Ribs and amount of time in foil


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mark Etheridge

TVWBB Super Fan
Like many on this site, I use foil when I cook ribs. I follow something similar to the "3-2-1 method" however, in the past, when I foil for say 1-1/2 hours the ribs looked like the bones would fall out if I even touched them.

What I have been doing is cooking the ribs (usually B-backs) for about 3-1/2 hours with no foil...mop once during that time period with a vinegar/rub mop like that on the Rendevous recipe. Then, I foil and I put some of that same mop in with the ribs and place them meat side down and cook for 45 minutes. Then I remove the foil and sauce for about 10-15 minutes. I keep my temps around 240-250 in the dome. At 45 minutes in foil, the ribs are perfect (tenderness wise) and they hold together quite well.

Soooo, my question is why the difference in times (45 minutes as opposed to 2 hours)? What am I doing different to make the time so much shorter? Others have put various flavors of juice in when they foil the ribs and yet they still do 1-1/2 to 2 hours in foil. Does using a vinegar mop really make that much of a difference?
-----------------------------
Mark WAR EAGLE!!
 
My guess is that the acidity of the mop is helping it along when I spray with vinegar it cooks a lot quicker
 
I have found the same thing. Two hours in foil is way too long for me. But like many things, like people's propensity for making phrases that rhyme, 3-2-1 is easier to say and remember than 3 1/2, 45, 15 (or in my case 3 1/2, 30-45, 45 to 1).

I usually put a little apple juice in the foil, but sometimes nothing at all. I still find that 30-45 minutes is enough, either way.
 
Albert,

I try to keep the temps around 240-250 as measured through the dome. That should equate to around 225 at the top grate.
----------------------
Mark WAR EAGLE!!
 
Wow maybe I am lost here... but I always thought that 3-2-1 was the foiling technique for small-medium sized spare ribs.

All the guys that I know that do 1.75 lb baby backs w/ foil do a 3-1-1 or a 2-2-1.
 
As alluded to in John Mason's post, 3-2-1 is a rough ratio, rather than an absolute number of hours. Six hours on BBs, especially foiled, would most certainly be overdoing it.
 
Spyro,

That thought never occurred to me. I don't remember reading anywhere that the 3-2-1 was for spares and if I did, it went over my head (and I'm 6'3" /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif )but, now that I think about it, I believe that Stogie does his ribs 3-2-1 and he cooks B-backs exclusively.

Hey Stogie...chime in on this please!!
------------------------
Mark WAR EAGLE!!
 
Thanks guys for pointing to that thread!

Yes, I use sand now, but I used this EXACT same method when I used water.

A number of things that are critical.....

Weight per slab. As Spyro pointed out...my BB's are 2 1/4lbs....that is the size of the Sam's ribs. If you try this technique with 1 3/4lb. slabs they will cook much quicker.

I am anal about the temps and I measure at grate level. When you take temps in the dome, you never know what the grate level temp is! I never let my temps rise above 230?. Again, this is just me being anal. If you are cooking your ribs at 235? or higher, they will cook quicker.

I start the ribs COLD and I put them on as soon as the fire is lit. It takes a while for the temp to climb up to 225?. It sounds like most folks get the smoker to 250? and THEN put the ribs on and choke the fire down. This will result in the ribs cooking MUCH quicker.

So, take all these into account and you can see that even if 1 variable is missed, it WILL affect the cooking time.

Please understand....I learned my rib technique by cooking in competitions. In comps, you have a 10 minute window, hence my anal attitude about temps. I also do a little catering and pride myself on feeding people on time.

If you are casually cooking for family and friends, your serving window is much different, so letting your temps wander is no big deal.

Finally, I learned this technique from a team that has finished in the Top 3 at the Memphis in May cook-off year after year. The first time I ever saw the MIM, I thought I was at a Reynolds Aluminum convention.....EVERY team used foil. Those ribs I tasted were the single best ribs on planet Earth. Buster was kind enough to teach me everything he knew!

I have since done very well in the rib category, beating many of the top teams in the country(NEVER a Grand Champ though!). My ribs are NEVER too mushy and they have never fallen off the bone, but as you can see, there are many variables, so you have to experiment and find your own timing.

One word of warning, once you find that timing, don't switch meat vendors!! Can you tell I been there and done that?? LOL I was even stupid enough to doing it at a contest!!

Anyway, have some fun, experiment, find your groove and stick with it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top