Help with ribs

[Sawdustguy]

:ban::ban::ban:

AUBBQ, You may be heading off in the wrong direction (flavor profile I mean). On most tables, the difference between the top performers and the bottom isn't flavor (averages being averages) so much as it tends to be tenderness. I'd start there. Know the definition of the sanctioning body you're competing, because a few define them a little different from one another.
Then make your ribs, slice them how you do, put them in a styrofoam box (with the same greenery you use in comps), let 'em sit for 30 minutes, open it up and see what you have. Many change over those 30 minutes.

Then, once you've hit tenderness perfectly, is when you should consider flavor IMHO. Also, are you putting too much sauce on the ribs? Does the sauce mask the flavor of the ribs, or does it enhance it?

+ 1 x 10e6 Perfectly cooked ribs win competitions. As long as you are not doing anything whacky flavor profile seems secondary.

 

[Flavor Gangster]

275 all the way! Even 300 sometimes.

 

[AUBBQ]

Thanks for alll the tips guys. I think tenderness is the main issue as well. I'm sure the family will be tired of ribs by the time i get done... I plan on cooking them every weekend until I can get the tenderness down consistently.

 

[boogiesnap]

Thanks for alll the tips guys. I think tenderness is the main issue as well. I'm sure the family will be tired of ribs by the time i get done... I plan on cooking them every weekend until I can get the tenderness down consistently.

thats exactly what i did. took about 2 months.

enjoy the journey!

 

[mobow]

Does anyone do well without foiling. I hate foiling ribs. Have been working on ways to not. So far has not worked well for me. Middle of the pack as far as my competitions go. Have not given up. keith

 

[2Fat]

+ 1 x 10e6 Perfectly cooked ribs win competitions. As long as you are not doing anything whacky flavor profile seems secondary.

biggest lesson in bbq is first cook the meat!

 

[Flavor Gangster]

biggest lesson in bbq is first cook the meat!

Ya, what he said! :becky:

Buzz made some really pretty and tasty ribs at the Jack this year.

 

[SCSmoke]

Does anyone do well without foiling. I hate foiling ribs. Have been working on ways to not. So far has not worked well for me. Middle of the pack as far as my competitions go. Have not given up. keith

Why do you hate foiling?

IMHO it is ALMOST impossible to get the proper level of doneness and moisture retention without wrapping. Saying that, I don't usually foil when I do ribs at home. But at a contest we aren't cooking for ourselves.

 

[Flavor Gangster]

Ribs next Pork is our strongest. Well, we have been top ten most of the season in Ribs. Top 5 about 25% and a 1st. Finaled in our first MBN in ribs too! Had not foiled once.

However, that is my method along with the rest of my process. That does not mean it is the way to go. It is just part of a bigger picture.

 

[boogiesnap]

Why do you hate foiling?

IMHO it is ALMOST impossible to get the proper level of doneness and moisture retention without wrapping. Saying that, I don't usually foil when I do ribs at home. But at a contest we aren't cooking for ourselves.

naw, it can be done IMHO.

however, getting the depth of flavor AND timing AND tenderness without foiling, now that's a different story.

 

[Cue's Your Daddy]

Best ribs we ever scored on was ribs that were not foiled and cooked in a BGE at Hudson Valley Rib Fest couple years back. 3rd place out of 72. I actually didnt think they were that good, but hey i will take the easy judges any day.

 

[SCSmoke]

naw, it can be done IMHO.

however, getting the depth of flavor AND timing AND tenderness without foiling, now that's a different story.

Thats why I put ALMOST in there. I know it can be done and that there are quys that do it. Some the best ribs I have made have been unwrapped at home. But at home there is no clock and no 20-30 minutes from when they come off until when there eaten. Usually its more like 2-3 minutes:wink:

 

[Lake Dogs]

It's rare on any one table to get 2 let alone 3 ribs cooked to perfection where you're able to score one higher on taste than the other. More often than not the tenderness score is also reflected in the taste score. Unless you're just putting something out that tastes skunky or part of the barbecue terrible too's (refer below), you're usually going to get a favorable taste score if that tenderness is on target.

Too's:

too much smoke [can't taste the meat, seems like you're biting into a piece of wood]
too little smoke [might as well have cooked it in a crock pot]
too salty [had some where I thought I was tasting a salt lick]
too peppery/spicy [too much spice here will run folks off]
too much sauce [can't taste the meat at all]
too little sauce [can leave it dry and in some cases a little flavorless]
too fatty [need to render as much fat as possible without making it dry]
too dry [nobody likes cardboard]
too greasy [dripping usually doesnt win]

Barbecue and the terrible too's!!!

 

[MoKanMeathead]

It's rare on any one table to get 2 let alone 3 ribs cooked to perfection where you're able to score one higher on taste than the other. More often than not the tenderness score is also reflected in the taste score. Unless you're just putting something out that tastes skunky or part of the barbecue terrible too's (refer below), you're usually going to get a favorable taste score if that tenderness is on target.

Too's:

too much smoke [can't taste the meat, seems like you're biting into a piece of wood]
too little smoke [might as well have cooked it in a crock pot]
too salty [had some where I thought I was tasting a salt lick]
too peppery/spicy [too much spice here will run folks off]
too much sauce [can't taste the meat at all]
too little sauce [can leave it dry and in some cases a little flavorless]
too fatty [need to render as much fat as possible without making it dry]
too dry [nobody likes cardboard]
too greasy [dripping usually doesnt win]

Barbecue and the terrible too's!!!

Excellent post!! Once you hit the tenderness (and avoid the too's) you are there. You do have to be careful of the sanctioning body, especilly KCBS since they try to dictate the tenderness so much. With others, such as IBCA you might want them a little more tender since the judges have to take the meat off the bone with a plastic knife and fork.

I think it took our team a long time to realize this tenderness part and we ended up "playing" with the flavor too much and our scores were all over the place. We are more consistent now - still not where we want to be but ribs don't usually knock us out.

 

[FlavorSavor]

as far as flavor...just get some blues hog original and TR, mix em and you'll have real spark.

Can you elaborate on this? Do you just mix equal parts of the Orginal and Tennessee Red together? When do you add the sauce, at the end or during the cook?

 

[boogiesnap]

i forget the ratio right now, but it's not 50/50. thats just a jump off point as a suggestion.

i think 2:1 BHO and TR, with 1 more addition...hint; ask Hance. :becky:

i posted on here somewhere exactly what i use for everything, but darned if i can find it.

i've also been messing with BHO and head country.

i sauce at the very very end of the cook. it sets on the meat during its resting/table travel time, not on the cooker.

 

[FlavorSavor]

I've been lurking around here for a while, but I'm a newbie and not sure who Lance is. But is you run into him, tell him I'm looking for him.

What is the general rule on preparing your ribs when it comes to sauces and marinades? I see some folks like to spray/mist their ribs with apple juice, cider vinegar, oil, or a combination of all; some folks add a squirt of fake butter before wrapping; some sauce before wrapping. Would anyone like to explain the theory behind the different methods? I've always assumed the reason people sauce at the end of the cook is for the color/glaze. Or is the real reason to prevent the sauce from penetrating the meat and overpowering the taste?

 

[boogiesnap]

i edited my typo...it's hance not lance, and he aint too far away. :becky:

 

[AZScott]

Everyone does things different ways because with what they know and believe it's the best way. I don't think there are any general rules other than try to turn in a tasty and perfectly tender rib. All cooking techniques and flavoring additions is to try and achieve that goal. Take saucing that you mentioned, some set the sauce, some let it soak in sauce, others sauce at the end, some dip, some glaze, blah blah blah. All those different techniques are trying to achieve the perfect taste and tenderness. The method they use in competition is the one they have experimented with and feel gets them closest to their ideal competition rib.

 

[mobow]

Why do you hate foiling?

IMHO it is ALMOST impossible to get the proper level of doneness and moisture retention without wrapping. Saying that, I don't usually foil when I do ribs at home. But at a contest we aren't cooking for ourselves.

I just think it is a sticky mess to deal with them and for me it is too easy to over shoot doneness. I may have to give it up and go with it but I'm gonna play with it some more this winter before I make my mind up. keith