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“Fall off the bone” should be banned from the English language

mjpmap

mjpmap

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Mar 31, 2015
Location
Wakefield, Va
Name or Nickame
Mike
So, I’m going to start this thread knowing that it will provoke a bunch of different opinions. I’m an eclectic cook & I believe that anything on the face of the earth can be cooked over live coals, no matter the source. I just get really irritated when I hear somebody describe ribs as “fall off the bone”. My belief is that if you can pick up a rib bone and have the meat surrender to gravity, you just grabbed yourself some oatmeal with barbecue sauce. I’m particular about having the first bite of a rib leave a perfect half moon behind, but be tender enough to be quickly chewed so you can get the next bite. So that’s just me, what say you all!
 
I ordered some ribs from my go-to bbq joint 2 days ago. I've never had any complaints and I'm not discouraged but these ribs fell apart trying to pick them up. The flavor was awesome as usual but they were overcooked for my preference. I still ate them for sure but would like a bit more tug on the bones. I also understand that the particular place I dine at is kinda small yet very busy so I'm sure they wrap the ribs for quick cooking to keep up with demand. Nonetheless, I just prefer to be able to pick up a slab of ribs without them falling apart.
 
I like a touch of pull when on the bone, but I like it to fall off the bone if I'm going to make rib meat sandwiches.
 
Clean bite for me.

Fall-off-the-bone is considered "over cooked" in my book. I'll still eat them (and my guests prefer them).

As long as they're not chewy with too much tug everyone is happy. Cook on brother!
 
I love this topic thanks for posting. I’m an advanced beginner at the Smoke game. What I’ve found is juxtapositions-irony and made up on the fly. MSU if you will. If I’m cooking for my 88 year old mother it’s going to be savory sweet fall off the bone no sauce. If cooking for my Bride it’s going to be sweet not to spicy BabyBack and gooey sticky mildly spicy and a hint of Jack Daniel’s Apple on spares.
If I’m cooking for me-alone it will be a good Salt (Naturiffic Line) and coarser black pepper tender but not fall off the bone. My son learned ribs on Tony Romas BabyBack and still likes that to this day.
I cook to whom ever I’m cooking for. You gotta know the people the places what they like and how to cook for them. Basically forget yourself when you’re cooking for anymore than just yourself. I’ve got a brother that wants tequila shrimp one second above raw. Another brother wants it like chewing gum. It’s not hard to make them both happy. If fall off the bone makes someone happy, put on the damn bib-that meat is sliding
 
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Well.... It's very satisfying when people compliment me on my cookin' given the fact that we have been trained be polite and always compliment the cook. My friends all know I shoot from the hip, and I like it when they return comments in the same regards.

I don't care for F-O-T-B ribs myself, but I take pride in the fact I can make whatever guests want... and do it well. And to be honest, many people like that style of rib. So, it's the satisfaction on someones face when they have my F-O-T-B rib, verses some restaurant variant, that makes the evening enjoyable.
 
sudsandswine said:
Meh, I like fall off the bone ribs, especially baby backs. Sauce em up too, please :becky:

I have the skill to cook them either way. Shrugs
Click to expand...

Lol. Love this reply :becky:.

Either way is great. Crazy "fall off the bone" where they are mush might be a little much, but KCBS has certainly hammered a holier than thou over the years :biggrin1:.

My guests get my rib tenderness based on how many white claws have affected my concentration :twitch:
 
mjpmap said:
So, I’m going to start this thread knowing that it will provoke a bunch of different opinions. I’m an eclectic cook & I believe that anything on the face of the earth can be cooked over live coals, no matter the source. I just get really irritated when I hear somebody describe ribs as “fall off the bone”. My belief is that if you can pick up a rib bone and have the meat surrender to gravity, you just grabbed yourself some oatmeal with barbecue sauce. I’m particular about having the first bite of a rib leave a perfect half moon behind, but be tender enough to be quickly chewed so you can get the next bite. So that’s just me, what say you all!
Click to expand...

Can’t agree with you more Mike, but unfortunately for me “The War Dept.” likes them fall of the bone. So every so often I make them with a little bite to them. Then with a mouth full of rib I mumble something about I should have let them cook a bit longer. What the hell, it works!
 
It's like steaks - if you want your steak cooked above medium rare then cook it yourself because - well, because! If you want your ribs mushy and floppy, then there's a special sheet of foil for you to wrap them in! To each his own, but not on my grill!
 
I used to cook only tug off the bone ribs, sauce on the side. Over the years I've figured out most people don't like them that way. So grudgingly, I've started saucing them and cooking longer to get close to fall off the bone. I now cook for my guests preferences, but I also make a rack or two for myself and others that like properly cooked ribs.

Although I did almost kick someone out from one of my BBQs when they asked if I boiled the ribs to make them so tender. To this day if anyone that asks if the ribs are boiled, my daughter responds with: No! These are ribs, they are not lobsters and we were not making rib soup.

Although there is a very good discussion that has been going on for quite a few years. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127711
 
Also, I will add that I'd take a "proper" fall of the bone rib over an undercooked and tough one every day and twice on Sunday. When I cook ribs for guests I shoot for what would score well in KCBS for tenderness, I like eating those just fine and so do my guests.

But when I'm all alone, and nobody is watching, and I have a hankering for some shiner baby backs...sauce and fall off the bone is what I do (as Jason TQ said, not overcooked mush or shoe leather)
 
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A little advice for those who like one way and the wife the other. Cook 2 racks or cut the 1 rack in half when done to your liking and wrap the other half in foil and cook until it's done to her liking. No need for anyone to suffer...

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
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