I'm a convert: High-heat Ribs

Unfathomable Bastid · Jul 10, 2012

Hi Brethren:

I've been a "low and slow" guy for virtually everything I make. 225-240 has been my go-to range for brisket to pork bellies. And that will continue for the larger cuts of meat I smoke.

After talking to some of my BBQ mentors, however, (and watching this season's BBQ Pitmasters), I realize that most competition crews cook their ribs in the 275-300 range. I've run a few test cooks since then, and the results have been pretty dramatic. My ribs have always been good. But these are the next level.

Two hours @ 275 over apple wood
45 mins wrapped
30 mins back on direct

These are "slight tug" off-the-bone. Extremely tender and flavorful with the perfect smokiness I'm looking for.

I'll run 225'ish for everything else. Ribs I'm making the switch based on my results.

-Bastid

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1341929673.836319.jpg

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22.5" WSM (with a DigiQ DX2)
UDS (She's mean and ugly)
22.5 Weber Performer
Weber Gas

bigabyte · Jul 10, 2012

Fantastic!

deguerre · Jul 10, 2012

Heck. I started off doing ribs at ~275 after joining this site and have never gone lower. Beautiful rack!

daninnewjersey · Jul 10, 2012

I cook at 300 minimum. As long as you keep an eye on them they turn out great and cook a lot faster.....

Sunra · Jul 10, 2012

daninnewjersey said:
I cook at 300 minimum. As long as you keep an eye on them they turn out great and cook a lot faster.....

Agree

Craig0648 · Jul 10, 2012

Awesome.

El Ropo · Jul 10, 2012

Sunra said:
Agree

+ a million. Everything can be cooked at a higher temp than 225. I usually don't go lower than 250 for anything and that's just for the first hour to get some smoke and color to the meat. Then the heat get cranked up to the 300 range. Works great for the large cuts too.

bbqsmoke · Jul 10, 2012

looks great. I cook everything at 300 or higher to and it turns out great

cirk · Jul 10, 2012

Gonna give this a run as well. My last low and slow ribs were just not good at all. Tasted great just not tender.

CarolinaQue · Jul 10, 2012

I find that the higher heat renders the fat much better and produces a more tender rib. I have also found that there is less pull back on the bone also.

Good job on those!!!

Lake Dogs · Jul 10, 2012

El Ropo said:
+ a million. Everything can be cooked at a higher temp than 225. I usually don't go lower than 250 for anything and that's just for the first hour to get some smoke and color to the meat. Then the heat get cranked up to the 300 range. Works great for the large cuts too.

+1 more.

Also, to the Op, many of us have forever defined low and slow, basically, as anything under 300. 300+ would be hot-n-fast... So, you're still doing low-n-slow, just not unnecessarily-too-low-and-too-slow. IMHO.

neuyawk · Jul 10, 2012

Nice! Is the foil still necessary? I did mine the "weeping" method and fired pretty hot. done in 3.5hrs and no foil needed.

Unfathomable Bastid · Jul 10, 2012

Lake Dogs said:
+1 more.

Also, to the Op, many of us have forever defined low and slow, basically, as anything under 300. 300+ would be hot-n-fast... So, you're still doing low-n-slow, just not unnecessarily-too-low-and-too-slow. IMHO.

Fair point, Dogs..

I guess 275-300 should be considered a "mid-range." It's interesting since I've been hooked on 'Q, half my battle has been the pursuit of keeping consistent low temps for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong -- I'm producing high-quality stuff at the neighborhood-level. But I'm realizing I have to unlearn some of my temp rules if I plan to take it to the next level. This rib method makes that clear to me.

As with anything, experimentation yields advancement....

-Bastid

Fire_Mgmt · Jul 10, 2012

Great looking ribs, my friend!

Thanks to the brethren here, I've totally gone away from sub-250 temps and cook everything around 275 and don't fret if temps rise to 325. It's all a matter of feel and not so much about the numbers. If they feel done, they're done.

Learning to use my probe and checking for doneness that way has provided me with the best results by far.

Leopardstripes · Jul 10, 2012

Thanks for sharing- still trying to hit that sweet spot with ribs. They look great!

schlickenmeyer · Jul 10, 2012

Thanks, will give that a try as well.. Do you still get good smoke penetration and ring at the 250-275 range, or perhaps an hour at 225 to start em?
My last were not that great either, and with the bigger cuts I am thinking that the slightly higher temps will get it done in a bit less time, and therefore keep the cut jucier.

El Ropo · Jul 10, 2012

I do first hour at around 250 for smoke and color (ring), then crank it up to 300ish for remainder of cook. They usually turn out like this:

Could of pulled these off a tad earlier, but as you can see, no problem with a deep ring.

Smokey Al Gold · Jul 10, 2012

I've even done baby backs at 375-400 with awesome results. But I'm just crazy like that.

razrbakcrzy · Jul 10, 2012

Im with ya! 275° up temps for just about all meat cooks except sausage, beef jerky & bacon... those are 160°

Lake Dogs · Jul 10, 2012

Unfathomable Bastid said:
Fair point, Dogs..

I guess 275-300 should be considered a "mid-range." It's interesting since I've been hooked on 'Q, half my battle has been the pursuit of keeping consistent low temps for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong -- I'm producing high-quality stuff at the neighborhood-level. But I'm realizing I have to unlearn some of my temp rules if I plan to take it to the next level. This rib method makes that clear to me.

As with anything, experimentation yields advancement....

-Bastid

It does!!! I ruined or nearly ruined plenty of meat trying to get smokers to settle in at 220 when they didnt want to do that, and oh my gosh at the time it took!!!!! Yet back then every source I had told me that 220 was BBQ Nirvana and that anything higher just wasnt BBQ. It was by accident that I tried higher temps (still low n slow) and *VOILA* magic happened. My old Lang seems to live 250-260, and that's fine with me. I'll let it slide up a little to the 270 range for ribs, but it wants to settle back in at 255+- as I do it.

Try some of the hotter (yet still low n slow) on other things. However, my personal experience has led me to a point with butts/shoulders, and that is dont rush it through the stall. That's when it's rendering that fat; let 'er take her time...

I'm a convert: High-heat Ribs

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