Holding Ribs

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watertowerbbq

is Blowin Smoke!
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Location
Ankeny, IA
Has anyone ever cooked their ribs and held them in a cooler for say 30 - 60 minutes before turn-ins? If so, did you like the results?

I've been trying to be more consistent with my rib cooks and what I'm finding is that in some cases the final product might need an additional 15 - 30 minutes (estimated time of course). I'm sure some of the inconsistency is different cuts of meat (not spares vs baby backs, just different pigs), different daily temps and of course my cooking ability. :-D I'm using a guru and that has eliminated some of the variables.

My only solution seems to provide myself some time cushion and if I do that, I run the risk of having the ribs done earlier than I really want.

Any help or other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I do not like how ribs come out after being steamed in the cooler or Cambro. We'll generally open the ends of the foil and let them start to cool down a bit and if it's too far from turn in time, we will close back up and cooler for a brief time. We try to time ribs so they're done just before chicken time.
 
I try to time mine to come off the cooker 30 min. before turn in. I don't cooler them, just put them in a pan and cover with foil. They seem to slice cleaner if they rest for a few minutes.
 
I would say never cooler ribs. I don't like to cooler any meat. It steams and sucks all the moisture out. I try to never cooler anything. For vending we cambor ribs for up to an hour and the quality is not always 100%. If you can get a good strarting time. You should never need to cooler.
 
What happens in the cooler has a lot to do with what you did when you foiled them. The addition of a lot of fluid to the ribs when in the foil will cause a very different rib then if you left it dry or mostly dry, especially when you then let them rest. There is no real answer it depends on what you do. Practice.
 
I've done it before with good results. If your ribs are done early its a better option then keeping them on the pit.

watertowerbbq said:
Has anyone ever cooked their ribs and held them in a cooler for say 30 - 60 minutes before turn-ins? If so, did you like the results?

I've been trying to be more consistent with my rib cooks and what I'm finding is that in some cases the final product might need an additional 15 - 30 minutes (estimated time of course). I'm sure some of the inconsistency is different cuts of meat (not spares vs baby backs, just different pigs), different daily temps and of course my cooking ability. :-D I'm using a guru and that has eliminated some of the variables.

My only solution seems to provide myself some time cushion and if I do that, I run the risk of having the ribs done earlier than I really want.

Any help or other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
very interesting topic..just a thought outside the box...

1. cook ribs like normal (maybe a 2-1-1 type) at 225
2. refoil, reseason and cooler/cambro for 1 hour..
3. 30 min prior to turn in , back on high heat (325 ish) to finish and sauce/glaze...

just a thought, could it work? I will let you know Sunday...

any suggestions are welcome..please remember dont try this at home as I am a complete IDIOT!!!

Sal
 
I would think putting hot arse food from the cooker to the cambro is the same as keeping it on the cooker. External temp of say a brisket is pit temp, when you throw that in and seal the door, what temp is the cambo going to be? Has anyone ever tested temp on a cambro with hot meats. I would bet at least 200 degrees. I wouldn't rest a steak in there because it would cook to well done, I always assumed the same for all meats.
 
Good input from everyone but I think Matt's question is what to do if the ribs are done a little too early. This isn't a question of how to time it perfectly but how to hold the ribs for awhile and maximize the quality. This very thing happened to me last weekend and I ended up over cooking the ribs (12th place) because they were overdone only by about 30 minutes. Good question and great input from everyone.
 
To answers matts question. If I knew I was going to be done way to early, lets say an hour. I would let the ribs sit out, not in a cooler. I would time it so I still had 1 hour to put the ribs back on the smoker and let them get hot and set the glaze. Thats what I would do. I would not cooler. JMO
 
i have been trying not to foil. so if the are done early put them in a cooler spot on the cooker and start saucing.
 
I had this exact problem (ribs were a solid hour ahead of schedule) at Fort Atkinson this year.

I ended up removing them from the cooker and let them cool for a little over 30 minutes, returned them to the coolest part of the cooker for final glazing.

I sure wish I could reproduce it just that way, we ended up taking 1st!
 
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