First sparerib try question

It's a good thing no question is too stupid, otherwise I'd be out of here in a flash after this one.
2nd time WSM user, 1st sparerib try.
My question: Is it a good thing if the meat is pretty pinkish near the bone. Racks on for 4 hrs & 45 min, the ribs separated quite easily from each other, and meat came right off the bones. My wife saw pink and got nervous.

Yup, it's just fine. If the meat is coming right off the bones it has long passed the point where it is quite safe to eat. Pink/red comes from smokering formation (a chemical reaction due to the smoke) and a similar reaction can occur due to various rub items.

If the meat wasn't cooked enough you'd have to saw it off the bones.

That's a quick cook time, though--you're doing spares? Meat is tender? At what temps did you cook?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> You'd go longer? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sure wouldn't!

Times should only be guides for planning, for how long something might take. You just learned this valuable lesson--successfully! When the meat is tender it's done, irrespective of time. In the case of ribs, 'done' can be anywhere from the point where a pick or probe inserted between the bones goes in with slight resistance, to the point where a probe inserts wuth no resistance--like it's going into butter, to a point up to several minutes after that. Your favorite point fo 'done' is your preference--er, the prefereence of Ms. Sparerib Expert, I should say. (Did she like them as well?)

I'm taking an educated guess here but, so you have an idea: depending on the rack size and how much trimming you did, I'd say you likely cooked at 285-315.

Hi dave... Congrats on the first spares. Based on the cook time I'm guessing that your temp was hotter than the 225 that we normally shoot for. Not a big deal but you probably want to be able to monitor temps to get better control. Here's an article on this site that talks about the various ways to measure temps...

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/measuretemp.html

I use a remote thermometer from Nutemp (http://www.nu-temp.com/701.htm). One of my WSMs has the BBQ Guru eyelets (http://secure.thebbqguru.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=36&idproduct=136) so for that WSM I stick the Nutemp probe through the eyelet and measure temps at the grate. My other WSM doesn't have the eyelets (I haven't ordered them yet) so I stick the Nutemp probe in the top vent and measure the temps there.

You can also buy a thermometer with a probe at Target, Wal*Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond and a lot of other places. You don't have to go with the wireless like a Nutemp. You can also use a dial thermometer if you'd prefer. Just check whatever thermometer you choose in ice water and boiling water to make sure that is is accurate.

For ribs cooks and such I used to just use a metal Taylor candy therm poised in a vent. When that bit the dust I switched to a pop-in silicone plug therm from BBQ Guru (you'll see the eyelets Ron mentions on the same page). It's a little spendy at$25 but has been reliable and accurate--and is easily popped in or out of a lid vent hole. I use it on my kettle as well. (I'm not a fan of permanently mounted therms.)

I have a Nutemp, like Ron, but prefer the Maverick ET-73 for reasons I have no idea of--I just like it better. I have eyelets installed but only monitor grate temp when I'm doing more temp-sensitive stuff like sausage or bacon. (Of course I use the meat probe as well.) For cooks I'm less fussy about--pork or lamb shoulders, chuck, brisket--I just drop the grate probe into a lid vent hole, as Ron also mentions.

Cook temp is another personal preference too, and you can experiment to see what you prefer. (Many people don't experiment with cook temp but you kind of got the ball rolling for yourself already.) Ribs from my own pigs I do lower (225-240, grate) because they're much fattier than production pork from the store. Those I do higher--265-285, grate, for spares; 325 for babybacks.

Have fun experimenting!