Harry Soo Rib Method


 

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
So, I've been using the above for baby backs lately. Temp at 275F for 3 hours, add brown sugar and agave/honey plus a bit of apple juice and foil. Back on for an hour, unfoil, sauce and back on until done (30 minutes to an hour max). I did a side by side test with one rack plain and the other sugared. The sugared rack had a better sheen but the brown sugar and agave seemed pretty neutral for additional flavour. I'm curious if others use this method and, if so or not, what are your opinions?
 
I do not for a number of reasons. First, I never cook by time. For ribs, I cook till the color I want is achieved, irrespective of the clock. (Occasionally I cook at 275b if I feel like a long cook; mostly I cook higher. Doesn't matter though. I cook till color is achieved.)

Another reason: I do not like meat candy. Adding sugar to the foil is not something I would ever do. I use reduced juice(s) and/or reduced stock - for flavor without much sweet.

Another reason: Same as above, I do not cook by time. Once in the foil I cook till the ribs are done - tender - while in the foil.

I dislike ribs sauced while cooking. I like the meat to stand on its own. I always make at least one sauce - but serve it on the side. I do occasionally glaze for shine, but I am talking a glaze, not a sauce.

Once the ribs are done in the foil I return them to the cooker for several minutes to firm the bark and, if using, to glaze. But either takes just a few minutes.

That's my flow.

Agave will not add much in the way of flavor; sweetness yes, flavor no.

If you've already got a lot of sweet going on you won't likely notice much flavor difference if adding yet more sugar - like the brown. Lots of sugar flattens flavors considerably, muddying them up in the process.
 
I do baby backs at 275F, meat side up, uncovered for 2 hours. I then tent them, meat side down, spritzing with apple cider, every 15 minutes, for 1 more hour.

I do not glaze or sauce my ribs.

Bob
 
No sauce here, sauce on the side only, I will never understand why anyone would sauce meat, the only thing that comes to mind is to hide huge mistakes in there cook, dry over cooked.
I like to add the rub and let the meat sweat a couple of times for flavor.
 
I sauce ribs for safety.SWMBO likes them that way.
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I eat the trimmings without sauce.
 
i've done several of soo's methods.

all are great, but all are geared for competition

some of this techniques have carried over into my personal style - but my techniques aren't geared for the KCBS (with the emphasis on BS) judging guidelines.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TroyRedington:
i've done several of soo's methods.

all are great, but all are geared for competition

some of this techniques have carried over into my personal style - but my techniques aren't geared for the KCBS (with the emphasis on BS) judging guidelines. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I agree with Troy. And because Harrys methods are geared towards competition its important to remember that the meat is being judged on one, maybe two bites. Hence the excessive use of sweetners.
 
I agree with the above posts, especially Kevin's about "meat candy." All due respect to Harry; he's obviously an accomplished 'q-er. I cook some Indian food, and I think there may be some spillover from that into my bbq tastes. I like complex flavors, and I agree with Kevin that sweetness muddies things up. On the last couple of rib cooks, I've used 1/4 cup of beef broth in the foil with each rack, and I've been happy with the results. I don't sauce my ribs ever. I serve several sauces on the side at the table.
 
I use the k.i.s.s method on most of my cooks. For steaks, salt, pepper, garlic, medium rare. For ribs, a simple rub and spritz with 4/1 apple juice/apple cider vinegar whenever I check, which isn't very often. If I foil, which also isn't very often, I just add a little of the aj/acv mixture. Sauce on the side.
 
I've tried Soo's method and found that it was far to sweet for my taste. If I do it again I'll definitely scale back on the sugar and honey.
 
I've tried Harry Soo's method once or twice. They turned out decent but in my opinion, for the effort involved, they should have been better. Like Lew, I'm a practitioner of the keep it simple method. Salt,pepper and garlic. Occasionally sauced at the last minute but normally, I keep the lid closed until done. I've spritzed with lots of different liquids and honestly I think it is a gimmick. The best ribs I've cooked are the simplest.
 
Another example of looking before you leap: I've got some St. Louis racks in the WSM right now and am using the Soo method in preparation for my first comp. in two weeks. Just finished adding the honey, sugar, and apple juice before returning the now foiled ribs to the cooker. When I was adding this I kept thinking that Brown Sugar and honey was gonna make things really sweet. Now I read these posts and (hand hits head) wonder what I was thinking. I will let you know how it comes out anyway.
 
David, for all the times I've added honey and bs, I can tell ya that I've had just as good ribs when I added little or anything to the foil when wrapping. Some of my best foiled ribs had nothing else in the foil but a couple spritzes of AJ.
 
Just wanted to get back with the results. I followed the Harry Soo directions for St. Louis ribs, 2 hours on the grate, 1.5 hours foiled, and then finish out of the foil. I think this was too long in the foil. Some bones pulled away clean. Meat was too tender, no tear left at all. Should have checked earlier. Next time I think I'll check the foil after 45 minutes. Funny thing though, everyone loved the ribs. Makes you wonder.
 
David I just cooked my baby backs yesterday. Each slab was around 2 lbs and I cooked unfoiled for 1.5 hrs, foiled for 1 hr, and unfoiled again for 1/2 hour (3 hours total) and they turned out great. Used apple juice, honey, and brown sugar in the foil.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Noe:
No sauce here, sauce on the side only, I will never understand why anyone would sauce meat, the only thing that comes to mind is to hide huge mistakes in there cook, dry over cooked.
I like to add the rub and let the meat sweat a couple of times for flavor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen to that. I question the objective. Hides flavor, appearance flaws like wet steamed ribs that are held too long in water bather then "finished". I'm with Kevins points as well.

But to each his on.

I DON'T like ribs cooked with the sauce, that fall of the bone (yuk, that's mush to me), and have an absence of smoke flavor, and I'm light on smoke wood.

Most of my ribs are eaten without sauce, but it's there on the side. I usually have a couple. I like to glaze now and then depending on the style I'm going for.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Noe:
...I will never understand why anyone would sauce meat, the only thing that comes to mind is to hide huge mistakes in there cook, dry over cooked. I like to add the rub... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>It's called personal preference. It would be very easy for someone else to say "I will never understand why anyone would just add rub to meat."
Sauce is not used just to hide mistakes in meat, some people like it. I like meat with rub, my wife likes sauce so I fix both.
Neither way is right or wrong, it's just different.
 
A great dry rub ....a coupla hours naked on the smoker and a hour "spritzed" then wrapped,back on the smoker, and then lastly another hour back on the smoker naked.Sauce ALWAYS on the side. Eat
 
I like my ribs dry rubbed and cooked at about 275* without foil until tender. SWMBO and the family like them wrapped with brown sugar, agave nectar, parkay, and tiger sauce (per Johnny Trigg) then sauced. They're a bit sweat for me.
 
Johnny Trigg was quoted as saying he didn't like his comp ribs. If he was going to eat ribs those and I think that speaks volumes. To me Backyard cooking is radically different then competition cooking. I think it would be interesting to see some of the teams do two cooks side by side. One cook for competition and one for there family.
 

 

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