Advice on ribs


 
J

John G. G.

New member
I'm hoping to try my first ribs on my new smoker this weekend (if UPS gets here in Friday). I have a few questions you guys could help with.

-Is there an advantage to cooking them in foil?
Are foiled ribs cooked at the same temp? I might try wrapping some and not the others on the same cook.
-I've heard of rubbing mustard in them before adding the rub, does anyone do this?
-If I'm cooking wet ribs does it matter what kind of rub I use?

I'm sure I could come up with more but I'll learn as I go.
 
- IMO, foil is great if you like fall-off-the-bone ribs. It's really a matter of taste. I rarely use foil. It's more work to foil.

- Yes, cook at same temp. I prefer 250º~275º for ribs.

- Yes, try some wrapped and unwrapped. Again, using foil is more work.

- Yes, I use mustard with ribs but especially with butts and then rub. For butts, over such a long cook, the mustard seems to make an incredible bark. Over the shorter cook of the ribs, not so much. For ribs, it's just a matter of what I feel like doing, though mostly, it is probably without mustard.

- Wet or dry, always use a rub that you like. It's all about building a flavor profile.
 
If I have the time I don't foil, just spray with apple cider about 1-2x per hour.
You will get more "fall off the bone" when foiling but I don't like them cooked that much.
 
I do mine for 2½ hrs not foiled, then I foil them for 40 mins, then I finish them unfoiled. Also spray with apple cider like someone else mentioned. They aren't "fall off the bone", but definitely much more tender than not foiling at all.
 
I do not foil, I do not use mustard. I have not experienced problems with getting the rub to stay on. I cook them at 250 degrees and get good bark and smoke penetration. If you cook your ribs to "fall off the bone" its overdone. If you watch BBQ Pitmasters they comment on the ribs having to be tender, not fall of the bone, they say you should able to bite through it and see your teeth marks. That's how they gauge whether you over, under or cooked it just right. Here is a picture of ribs I cooked this past weekend. Hopefully this helps you you out. Just my .02 cents. Oh, I know nothing about wet ribs.
 
I've done both and have settled in with no foil, no spritzing, no mopping no peaking. I throw the ribs on, set smoker to abut 235 and check them again in 6 hours. Perfect every time.

1 - Only advantage I've experience in using foil is to obtain fall off the bone ribs, which I do not like, I like the meat to come off using a gentle tug.

2 - When I foiled I cooked at the same temp. Good idea, do both and see what you think.

3 - Can't speak to rubbing mustard as I've never used it, I do like it on hot dogs though.

4 - I use the same rub for wet as I do dry. I will usually leave one rack dry for myself and sauce the rest.

On your dry ribs, when done try dredging them in equal parts water and vinegar and dusting with rub, it's my favorite way to eat non-sauced ribs.
 
Hi John welcome to the forum.
The only advantage foil has it speeds up the cook. You can get tender ribs cooking low & slow without having to foil.
All the mustard does is holds the rub better on the ribs, you will never taste the mustard once the ribs are done.
Imho rubs dont do much unless u just pour it on which is way to much, just some good salt & pepper with a touch of cumin is all u need.
No such thing as cooking wet ribs, wet ribs are just sauced ribs in the last 30 mins of cooking.
 
I have never foiled, but have always used mustard.

vinegar, via the mustard, is supposed to help break down the fatty tissues.. that's why most pork butt, whole hogs, etc are slathered with them before cooking.

the best suggestion.. find a recipe or two and try both. you will eventually find a method all your own that you like.

for good reading away from the PC, liek when you are watching the smoke rise off the smoker, is Steve Raiclen's BBQ USA. not only are there recipes, but nice bits of history. He does a good explaination of memphis dry rub and other geographical versions of ribs.

Find a few techniques and make it unique! Hey.. did i just make that up? I'm making that my signature!
 
No, unless the cook is clueless, no one using mustard should be doing it to 'break down the fatty tissues'. There's not enough contact for that. If the mustard is on for a significant period of time, it can denature the proteins of the lean meat on the very surface of the meat, but that's about it. To me, it's a waste of mustard.

I foil when I want to add another flavor layer (I add reduced juice(s) to the foil; it's easy to do), not to speed cooking - my ribs are already cooked fast at 325-350. Foiling only leads to fall-off-the-bone-ribs, something I dislike, if you overdo the time in the foil - easily avoided.

Me, I like a flavorful rub. Ribs simply salted-and-peppered or lightly seasoned I won't buy let alone eat. Your choice.

If you mean by 'wet ribs' that you wish to sauce while cooking the rub can make a difference. This largely depends on what sauce you are using (how flavorful it is on its own) and how thickly you apply it. Though I do not care for ribs sauced during cooking, many like this style. Sauces are not applied till toward they end of cooking. Cooks usually use a rub that is complementary to the meat and the sauce - wide latitude in this regard though.

As you can see from this thread, there are numerous ways to cook ribs. Pick a method - or two - and go for it. Change approaches over the first several rib cooks you do and you will discover the method you like best.
 
Great advice above. The only thing I would add is if you are going to add sauce during or after please please please please don't use a sauce with liquid smoke added. I'm a sauceless kind of guy myself.
 
No luck needed, you've got a WSM and this forum, you're golden.

If you like "dry" ribs and you're looking for a rub I highly recommend this one by Kevin K. Flavor is out of this world (a little better than salt, pepper and cumin
icon_wink.gif
) RIB RUB
 
I've seen different methods of cooking so I have a couple more questions. Yeah, I know I’m over thinking this.

What is the advantage of cooking at 325-350 vs 200-250?

How far ahead of tossing them in the smoker should I apply the rub?

Do I let them sit out for a while or keep refrigerated.

Finally what difference does a vinegar based mop do vs the apple juice or apple cider.

Thanks, I'm loving this place lots of good info so far.
 
I cook higher so that the cook time will be shorter. Commercial pork isn't all that fatty, imo - not like heritage breed pork, which I cook lower. I don't see any advantage in cooking ribs slower, as far as results go, so I don't.

That said, the 'done window' - the period of time when ribs reach done, i.e., tender and juicy - is much narrower when cooking at high heat. Until you are familiar with your cooker and with how ribs feel and look when done to your liking, I would recommend lower temps, say ~250-260, give or take 15?.

Any water-based mop will slow cooking. I don't find that necessary unless a circumstance occurs where meat surface temps get too high. Vinegar- or juice-based mops can add a little flavor if applied often enough. Vinegar, being quite acidic, can denature proteins at the surface of the meat, but for this to happen they need to be on there long enough. (This can make surfaces a bit mushy though.) To me, I'd rather not wash off the rub, one, and two, don't want to bother going through the mopping or spraying rigmarole, but you should try it at some point and see what you think.

Me, I rub right before the ribs go in the cooker. I put them in cold so as to foster smokering development. (The smokering - the red color at and under the surface of the meat - is a chemical reaction. It's not necessary in terms of flavor, texture, or anything 'important', but I like the way it looks.)
 
and don't forget to pull the membrane off the back of the ribs. just grab a corner of it with a very dry paper towel. if it tears, keep grabbing with another dry towel.

again, if it's your first smoke, don't go crazy with the rubs and all that. keep it basic. once the mechanics are down (one or two smokes) then get fancy.
 
Thanks guys I think you've covered just about all my questions except one.
Being this is the first time I will fire up the wsm. Should I use the standard method or minion? I understand the grill tends to run hot when it's new?
 
I've only used minion in my wsm and it's pretty much set it and forget it.
Depending on what temps you want is whether I'd use water in the pan or not.
I usually do half a pan of water on ribs but butts and roasts no water in pan since i do them at higher heat..
I've yet to find a terra cotta pot lid but I haven't looked very hard either.
 
These have to be good now. My 6 yr old in his exuberance over getting the "new grill" invited the in-laws over for Ribs on Sat. I tried to stop him but the damage was done. I couldn't uninvite them.
 
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