Rib question

[Austin]

can someone please tell me when cooking ribs,,do I cook with the membrain side up or down,,ive seen it cooked both ways??any help would be appricated

[chad]

I prefer bone side (I remove the membrane) down - it protects the rub! :D Either way will work.

[The_Kapn]

I prefer bone side (I remove the membrane) down - it protects the rub! :D Either way will work.
I prefer bone side up so they do not burn through to the bone as easily.
So there Chad :wink:

Now, when we cook together, it be "bone side down" for sure.
Chad is in charge.

Actually, pros and cons and I am sure you will hear them all.

Personal perference item.
Lay a few in each way in same cooking conditions and see which ya you prefer.
You are not gonna screw up the meat either way :lol:

TIM

[chad]

I prefer bone side up so they do not burn through to the bone as easily.


That's called a "shiner" by the way. See what $500 will get you? :D

[Bigdog]

I do mine 1/2 up and 1/2 down. How is that for compromise?

[Ron_L]

I do mine 1/2 up and 1/2 down. How is that for compromise?

Balanced on once end?

[Arlin_MacRae]

Hey, when you boil 'em, what does it matter??

:lol:

[Bigmista]

Ya mean you don't flip 'em when you spray 'em? I do.

[Jeff_in_KC]

I cook mine in a rib rack vertically. No worries or flipping!

[kcquer]

Membrane side down while unwrapped for the same reason brisket should be cooked fat side down, to protect the meat. While wrapped, I turn mine meat side down and use the "dish" of the bones to hold mop/spray. When unwrapped again, back to meat side up (makes the glaze easier to apply :wink: )

[Bigmista]

Glaze? Mista's ribs don't need no glaze!!!

[Jeff_in_KC]

Same here, mista! I've never glazed mine at all. In fact, I used to like wet ribs until I tried mine. :D

[Jorge]

Depends on the rack. Usually bone side down if I don't have enough to require a rack to place them vertically. If I have a HEALTHY rack I'll flip them and leave them for a while (especially at the end for texture). And if we are talking baby backs and I'm serving them wet I'll put them on a grate in the firebox or on the grill to baste them with that evil sauce.

I know my Texas brothers! I know I have sinned.....I will repent and drink another Shiner right now!

[Wayne]

Years ago a pit master from Frankie's in Joplin, Mo told me how they fixed ribs. He said that they leave the membrane on while the ribs cook. They rub the ribs and put them on the pit membrane down and never turn them over. That way the membrane will seal the ribs and hold all the juice in the meat rather than dripping to the bottom of the smoker. They mopped with vinegar or pickle juice when the had it. When the ribs were done they let them sit and rest for a while to gel the juice. Then you can remove the crispy cooked membrane easily with a pair of pliers, and slice the ribs two by two. To my ribs I add a thick slather of either mustard or Middle Eastern cayenne pepper paste. This method has always served me well. I also use Emeril's method that removes the membrane and stacks the ribs three at a time curve down. He never turns them over but he does rotate the ribs from top to bottom while cooking. That is just the opposite of Frankie's method but it saves space in the smoker for more meat. Both methods work great and produce good ribs. Sometimes I foil and sometimes I don't. If I do not foil then I try to use a good mop (one part hot sauce, one part vinegar, and one part white wine or beer). It really does not matter what process you use as long as you get a good product. Besides it is fun to try a lot of variations till you find "your" way to scrumptious ribs.

[icemn62]

Bone down gets another vote from me. Don't think I makes a big difference. Now I do them with rib rack and don't worry about it.

[kcquer]

Same here, mista! I've never glazed mine at all. In fact, I used to like wet ribs until I tried mine.

Nice thought for home consumption, however since your working on contest technique you'd better start thinking about cooking for judges and not for yourself. Glaze isn't necessarily an application of sauce but a finish to the ribs to add sheen for presentation. Lack of a glaze will definitely be reflected in appearance scores and probably in taste as well.

[parrothead]

Glaze isn't necessarily an application of sauce but a finish to the ribs to add sheen for presentation.

Not to be picky here, but the points are awarded for appearance, not presentation. Completely different thing. Judges are instructed to judge the appearance of the meat only and to ignore the garnish.
Does it look like it tastes good?

[Arlin_MacRae]

Not to be picky here, but the points are awarded for appearance, not presentation. Completely different thing. Judges are instructed to judge the appearance of the meat only and to ignore the garnish.
Does it look like it tastes good?

Since I've never competed, Greg, I wonder how that change is working? Are the judges actually FOLLOWING that rule?

[kcquer]

Glaze isn't necessarily an application of sauce but a finish to the ribs to add sheen for presentation.

Not to be picky here, but the points are awarded for appearance, not presentation. Completely different thing. Judges are instructed to judge the appearance of the meat only and to ignore the garnish.
Does it look like it tastes good?

My wording may be poor, but we're talking about exactly the same thing. A dry surfaced, leathery looking rib is gonna get you 5s and 6s, you need a glaze (either sauce, mop or spray) to get the shiny, appetizing appearance that will score 8s and 9s.

[BrooklynQ]

Not to be picky here, but the points are awarded for appearance, not presentation. Completely different thing. Judges are instructed to judge the appearance of the meat only and to ignore the garnish.
Does it look like it tastes good?

Since I've never competed, Greg, I wonder how that change is working? Are the judges actually FOLLOWING that rule?

I don't know how many follow that rule, but the whole point of garnish is to enhance the appearence of the meat.


From the dictionary ...
Garnish:
To decorate with ornamental appendages; to set off; to adorn; to embellish.
To ornament, as a dish, with something laid about it; as, a dish garnished with parsley.

So with that in mind, when I garnish, I look at the meat and pick the lettuce, parsley etc that looks best with it. If the meat is copper or darker in appearence, then I go with the lighter colored garnish. If the meat's textured, then go with smooth garnish. I like playing off the opposites.

But back to the question, are the judges actually judging the appearance of the meat or the presentation of the final package?

In my limited experience, the judges look at that package for about 15-20 seconds usually from across a table. The way it is currently judged in KCBS, it's a presentation score. If they wanted an appearance only score, I think they should take the meat out of the container and lay it out on the score sheets, pick it up, really look at it and then judge the appearance.

[BigAl]

The last spare ribs I did was non-skinned side down, so maybe it was just that batch of ribs, but never again for me. I'll be back to skinning them. I was full by the time they were done and when I got cold ones out of the frig to eat next day, each rib had a bunch of white stuff, cold fat I guess between the bones, looked nasty and not the "normal" taste I get when skinned.

[Solidkick]

Same here, mista! I've never glazed mine at all. In fact, I used to like wet ribs until I tried mine.

Nice thought for home consumption, however since your working on contest technique you'd better start thinking about cooking for judges and not for yourself. Glaze isn't necessarily an application of sauce but a finish to the ribs to add sheen for presentation. Lack of a glaze will definitely be reflected in appearance scores and probably in taste as well.

First rule........you taste with your eyes.......if it looks good, you already have your tongue and taste buds set up for that errotic explosion of flavor.......

Sounds sexual? If you've done you're ribs, or any turn in properly, it is........

I have no doubt that most every cook here on the board can make an eatable rib.......whether it be dry, glazed, mopped, sauced or even boiled.
At BoCo, our ribs were outstanding.....and we finished 18th....so 17 other teams had a better day than we did.......KC had our ribs, SmokinCracker had our ribs........and I think either would say that they were top 5 ribs that day.....

My point is this.......develop you're "Wow" factor to put you over the top, because you're going to be up against some very good entries anywhere you cook. But each judge, whether they will admit it or not, has a pre-conceived concept of what they think will taste good.
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Now back to the original topic..........I remove the membrane, cook bone side down for 3 hours, then an hour in foil bone side up, then finish bone side down.

[parrothead]

A dry surfaced, leathery looking rib is gonna get you 5s and 6s, you need a glaze (either sauce, mop or spray) to get the shiny, appetizing appearance that will score 8s and 9s.

Very, very true! Glaze or sauce of some sort is a must at competition.

[MoKanMeathead]

A dry surfaced, leathery looking rib is gonna get you 5s and 6s, you need a glaze (either sauce, mop or spray) to get the shiny, appetizing appearance that will score 8s and 9s.

[quote]
Very, very true! Glaze or sauce of some sort is a must at competition


One way to get a shine on the finished product is to lightly spray the meat with pam after it is in the box and right before you close the lid. The pam will "melt" when it hits the hot meat and shine like mad...and won't impart much, if any, flavor. Try it in practice some time.