Harry Soo Ribs fail


 
J

Jonathan Jarembek

TVWBB Member
Hello,

So i took a few months away from smoking and i today would be a great day to fire the bad boy up.

Generally speaking i do the 3-2-1 method with ribs and i usually have good results but i decided to try Harry soo's ribs he has in the FAQ.

while i did not use his rub i did follow his cook times.

I also notice in the FAQ he is all over the place between 2 rip recipes.

Either way i trimmed two racks of ribs to St Louis style, got the smoker up to 275 for 3 hours then foiled with sugar, honey and apple juice.

I will say the ribs where dry, and burnt.

in hind site i prob should of foiled at 2 hours not 3 at that high of heat.

anyone every have good results with his ribs if so what cooking times and temps did you use.

thanks
 
I always use the 3 2 1 method with ribs. I can never get them tender if I do not foil. People tell me I am cooking too long or too short. People say just place them on the grate and cook until tender. I have tried and not succeeded. They turn out tough and dry if I do not foil ribs. That is what works for me.
Smoke or bake in the oven for about 3 hours, foil for about 1 and a half or 2 hours then grill over coals direct and sauce them is what I do!
 
I have no idea who 'people' are, but you can cook ribs either way, foiled or not. I do both, preferring to foil when I want to add a flavor layer. I cook ribs 50-100? higher than Soo. Never tough nor dry, foiled or unfoiled. (What I do not do - and would never dream of doing - is add all the sugar and whatnot to the foil. I hate meat candy. I add reduced fruit juice, alone or mixed with others and/or stock.)

Skip cooking by time, whether it is 3-2-1 or Soo's numbers. Cook till the ribs are very nicely colored (however long that is, which will depend on cooktemps; for me it's 90-150 min, depending on how fast my temps climbed to 325-350 but if cooking lower expect longer times to good color). Next, foil with your ingredients of choice, if any. Next, cook the ribs till tender while still in the foil. Easy peasy. Same method works at any temps. As noted, time will vary based on temps but so what. As long as you cook till tender - period, not some notion of time - they will be perfect every time, not simply good.
 
On my last two racks of beef ribs on the WSM I accidentally left them on an hour too long and didn't have to foil them at all to soften them. The meat pulled back from the bone niceley and they were the best I have ever made. Stick with what works for you and build off of that.
 
Well, yes, you would. Still, cooking by time is fraught with potential problems - one only needs to look at the myriad posts here and elsewhere where the results were not as expected.
 
Wow, I would never add sugar directly to the ribs. That's just asking for disaster.

I'm with Kevin. Cook them for about 5-5:30 at 225-250 and then start checking them. They're done when they're done.

Russ
 
As I think you already realized, wrapping at the 3 hour mark at that temp was too long. I usually cook mine at 270 and wrap at the two hour mark if the color is right. I usually wrap with honey, apple juice, a little brown sugar, and sometimes a little hot sauce of my choice. I cook them wrapped for 1.5 hours and check the tenderness. If they aren't done, I keep them on for another 30 minutes and check again. Once I'm happy with the tenderness, I remove the ribs from the foil and apply my finishing sauce. I put them back on the smoker for another 30-45 minutes to let the sauce set. I've been cooking spares at home and in comps like this for the last year and most of the time they turn out right on point.
 
One of the best things I have learned here, and there has been many, is the toothpick test. Having done it a few times now, I can start to gauge about how much longer and and when to sauce if I do.
 
yea..

As i said i usually do the 3-2-1 method at 225 degrees or i do the strait 5 hours with no foiling.

I have just been out of the BBQing for 6 months or so and i should of realized at 275 i would need to wrap em up in foil alot sooner

I will say i did prefer the brown sugar glaze in the foil i just need to re-tweak the cooking times..

Generally speaking i follow the times for the first run of a meat or method then after they are just high level guidelines..

I will say i am at a impass a little bit.

I just love obe queue's sweet n heat rub i just get off comments once in a while when the meat comes off the smoker "even at low temps" the meat is usually really dark/black" I can only assume its from the brown sugar, Cinnamon, and smoke that turns it black as the meat is usually fully of flavor.

Thanks for the info.
 
I can only assume its from the brown sugar,
Click to expand...
Perhaps. It is already dark and the smoke makes it darker. Ditto for paprika (something I never use) and other ground chilies (something I do), dark herbs, black pepper, and so forth.

Though I do not compete I have made many rubs for competitors. Mostly I stick to light ingredients in significant proportions. Me, I can't abide ribs that are sauced during cooking. This approach, however, is fairly standard in comps. The sauce tends to be dark as well. Using a light rub compensates for the darkening that will occur as a matter of course, and the darkening from the sauce.

Here is a rub example:

T=tablespoon t=teaspoon

4 T organic natural sugar

1 T turbinado

3 T gran onion

1 T gran garlic

1 t mild Chimayo (NM) ground chile

2 t hot Chimayo (NM) ground chile

1/2 t ground African bird chile

1/2 t ground white pepper

1/2 t ground clove

1/2 t ground cardamom

1 t ground coriander

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t ground allspice

2 t Worcestershire powder

1 t amchur (aka amchoor; it is ground dried unripe mango--great fruit
and sourness)

Look at the amounts and you can see how it would mix up rather lightly colored.
 
Sorry about your experience.

I use Harry's rub and smoke for two hours then foil with the BS, honey and apple juice for one hour and check for tenderness. Sometimes I cook for and additional 30 mins.

I love this recipe and have used it many many times.

Andy
 
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