Ummm, what's 'foil'-ing?

[Mick]

I want to try Baby Back or Spare Ribs, and keep running into posts about foiling or not foiling, but can't find any posts about what that means. So what the heck is it? TIA.

---Mick

 

[Dave from Denver]

Wrap your food in Heavy Duty (HD) aluminum foil and put it back on the grill to continue cooking.

This serves a couple purposes:

1. it focuses and distributes the grill's heat and the meat's internal heat back into the meat, causing faster, more even cooking

2. it collects juices, some of which evaporate and steam the meat, causing it to cook more quickly

It's a matter of personal preference. You certainly don't need to foil your ribs to make them pull-off-the-bone good.

If you do foil a piece of meat, you may want to put it back on the cooker unfoiled for a bit (15-30 min) before the end of the cook to firm up the exterior, as the steam action within the foil will soften your bark.

 

[Russell Y]

Foiling ribs are usually associated with the 3-2-1 method. 321 posts in bbq

That would be 3 hours smoke 2 hours foiled and 1 more hour un-foiled.

These times are approximate and will result in fall off the bone ribs. If this is your preference, give it a shot.

I prefer my spares cooked for 6-7 hours until they pass the toothpick test. Toothpick test

 

[Dave Hutson]

PLease keep in mind that 3-2-1 is timing for SPARES! Loin Back (baby back) would be more like 2-1-1 or a little longer like 2.5-1-1

 

[Larry Wolfe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russell Y:
Foiling ribs are usually associated with the 3-2-1 method. 321 posts in bbq

That would be 3 hours smoke 2 hours foiled and 1 more hour un-foiled.

These times are approximate and will result in fall off the bone ribs. If this is your preference, give it a shot.

I prefer my spares cooked for 6-7 hours until they pass the toothpick test. Toothpick test </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is the reason I like to do a 4-1-1 method for spares and a 2.5-.75-.75 for loin backs. This usually gives you a nice tender, bitable pull off the bone when you eat them, vs. falling off the bone.

 

[Dave White]

Mick,
I just tried using foil for the first time last week with some spares. I smoked them for 2 hours and then cooked them in foil for about an 1.5 hours. They fell off of the bone, wich is the way my wife likes them, but they where a little mushy for me. I didn't put them back on with out the foil, that may have helped. I will probably go back to my old way without foiling.

 

[Phil Perrin]

Mick,I prefer NOT foiling my ribs. But,it's totally up to you. There are valid points for foiling and not foiling. The best advice I can give you is to try both and then you and your family and friends can decide. HTH

 

[Jefferey]

Larry, I just did your 4-1-1 last night at 250 degrees and they turned out not only to be the best ribs I had ever done but the best ribs I had ever had at anytime in my life. They sure disappeared quickly!

 

[j biesinger]

the big benefit is that foil evens out the cooking of odd shaped meats.

I don't foil my ribs but I've noticed that the ends of my ribs tend to be overdone and the middles slightly underdone. I'm considering adding a short foil to my rib protocol, but I don't mind a bit a variety in my bones, and for comp I only present middle bones (off well dont racks), so I'm still undecided if I'm going to bother.

I always foil briskets though. foil helps it get tender tip to tip without drying the ends.

some use foil as a means to add a flavor element by adding some liquid. I find this tends to wash out some of the good rib flavor and gives the ribs a "boiled" effect.

 

[KenP]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
I don't foil my ribs but I've noticed that the ends of my ribs tend to be overdone and the middles slightly underdone. I'm considering adding a short foil to my rib protocol, but I don't mind a bit a variety in my bones, and for comp I only present middle bones (off well dont racks), so I'm still undecided if I'm going to bother.

I always foil briskets though. foil helps it get tender tip to tip without drying the ends. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>What about just putting foil under the tips and ends?

I prefer not to foil.