How do you guys like to cook your ribs?


 
Christopher H

Christopher H

TVWBB Fan
Hi everyone,

Just trying to see other methods and test some of them out. How do you cook your ribs?

I will usually trim some of the fat, always remove the membrane and dry rub to sit in the fridge overnight. I take it out of the fridge about an hour before the smoke. Then I use the 3-2-1 method at 225. I use water in my water pan too.

Let's hear it.
 
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I do St Louis style ribs on my 18.5 at 250-275 with water in the pan for 5.5 to 6 hours, no foil. I use Steven Raichlen's Memphis dry rub without the cayenne pepper.
 
I started at 225 with your method 3+2+1. Then I moved to higher cooking T. Last cooks were at 250 for 3+1+1 (last hour was regularly shorter). Now Im thinking to increase to 275 and I have to set the times. Im moving towards higher T because the grease doesn't melt very well. Our ribs (only spares here) are super fatty and higher T could be the solution.
 
There are so many different ways to cook ribs....to wrap or not to wrap, water in the pan, no water, sauce or no sauce. I've tried several different ways and they always get ate.
 
Remove the membrane
Let soak over night in: Apple juice, Brown sugar and Worcestershire

Cook on the smoker at 250 degrees with only enough wood to smoke for the first hour or so and baste every hour with fresh batch of the Apple juice, Brown sugar & Worchestershire for approx 3.5 hours

Apply lots of Sweet Baby Ray's when the meat starts to pull back from the bone (for me, usually at 3.5 hours) and throw one small piece of Apple wood onto the coals, cook until done (usually no more than an hour more)

Usually at about the 3 hour mark, I put in a tray of 4 cheese Mac & Cheese

Let the ribs and Mac & cheese rest for about a half hour and then tear into them
 
Although foiling till tender after getting color is pretty foolproof in avoiding dry ribs, I generally prefer to just smoke till tender with water in the pan.
 
No water, but clay saucer. Start minion coals, about 20. Remove membrane and add rub. Dump coals and spread on surface of unlit. Add 2 chunks of wood. Add ribs without waiting to come up to a temp. Shoot for 250-275 at lid. Cook until done. No foiling
 
I trim mine and remove the membrane, add a little mustard and usually season with just Lawry's and black pepper. I smoke them till they are probe tender and let the rack cook to room temperature. I'll fire up my grill reheat the ribs and apply a thin layer of sauce on them. I usually make extra racks of ribs will vac seal them and put them in the freezer for later use. I think these ribs taste better than the ones I ate the day I cooked them.

I also do them on the grill high heat. Grill for and hour, foil for an hour and sauce them and let them firm up for about 20 minutes.
 
I rub, put on the smoker at about 250, check them about 6 - 6.5 hours later and they're usually done. That's it, don't check on them, turn them, spritz them bast them etc.
 
I've only done one rack of ribs (baby backs) on my WSM so far. I used the rub recipe from this blog post, but cut the cayenne down to about 1/2 teaspoon and replaced the thyme with oregano. I just dropped them on the bottom rack and cooked for about 4-1/2 hours at 250-275 (with a full water pan) and they came out perfect. No flipping, not rotating, no glazing, etc. Just put 'em on, waited 4-1/2 hours, pulled them off and rested in loosely wrapped foil for about 20 minutes. Absolutely amazing, and so moist that sauce would have been a waste. I mean, I like bbq sauce, but I'd much rather than bbq that doesn't need it.
 
Inject. let sit for 1/2hr. Rub down. let sit for another hour. 225ish 1 1/2 -2hrs. Glaze and flip. let go for another hour or so. Add all goodies in foil and wrap for an hour or so at 250-275. Unwrap, glaze and put back on for 1/2hr to 45min. yank and rest. Drink beer and fest.
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Many times i like to try two different ways during the same cook....foil two and leave two alone....different rubs.....etc.
 
Todd Phillips said:
Inject. let sit for 1/2hr. Rub down. let sit for another hour. 225ish 1 1/2 -2hrs. Glaze and flip. let go for another hour or so. Add all goodies in foil and wrap for an hour or so at 250-275. Unwrap, glaze and put back on for 1/2hr to 45min. yank and rest. Drink beer and fest.
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Interesting that you inject. Not very many people inject ribs. We have done this for our competition ribs, but not home cooking.
What do you inject? In addition to phosphates, we use apple juice and peach nectar with a couple tbs of the rub.
 
I trim the fat, remove the membrane, apply a light coat of spicy brown mustard, sprinkle with a light coat of rub (Jamie Purveyance's Championship Ribs Recipe is a good one), let them sit while the fire is getting going.

I fill the ring with unlit and put about half a large chimney of lit on the unlit with vents wide open. I assemble the cooker and wait until there's no visible smoke from the fire before I add food and smoke wood.

I cook them for 6 hrs at 230-270*F (anywhere around 250*F is fine with me) by adjusting vents. I'll use the top vent no more than 50% ensuring it's always open more than the bottom three combined to ensure a positive chimney effect.

Lately, I've not been foiling until after the cook. I'll dress them with sauce or leave them dry then wrap while waiting for the sides to get ready (15-20 min?).
 
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J Hoke said:
Interesting that you inject. Not very many people inject ribs. We have done this for our competition ribs, but not home cooking.
What do you inject? In addition to phosphates, we use apple juice and peach nectar with a couple tbs of the rub.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same setup. I'll use apple vinegar sometimes and white grape juice
 
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