Decided Not to Foil Ribs !


 
G

Guy Wallace

TVWBB Super Fan
I got to reading a LOT a posts here and the upshot of foiling seem to be to get the ribs done faster ! Some guys add apple juice some foil dry . Well Having nothing but time since Iam retired I did my ribs low and slow last night . avg temp I would say was 230 at the top grill maybe 235 !

Well after 7 hours they were perfect passed the tear test perfect . were not falling off the bone that I hate but perfectly done and as tender as anyone could hope for . 3 loin backs and 3 St louis style racks . Everyone agreed today the texture was perfect .

So IMHO there is NO good reason to foil ribs unless you are just pressed for time . If willing to let them cook low and slow and be patient they will come out perfect .

My point to this post is I have triwed everything known to man to get good ribs and low and slow is the ticket IF your not pressed for time .

Anyone agree ?? Iam new with the WSM but not BBQ and ribs they been a life long trial for me the man in serch of the perfect rib :O) You just can't rushem IMHO !!!

Now another of lifes small problems the wife and I can't agree on rubs or no rubs or sauces :O) Maybe 30 more yrs together it won't matter :O))
 
Guy,I have never foiled my ribs,and always get lots of compliments! Like you,I'm not looking for fall off the bone tender. I like a nice chew to them.
 
The reason I foil is to add a flavor layer; it has nothing to do with time. I don't always foil though - if I'm not wanting the additional flavor points. (I dislike FOTB ribs.) I cook backs and spares at 325-350+, so they don't take that long anyway. I disagree that low and slow is the ticket (I'm rarely pressed for time), but do think that if you have found a way that works well for you, go for it.
 
It's all about audience. My wife and her friends want "fall off the bone"... so I'm not going to try to convince them otherwise. When I cook ribs for myself I typically don't foil but I prefer more "bite" to my meat.

As with everything in this hobby, it's all about what YOU like. Some foil... some don't... some mop, some don't... some sauce, some like dry. Don't let anyone ever try to tell you what your doing is wrong, because there's a line of folks who think he/she is probably just as wrong.
 
I have never foiled per se, but here's what I did with the ribs I cooked on Saturday. I cooked them at 250, and after 3 hours I put them (3 slabs) into an aluminum pan with about a cup of apple juice, covered tightly with foil, and back in the smoker for an hour. The temp spiked up to about 300 while I had the lid off, so I left them only an hour in the pan. After an hour I took the ribs out of the pan and back onto the grate. I then added about a tablespoon of rub to the apple juice / meat drippings and boiled the mixture down to reduce it some. Finally, I took about 1/4 cup of the reduction, mixed with about an equal amount of honey, and applied to the ribs as a glaze for the last half hour of cooking. I liked the end result, both in taste and texture, so I'll probably try this approach again the next time I cook spares.
 
I've done them both ways, even with the foiled pan like Larry mentioned. For me the jury is still out. I've had some great results doing it both ways, and some not-so-stellar results too, but either way it's still better than sitting at work thinking about ribs... like I'm doing now.

So far my best ever ribs were done unfoiled at ~250, then foiled for half an hour with 2 Tbs of cider vinigar, and finally mopped with #5 sauce for the last half hour. Those were some tastey ribs!
 
I like bite to my meat too - which is why I cook just till tender while still in the foil, and no further. Foiling ? FOTB unless you want it too.

When I foil (and I don't always) it's to add a flavor layer. Reducing the liquid(s) first and cooking meat down does this well, imo; cooking meat up does little, also imo.

Back in the cooker, unfoiled, restores the bark pretty quickly (if cooking at my usual temps of ~350 at that point). Sauce cooks on ribs I do not care for at all (though I will sometimes glaze), but if you like that approach then that is another way to flavor before the ribs are off.
 
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