1st try Spares in foil


 
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Bruce Bissonnette

Bruce Bissonnette

TVWBB Guru
Put two racks of spares on the WSM at 12:30pm EST, this will be the first time I have ever tried foiling my ribs. Will use the 3-2-1 method. Rubbed with Sweet Cherry Meat Rub from Great American Spice Co. and will spray with Cherry/Apple Juice at the halves. Adding more rub after spraying. Let ya know how they turn out.
 
Well, I almost held true to the 3-2-1 formula. I left them 3 hours on the grate, 2hours in the foil, but only1/2 hour back on grate after saucing. They turne dout extremely tender. You could pull the bone right out of the rack. Very sweet flavor. A little sweet and a little overdone for my taste, just perfect for my wife and daughter. Average temp at lid throughout cook was 244, average temp on top cooking grate throughout cook 233. Any questions, let me know. They were really good, only 4 bones left over. /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
Thanks for the update Bruce.. I'm actually trying to figure out what to do for Father's Day, because although I prefer my ribs with a bit more bite, the wife prefers hers falling off the bone, as does most of the rest of the family.

I'm thinking of doing some baby backs in foil, and some spares without. Or maybe I'll try 'em all in foil. Just out of curiousity - was the meat any 'mushier' because of the foil, or was it just easier to release from the bone? Was there any bark on the ribs?
 
NycBBQ,

I didn't find the meat mushy at all and I did detect, not so much a bark, as a little crust on the ribs toward the ends of the slab.
 
Thanks for the insight Bruce!

All in all would you say that you are you a convert to the foiling after your experience?

Were the ribs better or the same with the foiling, and was it noticeably less trouble?

Thanks for any follow up!
 
Hey Pat,

I guess I'm kinda a convert to foil. I just have to adjust some times so I can get them to where they come off the bone clean when you take that first bite, I don't like it when you go to pick up a bone and the only thing that you get is the bone in your hand and the meat is still on the plate. My wife might like it that way...but she's not cooking. Secondly, I think it was a little more trouble to use the foil, but it was my first time and I'll get better at it.
 
I've gotta agree with Bruce on this. I have used foil my last 3 cooks with spares and really like the results. My most recent foil cook was with 90 pounds of ribs, and they came out awesome (if I do say so myself /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif )

Here's a pic of them prepped: CLICK And here's a pic of them just about to come off the grill CLICK
 
Hi Bruce,

I also use foil for most of the stuff I que. For ribs I have found that any more than an hour in foil makes them way to tender. That of course depends on how much meat is left on the top of the bones. Unfortunately up here in the north country most of the ribs we get are pretty well scalped.
What I've found to work well for me is 4 hours on the grate, 1 hour in foil with a bit of apple juice poured in, and an hour on the grate with sauce. You still get a slight resistance when you take a bite but it comes clean of the bone.

All the best,
Dave
 
I would agree with Dave. My preference is to foil for no more than a 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours. I usually do 4/1.5/0.5. That's just personal preference, though. I also add a little pineapple juice to the foiled ribs, but not too much because I have found that they will turn out too mushy if I add too much juice.
 
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