Am I overcooking my ribs?


 
S

Steven A.C

TVWBB Member
So far, i have 4 rib smokes under my belt. My results have been about 50/50. Normally I have been cooking around 5 slabs at a time, but last time I only did 2. I did everything the same in terms of cooking. I had St Louis spares, I had the temp around 225-250, went about 5 hours, didnt peak a whole lot, had water in the pan, but they were much tougher than they normally come out. I still cant seem to get the hang of consistently tender ribs. Any suggestions?
 
actually, I'd be willing to guess you aren't cooking them enough. may want to go hotter, or longer, or mix in some foil to help speed things along.

My first couple attempts at ribs were pretty much disasters because I was chasing the red herring known as LOW and SLOW. I spent all my time and effort trying to get the wsm to do something that it did not want to do, run below 225. it was very frustrating and the product I was producing was, according to my mother-in-law, some of the worst ribs ever (it didnt help that I was trying things out like maple bourbon and peach sauces).

I basically gave up, and if not for a couple of fortunate events I would have never figured ribs out.

1) I was visiting my parents in fla. The place they were renting had a large barrel grill. I threw caution to the wind, bought some baby backs, made a small fire on one side of the grill and smoked some really great ribs. I decided the spares were my problem.

2) back home I started smoking bb with some success because rather than measuring my dome temp, I took out a screw at the top cooking grate and found there was a bit of a difference between that and the dome, enough to make my cooking level below 200* at times when chasing LOW and SLOW. I started cooking the bb's with much more regular success.

3) I discovered this board and found that LOW and SLOW doesn't really do much for meat other than extend you cooking time*. I stopped fighting the wsm, and let it settle in where it wants around 250-270 (without water) and start using my head, cooking by feel rather than be time and temp. additionally, the nice people here gave me the confidence to apply my hard earned skills to spares. Posters like Kevin, let me know that if I applied what a knew about bb to spares I would be much happier with the product.

4) everything came together a our first real attempt a competition (we competed only once before under a different name). I cooked some spares, with a minion start, and tried to milk the ramp up as long as I could. The wsm eventually got up in the 300's, but after about 6 hours, when I could tug a bone and the meat was shredding apart and not just falling off the bone, I knew right away that this was my best cook yet. I was thinking to myself, that last year we didn't get any calls, but if these ribs don't get a call, then I might as well give up because I didn't see how it was possible to cook ribs better than these. At the awards they called 10 places, I was so confident that each time they called a place (like 10th) and it wasn't us, I said to my bro-in-law guess that means were at least 9th, and so on. I had a few doubts when they called 4th, but we ended up third and were majorly excited. We took home a nice trophy at our second time out.

sorry for the long story, but I hope it helps. I really wanted to illustrate how the wsm is a great cooker if you don't fight it, and that (IMO) good bbq comes from sound cooking knowledge and not some mystical ideals or old timer dogma.

*sure there are some benefits but as far as the wsm goes, they're way more benefits to not running LOW and SLOW (IMO)
 
I cook ribs hotter than j --but this is beside the point, imo.

You can certainly cook ribs at 225-250 (225, imo, is unnecessarily long and offers nothing--low and slow can be fine; lower and slower is not better), but the problem is this:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> ... went about 5 hours... </div></BLOCKQUOTE> If they are tough they are undercooked. Ribs, like other meats, have to be cooked till tender, not only till some amount of time has elapsed. Time is relative to the cooktemp (among other things): cooking almost any meat based only on some specific time notion almost never works. You have to cook till 'done' --and that means checking for tender, not watching the clock.
 
I appreciate all of the tips. Im trying my next smoke May 2nd. If it seems like im not cooking them long enough, should I have any worrys about cooking them too long? Im going to try my best to approximate when they will be ready to eat so my friends wont end up starving, but at the same time, if they arent done, then they arent done.
 
Another thing you may want to consider is doing a little experimentation with foil during the cook. It may not be something you do every time but as Kevin has said on another thread, it's a good idea to learn the ins and outs of foiling so you can use it if need be to speed up a cook if your schedule is running tight.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
If they are tough they are undercooked. Ribs, like other meats, have to be cooked till tender, not only till some amount of time has elapsed. Time is relative to the cooktemp (among other things): cooking almost any meat based only on some specific time notion almost never works. You have to cook till 'done' --and that means checking for tender, not watching the clock. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

DOUBLE DITTO..

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ken_K:
Another thing you may want to consider is doing a little experimentation with foil during the cook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Again DOUBLE DITTO!

If you want consistent ribs, I highly recommend foiling. No, it's not necessary, but it works 99% of the time, the 1% it doesn't is usually the cooks error!

I like to cook both spares and loin backs in the 245º-260º dome temp range as follows.

I do spare ribs with a 4-1-1 method, 4hrs in the smoke, 1 hour in foil no liquid (but you can) and then 45min - 1hr back on the grill with raised temp to sauce or glaze and firm back up.

Loin backs are more of a 3-.75-.75 method, 3hrs, in the smoke, 1 hour in foil no liquiliquid (but you can) and then 45min back on the grill with raised temp to sauce or glaze and firm back up.

*Times are guides to doneness not the rule. Times will vary too reach 'done/tender'.

These methods will consistently provide tender (not fall off the bone) ribs.
 
I have been wanting to try foiling for some time, so maybe ill give it a go.I just have some questions:

When you say 45min-1 hour back on the grill, do you mean back in the smoker or on an actual grill?

Next, if im going to be cooking like 5 racks of ribs, i normally roll them to make enough room. How should i approach foiling that many slabs of ribs?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steven A.C:
When you say 45min-1 hour back on the grill, do you mean back in the smoker or on an actual grill? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Smoker or grill actually. I put them back onto the smoker, but some people prefer to finish them on a grill to give a nice crust to the finish.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Next, if im going to be cooking like 5 racks of ribs, i normally roll them to make enough room. How should i approach foiling that many slabs of ribs? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Foil them and then stack them in layers, but 'crosshatch' (#) each layer to provide even heating.
 
When I foil (I don't always) I foil a bit differently than most: I cook longer out of foil at the outset then foil and cook till tender while in the foil, then I remove and place back on the grate for just a few minutes to firm up. (I cook spares at, usually, 275-300, back ribs at 325-350, so I'm dealing with higher heat.) There's more than one way to do it successfully.

Not speaking for Larry, but I assume he means he returns them to the grate he was cooking on. That's what I do.

If I roll at the outset then I unroll to foil and wrap each slab separately (a single thickness of HD foil--careful not to let the bones pierce the foil. Then I simply stack them in a pile.
 
Ok, I think I got a good idea of what to do. I actually just remembered I purchased a rib rack, so Im going to use that initially, foil them and stack them in the cross hatched pattern, and then return them to the rack for firmness. Ill be sure to post either some pictures or video if possible.
 
If using a rack you can foil and return to the rack --or not-- either way works fine.

With a rack, be careful that the ends of the slabs (especially during the unfoiled stages) do not extend too close to the sides of the cooker. Heat traveling up the sides can overcook the portions that do, should this occur.
 
while I got you guys replying so quickly to my posts, Does the amount of water in my pan effect the cooking in anyway? I got the brinkman pan to hold more water, but im not sure if i should be filling it up each time.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Does the amount of water in my pan effect the cooking in anyway? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes. The water is a heat sink that absorbs heat. The more water you have in the pan, the more heat it will absorb. So, you'd have an easier time keeping temps lower with more water. The water itself does not add moisture to the meat nor does adding beer or wine to the water add any flavor IMO.

Paul
 
There is also another way of "foiling" which works good for me. I do the same process as Kevin pretty much but instead of wrapping them in foil I put two or three racks in a cheap aluminum foil pan with a little cider vinager and some sort of citrus juice, cover and put it back on the smoker until done. Then I take them out and put back on the smoker to firm up. It's a little less messy then dealing with sheets of foil. And you can stack three or four pans in the smoker if you take out the top grate. But whatever works for you, that's the bottom line.
 
I hit my first real rib homerun two weekends ago. I hadn't been happy with them up to that cook. My friends all raved about the past ones, but I wasn't happy. I did mine pretty much exactly as Kevin does, going hotter than I had been and being out of the foil longer. I foiled for about an hour, then firmed up for few minutes on the kettle, slathered with Texas Pepper Jelly Pineapple Habanero. No need IMO to do ribs low and slow, doesn't add anything to them except time. For as much fat as spares have, I also don't put any liquid in the foil. I cook mine on a rib rack too, but stack when I foil. I haven't crosshatched, just stacked them up without any difference in done-ness from rack to rack.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Im going to try my best to approximate when they will be ready to eat so my friends wont end up starving, but at the same time, if they arent done, then they arent done. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

give yourself plenty of time. they'll hold in foil, in a warm cooler for a couple of hours. when you're ready to eat, stoke the wsm back up to temp, throw them on unfoiled and brush the lightly with a bit of sauce.

the nice thing about bbq is its better to get it done early, it often improves with resting, so take advantage of it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
the nice thing about bbq is its better to get it done early, it often improves with resting, so take advantage of it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Great piece of advice j!!!!

That's rule number 5 isn't it? Or was it 3? I "dunno", maybe I need more rest!

JimT
 
i cook my pork ribs at around 250 lid and at the 5 hour mark start checking for done. i check for done by being able to lift up one end of the rack and if the bone comes out or slides easily its done. i use time as a measure of when to open the lid the first time and start looking for done. i then check every 45 minutes till it hits that done mark.

take em off the smoker cover em up and let em sit for about an hourish or until i cnat stand it anymore.
 
I am a Paul Kirk low and slow fan myself.... mind you I haven't tried higher temperatures much and until my WMS arrives I have just used an offset BBQ.

I cook @ 220 until the meat is pulling back from the bone a bit. They are tender and juicy as can be when they come off. I like my ribs to be tender with just a little pull off the bone as opposed to falling off which IMO is overdone.
 
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