Just a rib observation
- Thread starter Jeff R
- Start date
Richard Diaz
TVWBB Pro
Foil has nothing to with pull back. Pull back has to do with cooking it to the right tenderness(not temperature). If you do the bend and toothpick test your done and you will have bone exposure. I don't foil.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Jeff, what are your temps/times like?
Been a good while since I cooked ribs under 225, but I don't think I got as much pull-back cooking that slow. Just don't remember for sure, though. I've always cooked to tenderness, checking for rack drape or with a toothpick.
Anyhow, I target 250* nowadays, and don't even check my ribs for tenderness til I start seeing some pull-back.
Been a good while since I cooked ribs under 225, but I don't think I got as much pull-back cooking that slow. Just don't remember for sure, though. I've always cooked to tenderness, checking for rack drape or with a toothpick.
Anyhow, I target 250* nowadays, and don't even check my ribs for tenderness til I start seeing some pull-back.
Jeff R
TVWBB Pro
I am usually around 250-275. What got me thinking about this was seeing pictures in the weber grill cook book. They have some recipes and use foil and the pictures show a good 1/2" or better of pull back at each end. I've seen the pictures of Harry Soo's ribs and same thing and I know he promotes foiling. I get a little pull back on one end but just enough to know there is a bone there, but never a clean exposed end like I see.
Perhaps those are cooked to FOTB done which I don't do. I strive for perfect toothpick test so that the bite pulls the meat of the bone cleanly with no resistance.
These were cooked closer to 275 and just shy of FOTB
Anyhoo, just something I was wondering about and not something that I am striving for.
Perhaps those are cooked to FOTB done which I don't do. I strive for perfect toothpick test so that the bite pulls the meat of the bone cleanly with no resistance.
These were cooked closer to 275 and just shy of FOTB
Anyhoo, just something I was wondering about and not something that I am striving for.
Robb Kruger
TVWBB Member
Jeff,
FWIW... I get a lot more pull back when I foil, and in my recent "try" of the Weber foiled BB rib cook, I had more pull back than I have ever had with any other cook.
They were "uber-tender"... but lacked the flavor or layers I was looking for. I agree... pull back is more of a done-ness question than anything else.
FWIW... I get a lot more pull back when I foil, and in my recent "try" of the Weber foiled BB rib cook, I had more pull back than I have ever had with any other cook.
They were "uber-tender"... but lacked the flavor or layers I was looking for. I agree... pull back is more of a done-ness question than anything else.
Brian Silvey
TVWBB Member
Could it be related to fat content? I seem to get more pullback with St Louis than Baby Backs, especailly the extra meaty BB's that have a lot of loin meat and less fat.
BS
BS
Pullback is a feature of "temperature shock".
Expose meat to a high temperature and muscle fibers contract. Toss your ribs on a 350 degree pit and after an hour the meat will pull back from the end of the bones, but it will not be tender. Toss a thin pork chop or a slice of bologna into a hot frying pan and watch it curl up. This is the fibers contracting from the high heat. This contraction squeezes out moisture. Cook spare ribs gently at around 220 for 8 hours and you will get no pull back, but, the ribs will be tender and more juicy because you have not squeezed a lot of the moisture out.
One reason I prefer low and slow brisket cooks.
Cook a brisket at 200 for 24 hours and most of the of the fat and water is still left in the meat. Slice the brisket and you will still have the marbling left in it. All this high heat bullsh#t is not really barbrcue. It's roasting.
There...now I've said it.
I'm sorry Chris, but someone had to say it. I'll go lay down now...too many beers.
db
Expose meat to a high temperature and muscle fibers contract. Toss your ribs on a 350 degree pit and after an hour the meat will pull back from the end of the bones, but it will not be tender. Toss a thin pork chop or a slice of bologna into a hot frying pan and watch it curl up. This is the fibers contracting from the high heat. This contraction squeezes out moisture. Cook spare ribs gently at around 220 for 8 hours and you will get no pull back, but, the ribs will be tender and more juicy because you have not squeezed a lot of the moisture out.
One reason I prefer low and slow brisket cooks.
Cook a brisket at 200 for 24 hours and most of the of the fat and water is still left in the meat. Slice the brisket and you will still have the marbling left in it. All this high heat bullsh#t is not really barbrcue. It's roasting.
There...now I've said it.
I'm sorry Chris, but someone had to say it. I'll go lay down now...too many beers.
db
Brian Silvey
TVWBB Member
Well that all sounds good, but I do cook at 220 and I still get pull back. And shame on you for not bringing beer for everyone.
Brian
Brian
Brad Baker
TVWBB Fan
Short ribs have lots.
