Cadillac cut can look impressive, but you have to have twice as many good ribs to get the 6 (or whatever) needed for the box, so base that decision on the ribs when you are ready to do the box.

If the ribs are "literally becoming bone and meat just by cutting" then they are seriously over cooked. The only thing you can do to stop that is cook them for less time. If you are foiling, reducing the time in the foil is the easiest way to cook them less since the fastest cooking happens in the foil.

I don't know who the judges are, but if there are any experienced judges in the crow they will be turned off my too much sauce. I would go for a nice glaze to complement the ribs. Even if there are layman judges they should still like that.

 

[tdwalker]

Regarding the Cadallac cut on Ribs:

As a judge, these generally make a good first impression. However, your score will ultimately be on the quality of the rib, not the cut. Having said that, it certainly doesn't hurt to start from a good impression.

 

[Divemaster]

Cadillac cut I believe means you cut away from each bone to give each rib more meat

That's what we used to call a 'Hollywood Cut'... I would say stick with a regular cut.

 

[twinsfan]

Well, here's the thing guys. I know you guys think they're overcooked- and I thought they were a little bit- but in my last run the ribs still had significant chew. I'm not kidding. The ribs on the ends were splitting off the bone on their own but still had chew and the middle ones still had chew and were intact. Any suggestion, just so I know, how to cook the ribs less but get them a little more tender? The meat was not splitting in two, the meat was just sliding off the bone too easily.

 

[boogiesnap]

i told you already. 1st response to your thread.

 

[boogiesnap]

see, you're steaming the meat right off the bone without allowing enough time for the collagen to break down in the meat out of foil.

more time out of foil.

and please stop saying "chew".

good luck bro, you'll do just fine.

 

[Bbq Bubba]

Well, here's the thing guys. I know you guys think they're overcooked- and I thought they were a little bit- but in my last run the ribs still had significant chew. I'm not kidding. The ribs on the ends were splitting off the bone on their own but still had chew and the middle ones still had chew and were intact. Any suggestion, just so I know, how to cook the ribs less but get them a little more tender? The meat was not splitting in two, the meat was just sliding off the bone too easily.

$20 says your using enhanced ribs.
You can cook em all day & they'll have a chew to em.
Make sure your starting with a quality product. :thumb: