Learned a lesson on ribs this weekend......


 
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Bill S.

Bill S.

TVWBB Pro
Did a slab of St.louis cut ribs this weekend. About 3.25lbs , around the size I usually get. I trimmed them up a bit and used my own rub. Had them on top rack at 225, with apple wood for smoke (6 fist size). Was waiting for the meat to pull back a bit as a sign that they are done. After five hours they never really pulled back. So I just went by the fact that they bent in half when I picked them up as a sign that they were done. They ended up being the most tender ribs that I've done. Came off the bone nice, first time I've had that happen. So I guess you just can't go by the "meat pulling back on the bone" to tell if they are done. Anyone else ever experience this? ...Also instead of putting the bbq sauce on at the tail end of the cook, I put it on about an hour in. Came out much better this way, nice and gooey. I used "Kevi's smokin' on the Mountain" recipe. Except I took out the liquid smoke, added 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard and used apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Also I didn't bring it to boil, just heated it up.

Kevi's Smokin' on the Mountain BBQ Sauce
(*) my changes

1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Red wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)*
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/8 cup Molasses
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (added)*
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (omitted)*
1/2 teaspoon Salt (I use Kosher)*
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion powder

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients and bring to boil.
Simmer 30 minutes or till desired thickness.
 
Bill,
I always give my ribs the "tear test". I never go by how far they pull back. Also, when I cook spares, it's usually 7 hours min. at 225.

Rath *sparing no rib*
 
I'll ditto what Don said. Generally, back ribs take me 5 hours or so and spares take 7-8 hours running 225 at the grate as measured by my Guru. I always forget to put the sauce on toward the end of the cook. Someday I'll have to remember to try that. I usually serve them up dry and let my guests pick which sauce, if any, they would like use.

Good info Bill.
 
You guys cook yours 7-8 hours? How could mine be done in 5 ? I mean they just peeled off the bone. Could I just chalk it up to " all slabs are different" . Does fat content make a difference? This slab had a bit more fat than I've had in the past, but I trimmed it off before cooking. Also the meat wasn't fatty when it was done. Any ideas why they were done so much sooner? .........Take it easy.
 
now this is an interesting thread. I cook my spares about 5 hours and usually let them sit foiled for about an hour. Perhaps I'll try seven hours next time, and see what the difference is.
 
I do my ribs for 3 hours at 225 and 2-2.5 hours at 250 (for a ttotal of 5 hours). Trimed spares or Backs doesnt matter. If it was 225 for the whole cook I could see it taking 7 hours or so.
 
Peter,
If your going to try 7 hours, I would not foil. I did foil mine according to the 3-2-1 method, but liked the ribs better un-foiled.

Rath *saving foil for hats*
 
Bill - I like the recipe specifically because of the vinegar. I like a vinegary (is that a word?) Sauce.

I'm going to do some ribs this weekend and let em drip on a 5 pound hen on the bottom rack.

Mikeeeeeeeeeeee!
 
It mostly depends on size of the spares. I'ver seen St Louis trimmed that were no larger than baby backs, and I've seen MONSTER slabs of untrimmed spares that probably weighed over 10 lbs. The small ones would most likely be done inside of 5 hours, and the monsters would probably take longer than 8.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill S.:
You guys cook yours 7-8 hours? How could mine be done in 5 ? I mean they just peeled off the bone. Could I just chalk it up to " all slabs are different" . Does fat content make a difference? This slab had a bit more fat than I've had in the past, but I trimmed it off before cooking. Also the meat wasn't fatty when it was done. Any ideas why they were done so much sooner? .........Take it easy. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Everyone has different times. I'm not sure why. My cook times are typically shorter than most other barbequers. My suggestion is to cook your food until it's cooked the way you want it, and if it takes less or more time than someone else's, don't worry about it.
 
The best advice I've picked up from this forum is to use foil for the last hour or so. Guaranteed to result in meat that falls off the bone.
 
I would think that the foil would take off a lot of the rub and sauce. You haven't had a problem with that?......Take it easy.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill S.:
I would think that the foil would take off a lot of the rub and sauce. You haven't had a problem with that?......Take it easy. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you're careful, you can reuse the foil to make a hat. Gotta keep those brain waves secure.
icon_biggrin.gif
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill S.:
You guys cook yours 7-8 hours? How could mine be done in 5 ? I mean they just peeled off the bone. Could I just chalk it up to " all slabs are different" . Does fat content make a difference? This slab had a bit more fat than I've had in the past, but I trimmed it off before cooking. Also the meat wasn't fatty when it was done. Any ideas why they were done so much sooner? .........Take it easy. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> In addition to different cuts and sizes of meat, personal taste & PIT TEMPs could be huge factors I think.

I really like the Competition Ribs, which are foiled in juice for ninety minutes. Other prefer a little more tooth from the meat.
 
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