"To wrap or not to wrap. That is the question."

We constantly get the question: Should I wrap my ribs sometime during the cooking process or just leave them on the grill? This is a simple question that can have many opinions. Speaking as a professional BBQ'r, yes wrap them to maximize tenderness, texture and appearance. Speaking as a backyard BBQ'r , if you want to wrap'em, fine and if you don't want to that's fine to! Wrapping the ribs in the later stages of the cooking process does (3) things. 1st, competition ribs need to be tender, but not fall off the bone tender. The meat should pull clean from the bone and pull with little effort. 2nd, competition ribs should have enough texture to allow the meat to be handled by the judge with a little firmness, but have no chewy or stringy characteristics. 3rd, appearance should be golden to reddish with a good shine to them. By wrapping the ribs in the final stages you will protect them from getting that dark "shoe sole" color. Add a little juice of your choice or some form of liquid to the wrapped rib and allow to steam in a cooler. Always return the ribs to the grill out of the foil for a few minuets to "firm up" and apply that last coat of shine!