My First Ribs!


 
L.Lee

L.Lee

New member
Did just my second cook on my 18.5 WSM.
Used a typical Kansas City Rub, which tasted great.
Didnt weight my 2 Loin Backs, but one was considerably thicker than the other. In hindsight, I should have gotten both backs close to the same weight. They both tasted great But the thinner rack was falling apart in the end. I love fall off the bone food, but for ribs I think this is less then ideal. At least in the competition community.
I used the 3-2-1 method at 225 to 235 degrees. I cut the larger rack in half hopeing they would be done when the thinner rack would be.
I noticed after I took the ribs out of the foil to go back on the WSM for the last hour, the thinner rack was ready to tear apart into 4 peices. I somehow kept it in one piece till it got to the supper table. The 2 thicker rib halves never was in any doubt of falling apart.
My question is, is there something I could have done different in the cook to make the one rack stay together better? Like cook the ribs with less time in one of the 3-2-1 sequences?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29211198@N06/8176044283/ http://www.flickr.com/people/29211198@N06/
2 Raw Loin Backs


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29211198@N06/8176046509/http://www.flickr.com/people/29211198@N06/
Ribs after 4 hours of refridgeration with Kansas City Rub on.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29211198@N06/8176048047/http://www.flickr.com/people/29211198@N06/
Ready to be plated.
 
Cutting something in half side-to-side like that isn't going to make it cook any faster. Only the size of the thin edge matters.

Ribs don't always get done at the same time. It's one of the problems with methods like 3-2-1 - it's more of a guideline and after a while you hopefully will start adjusting as necessary. One of the downsides of foiling is that it's harder to tell what's going on in there and it's easier to overshoot your mark. I'm no foiling expert but I probably would have gone light on the foiling if I was concerned about some thin ribs, and then be prepared to pull it as soon as it's done. If it's done before you're ready to eat you can wrap it in foil (just for insulation) and toss it someplace it'll stay warm and they'll sit for a while.

One of the big problems with falling off the bone is the line between that stage and inedibly mushy can be pretty thin. Typically roasted meats can't be pushed as far in that direction as compared to wet cooking in a slow cooker. If you liked them OK, don't sweat it, but yeah, most people prefer to pull things a little earlier.
 
Shorten you foil time for the thinner rack next time. I would suggest pulling the thinner rack out of the foil 30 minutes before the thicker rack. You will have to play with it but I cook my baby backs between 250-275 and I typically go with a 3-1-?. The ? make is not defined because it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. I test for doneness with a toothpick and pull them when they are done.

BTW the ribs looked pretty good to me especially for the first time.
 
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