Mista's rib experiment

[Bigmista]

I just posted the details of my cook yesterday on my blog. I would really like everybody's opinion on the technique and pics.

Please take a look here and let me know what you think:
http://www.thesurvivalgourmet.com/archives/54

 

[Bigmista]

Anybody?

 

[thillin]

Looks good. They both made me hungry. Now we know your secret to your rub.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[RichardF]

I think that foiling takes a large part of the cooks control out of the equation. A lot of people find it helpful, but many a great rib (or brisket or butt for that matter) has been made with no foil in sight. Both of your racks looked great, but I think the unsauced looked better. It's hard to tell if the sauced ribs were a little more chared then the other rack when they first came out of the foil, before your experiment started.

 

[racer_81]

To my eyes, the ribs with sauce look more appealing.

I do tend to prefer meat a little more on the "done" side though.

 

[qman]

From a visual standpoint, I agree, the ribs with sauce LOOK better. Now, in my house, my wife would probably prefer the sauced ones from a taste point, and I would prefer the un-sauced. Mista, both look outstanding:grin: vand I would be happy to have some of either slab on my plate.

 

[MilitantSquatter]

Hey Mista,

Technique looked fine to me. I like your secret of the toasted cumin and peppers.

Honestly, I initially had a hard time telling from the pic which was sauced and which was not if I did not see the header description. I actually looked at the pic of the ribs in the foil and thought those were sauced as they seemed a little "wet"..

From a visual standpoint, I liked the finished look of the ribs with sauce a little better. Although they did not appear to be sauced heavily, it seemed to have a nicer shine and outer layer. I am sure they taste mighty fine with your cookin, but they appeared slighly overcharred.. the sauce helps cover that a little.

If I were judging and they were in a turn in box, I'd probably give the unsauced ribs a 6 or 7 and the sauced ribs a 7.

 

[stan]

Mista,

Nice job. Just got done having some Meyers Garlic sausage for dinner (from Elgin, TX). I was full but I could find room for a few of those ribs!

I like the flow of everything on your blog. I look at it a couple times a month. I think it will be a very good addition.

 

[Bigdog]

Sauced ones looked better IMHO.

 

[Ron_L]

Mista... The ribs both look great! I'm confused about one thing, however... In the text on your blog you say "With the other rack, I cook them in the foilfor 1 hour. Then I took them out of the foil, brushed them with my BBQ sauce and put them on the hot side of the smoker for 30 minutes to carmelize", but the picures of the ribs sitting on the foil says that they are the unsauced ribs, and the picture of the ribs without any foils say that they are the sauced ribs. Or am I letting the foil in the pictures confuse me?

For me, I don't foil my ribs. I like the texture of the meat better without foil. I do sauce them, but only lightly. My wife and daughter add extra sauce as they eat them.

 

[Bigmista]

I'll keep practicing. I think I have some good tasting ribs. Obviously I still need to work on presentation. I'm open to suggestions...

 

[Bigmista]

Ron L,

The ones in the foil are unsauced. The ones on the cutting board cooked in the foil for 1 hour and then they were sauced and cooked unfoiled for 30 minutes.

 

[rookiedad]

hi Mista, those look like some fine ribs! i, like the others would be happy to eat some of those right now. too bad a tiny piece of land called a continent seperates us! i am also planning on my first competition (grillkings) and right now our ribs look pretty similar, so i figured i would let you know what i was working on myself. from an appearance perspective only, i am working for uniformity. i want every rib to look the same. height width depth with the same amount of bone showing from each one. also, i want it to have the same reddish mohagony color right across the whole thing with no char but a nice shine so i been backing off on the temps a little, foiling a little earlier using a reduced version of a sauce and glazing with either a thinned apricot jelly(like they use for bakery tarts) or an infused oil. all still in the experimental stages. also i study photos of turn in boxes, particulary to my taste were those of lost nation bbq team. hope all this is helpful, also i liked the toasting!
phil

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Neil,

How was doneness between the two? I see the sauced ones pulled back from the bones a bit more than the dry ones. Were they easier or harder to pull off the bone with your teeth?

And let me get this right: The rub-only ribs were cooked 3-1 1/2, and the sauced were 3-1-1/2?

I tell you what - they both look GREAT from my chair. My HUNGRY chair... LOL


Arlin

 

[Bigmista]

and glazing with either a thinned apricot jelly(like they use for bakery tarts) or an infused oil. all still in the experimental stages. also i study photos of turn in boxes, particulary to my taste were those of lost nation bbq team. hope all this is helpful, also i liked the toasting!
phil

Does they jelly take away from the flavor of the rub?

 

[Bigmista]

Neil,

How was doneness between the two? I see the sauced ones pulled back from the bones a bit more than the dry ones. Were they easier or harder to pull off the bone with your teeth?

And let me get this right: The rub-only ribs were cooked 3-1 1/2, and the sauced were 3-1-1/2?

I tell you what - they both look GREAT from my chair. My HUNGRY chair... LOL


Arlin

Both racks cooked the same amount of time. 3 - 1 1/2. The sauced just had the last half hour out of the foil.

Surprisingly, the foil rack was more tender and came off of the bone easier than the sauced ones, even though the sauced ones pulled back more.

 

[Neil]

It all looks good to me.

 

[Bigmista]

Thanks Neil!

 

[Ron_L]

Ron L,

The ones in the foil are unsauced. The ones on the cutting board cooked in the foil for 1 hour and then they were sauced and cooked unfoiled for 30 minutes.

Gotcha! To quote a long-lost member... I'd hit that! (either rack... they both look good) :-D

 

[YankeeBBQ]

They look pretty good, maybe a tad on the charred side. That could be caused by one of your rub components not sure or maybe it's just my monitor. You might consider using a finishing glaze on the ribs. 1 Part honey or Maple syrup to 2 parts sauce. It gives the ribs a nice sheen that the judges seem to like. I use foil when cooking competition ribs. It's pretty much the 321 method but those aren't the times. It's more like Part one-Cook to desired color and some pullback from the bones..Part 2 Cook in foil to the ribs are the desired tenderness, I use a toothpick to determine this... Part 3- Apply sauce and finishing glaze over High heat to get some carmelization and that nice shiny red color. There could be a fair amount of time between parts 2 and 3 depending on how the ribs cook that day. I don't hesitate to pull my ribs off the cooker If I think they're done and let them rest. During part 3 they'll get plenty of heat on them.

You might also consider putting some liquid in the foil and some other seasonings. It's a great time to introduce another layer of flavor. Also at the end of the cook taste your ribs and you may decide they need salt or a rub with a salty sweet component. It can really kick up the flavor.

Steve