Help for a novice

[badger]

Originally Posted by DFLittle

For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"

I was just trying to be more specific with the 2 hours wrapped. After you wrap them they need to go back into heat, whether it is the smoker at ~220 or the oven ~220 for ~2 hours.

[tommykendall]

I shoot at 190. From there, I "squeeze" the butt with my tongs to test the tenderness.

I plunge the butt with the tongs - more satisfaction that way. On 3-2-1 I've been invariably finding "fall off the bone" ribs, even with St. Louis cut. With St. Louis cuts I think you can safely back off 30-60 minutes in total across any of the stages. If you leave the breast bone on 3-2-1 is probably more like it. Anyway - my experience only.

[willkat98]

Originally Posted by DFLittle

For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"

Baby Back Ribs will need a shorter cook time -- maybe 2-2 or 2-1-1 like John said earlier a key to when the ribs are done is when the meat pulls back from the end of the bones about 1/4 inch or so -- another clue is when you try to pick them up the rack breaks in the middle :D

I've been cooking chicken thighs at approximately 1.5-1-1 and it just falls off the bone. The last 1 is approximate since I'm saucing the chicken at that point and letting the sauce "candy up".

DF's got it right on the head, but I wanna through in a caveat.

The first 3 (or the 2 for BB) is the only guessing part. Its really when the meat begins to pull back on the bone a bit (maybe around 1/2"). I've had spares that didnt pull back for a little over 4 hours. Nice fat meaty ones. And I've had bb's that were lean and pulling in a tad under 2 hours.

once wrapped though, the guesstimating is done and I go exactly 2 hours then 1 hour, etc. So once the meat pulls back, start the clock. First number is an approximation.

[badger]

Thanks Bill. That was well decribed and I think should be a part of the ribs thread that is mentioned in the Roadmap to this forum, at least the part about the first 3 hours, which seem to be the most critical.

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/inde...iewtopic&t=508

[willkat98]

Its in there now.

Thanks

[mrkkti]

Great info everyone, thanks for the input. After a little more experience of the Q'ing thing, maybe I'll be able to add a little insight!

[markbet]

Now on BB's, I was told to smoke until the internal temp hits 160*, then foil it until internal temp hits 190* to 200*, then put it in the cooler for 3-4 hours. I do brisket the same way, is this still the preferred method? Or have I missed the plane once again.

[The_Kapn]

Originally Posted by markbet

Now on BB's, I was told to smoke until the internal temp hits 160*, then foil it until internal temp hits 190* to 200*, then put it in the cooler for 3-4 hours. I do brisket the same way, is this still the preferred method? Or have I missed the plane once again.

As long as your "BB" is for Boston Butt--You have it!
Sometimes it gets confusing when BB is used for both Boston Butt and Baby Back. But, it works!
TIM

[badger]

Originally Posted by DFLittle

For Spare Ribs! 3 hours in smoke, 2 hours in foil - well sprayed, 1 hour or however long you can wait back on the heat - this is when you add sauce if you like your ribs "wet"

Baby Back Ribs will need a shorter cook time -- maybe 2-2 or 2-1-1 like John said earlier a key to when the ribs are done is when the meat pulls back from the end of the bones about 1/4 inch or so -- another clue is when you try to pick them up the rack breaks in the middle :D

I've been cooking chicken thighs at approximately 1.5-1-1 and it just falls off the bone. The last 1 is approximate since I'm saucing the chicken at that point and letting the sauce "candy up".

Markbet.

I think you missed the plane again..

Follow this fellers method and you cannot go wrong.

[markbet]

Originally Posted by john

Markbet.

Hey John...That is my lifes story dude......

I think you missed the plane again..

Follow this fellers method and you cannot go wrong.

[BigAl]

Now if you want realy great BBR, wind them on the Bandera rib rack then put em' on the top smoker box set of shelf tabs above a 2 gallon cast iron pot of beans which is above the heat shield with a 10-12 lb brisket below the heat sheild where the air temp is 200-220. The rib air temp will be about 150- 170. After about 8-10 hrs in the smoke, those BBR will be the best you have ever tasted. Last batch was no spraying, no foil, no sause, just great taste......just real slooooooooooow smoking.

[stevemiller]

This kind of cooking is new to me so I have to ask the masters. I have always cooked to about the temp of med. rare on beef so not to dry it out and kill the flavor. Now I am told to cook it to about 200deg. so as not have it tough and dry. I am not arguing Just trying to understand.Thanks for all the help,My membership was the best money I have spent in a long time.Right next to my UDS. Steve

[Mo-Dave]

Originally Posted by stevemiller

This kind of cooking is new to me so I have to ask the masters. I have always cooked to about the temp of med. rare on beef so not to dry it out and kill the flavor. Now I am told to cook it to about 200deg. so as not have it tough and dry. I am not arguing Just trying to understand.Thanks for all the help,My membership was the best money I have spent in a long time.Right next to my UDS. Steve

Rare and Med don't work well with butts and brisket because they are cheap and tough cuts of meat. You need to take them to a higher temp in order to make them tender but not to well done so they are not dry and crumbly.

I don't foil ribs unless I am really running behind time and I never mop or spray. I wait tell I get close to my approximate done time and pick it up with the tongs in the middle and see how it bends, if it bends over like a wet noodle its done if not it goes a little longer. Also don't ever check internal temp on ribs.
Dave

[Al Czervik]

So I'm throwing three racks of baby backs on the Traeger 075 today... I understand that for BB's the ratio is probably more like 2-2-1. I'm looking for advice on the temperature to use. I'm able to go anywhere from "smoke", 180, 225, 250, 275 etc...

I've invited a few people over today who along with the wife like them fall off the bone tender and juicy. Please help a brutha from another mutha out.

Thanks, Al

[The_Kapn]

3-2-1 is only a guideline and needs a temp in the area of 225-235 or so.
Cook hotter and it will take a lot less.

I cook Baby (Loin) Backs at 260-270ish for about 1.5-1.75 hours, foil them for .75-1.0 hours, then sauce and put back in the smoker just long enough to set the sauce--maybe 15 minutes or so.

You will need to experiment with them so see just how they cook up on your cooker to get the results you want.

Good Luck.
Keep us posted--OK?

TIM