What temperature do people cook their pork ribs to?


 

BillSmith

TVWBB Pro
I cooked St Louis pork loin ribs last weekend. Had a probe on the grate and another probe in between the ribs. I cooked until the ribs measured 191. Used another instant read thermometer to confirm that the rib temperature was accurate.

It came out great but it fell off the bone. The cook was 8 hours at 225. On Meathead's website, he recommended between 190 & 203. So if you want to have a slight pull off the bone, what temp do you cook your ribs to?
 
i Do not use a thermometer. If a toothpick goes in easily, then I take them off. 8 hours seems like too long. I usually smoke mine for 5 hours at 250.
 
I do use a thermometer to gauge the progress but I don't use their temp as the determining factor on when to pull them. I make that determination based on the amount by which they pull-back from the bone and how they feel to me. The cooking temp, I think, can affect whether or not the bend test will work. But I usually find that my baby back ribs probe in the 190*s f when I consider them done. However; I am no expert. I prefer a bit of a bite to my ribs. I could be sadly mistaken, but if they cooked for 8 hours--even at 225--I'd consider checking your thermometer. But I cook mine at a higher temp, so my advice may be invalid.
 
I would run the cooker at 275°F, cook those spareribs a little faster and to 195°F. Eight hours was too long, even at 191°F internal temp.
 
The faster you cook, the higher final temp you need
The slower, the lower.

Like others, i usually do about 275. I need this i find to get the bark forming. I dont wrap until its adhered. Takes 2.5-3 hours.


With a total time of about 4 hrs, i shoot for 200. But the toothpick test is the decider. Should go in like soft butter.

You do need to check temp anytime it takes long. Grate probes can read 20 F different in different spots. Theres heat coming up walls, its not uniformly heated. 230 instead of 250, slows things a lot.
 
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I usually cook them unwrapped and shoot for high 190s to 200 or so. If you have a thermoworks type probe you can definitely temp them. 6 1/2 hours is pretty reasonable unwrapped in the 225 range. Nothing wrong with going a little hotter.
 
Good recommendations posted, but the OP says he cooked "St Louis pork loin ribs"
St Louis style ribs are spare ribs, so first it needs to be clarified the type of ribs cooked to give suggestions, in my opinion.
 
Good recommendations posted, but the OP says he cooked "St Louis pork loin ribs"
St Louis style ribs are spare ribs, so first it needs to be clarified the type of ribs cooked to give suggestions, in my opinion.

Wow, I complete skimmed over that. Good catch.
 
Good recommendations posted, but the OP says he cooked "St Louis pork loin ribs"
St Louis style ribs are spare ribs, so first it needs to be clarified the type of ribs cooked to give suggestions, in my opinion.

They were spare ribs but longer and fatter than your typical baby back style. I’ll have to take a picture the next time I get them.

Today, I plan to be cooking beef short ribs.
 
I dont temp either. Baby backs go for 3 hours @250, then I foil wrap w/pineapple juice and return for 2 more hours*. Sauce, and finish on a hot grill to caramelize/char.

*This is for fall off the bone, which I love. Some, and most competitive pit masters, like a little chew/tug off the bone, for that level, decrease the wrap time.
 
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I've had a tendency in the past to undercook spare ribs. When I was using a maverick, the probes were kind of thick. The same with the Igrill. Once I got the Smoke with the thinner tip I found I could get a meaningful temp with my leave in probe. My ribs have gotten so much better. I probably wouldn't need it if I cooked them more often. My wife just didn't like them. Probably because I wasn't cooking them long enough!
 
Uggh, yes. Undercooked ribs are the worse. I used to get them all the time on my gas Weber because I didn%u2019t know that you had to cook them low and slow.

My ThermoPro probes are not as thin as Thermoworks but they do seem thin enough to work. I still double check with the thermopen.

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Uggh, yes. Undercooked ribs are the worse. I used to get them all the time on my gas Weber because I didn’t know that you had to cook them low and slow.

My ThermoPro probes are not as thin as Thermoworks but they do seem thin enough to work. I still double check with the thermopen.
 

 

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