Spareribs


 
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I tried to cook spareribs yesterday and another failure again. My long tale of woe follows.

I purchased a Costco cryovac twin-pack on Friday. 8.4 lbs total weight. I removed most of the membrane from one slab then rubbed it with only a hint of Wild Willy and put it in fridge to sit overnight. The slabs were about equal size so I am guessing the slab I cooked was a little over 4 lbs. The other slab went to the freezer.

I followed the advice of Jim Minion and Stogie that I was not cooking the ribs long enough so I went 7 hours for this cooking session. They hit the nail on the head! The meat was exceptionally tender. Previous attempts at cooking spareribs resulted in a very tough meat.

However, the meat was extremely greasy and there was a very thin bark that had the consistency of a new leather belt. Ugghh.

Synopsis of cooking
7 hours
Average grate temp was 247* High temp was 266 and low temp was 228. Every hour, sprayed then flipped then sprayed other side with apple juice. Removed from WSM, covered with foil then rested for 30 minutes.

I'm guessing that I need to trim more fat from the slab so it won't be so greasy? How much fat do you all trim from a slab of ribs? I only trimmed off the errant strands of fat the kinda flop around.

What did I do wrong that produced a thin inedible bark?

I think I will boil the other slab for two hours then put it in a crock pot with bbq sauce for 6 hours then cook in the oven at 500* for another hour. j/k.

The word "frustrated" doesn't adequately describe my feelings.

Any suggestions are sincerely appreciated.

Brian
 
Brian, here's how I get my best results:

I try to keep the temp at the lid between 225-240?. This translates to an upper grate temp of 215-225?. I keep the water pan full. I start with the bone side up (membrane removed). After about 3 hours, I baste and flip. After about 1.5 more hours, I baste and flip again. When the ribs are toothpick tender (about 6 or so hours total), I brush with sauce and flip, and leave them on for another 20 minutes or so. Then I let them rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting apart into individual ribs.

It appears to me that your problems may be caused by cooking at too high a temp, and by excessive removing of the lid. It appears that I'm cooking at 25? or so lower than you. If you cook low and slow, you won't get so much of the black crust (although some people like it). Removing the lid disturbs the atmosphere inside the cooker and extends cooking time, and should be kept to a minimum.

I don't do much trimming of fat; most of it renders out anyway. I've never had overly greasy ribs, but each slab is a little different.

My results improved considerably after I started keeping the temp lower and stopped opening the cooker so often. The ribs aren't "falling off the bone", but the meat is tender and pulls cleanly from the bone, which is what I strive for.

Good luck!

Steve
 
Good afternoon Brian:
Steve's advice is totally right-on; what he describes is similar to the methods advocated by Paul Kirk. I went through the same rib trauma you describe except worse, I did it repeatedly with guests over! Each time I tired more or different marinades, rubs, etc. even to the point as you have of just deciding that boiling would surely work. The VBWSM group acted swiftly and purposely to indicate the error of my ways (search this site for boiling ribs). The real key, as Steve indicates, is longer uninterrupted smoking exposure using a slightly lower temperature. Yes, it will take longer to get to your ribs but the end result will be both rewarding to you as a cook and to your palette as a hungry person!
Good luck?.John
 
Thank you John and Steve,

I still have the other slab from the cryovac twin pack. I'll do some head scratching, reread all the posts and adjust. To paraphrase Gunny Highway.."adapt, improvise, overcome..you men are Q'ers".

Brian
 
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