Ribs in foil or pan?


 
D

Dave L.

TVWBB Pro
For our July 4th party my wife wants me to do spare ribs. Normally I do one or two slabs for a couple of people but this time I'm doing six or eight slabs. I have a few questions about the cook.
1: The slabs are going to be cut in half to accommodate the cooker and I always foil the ribs. Do I have to foil all of them individually or even two or three per foil or can I use a cheap foil pan and put four or five slabs in it with a small amount of liquid?
2: When do recommend switching the ribs from the top grate to the bottom? After three hours maybe?
3:Eight racks will fit in the smoker right?
 
1: The slabs are going to be cut in half to accommodate the cooker and I always foil the ribs. Do I have to foil all of them individually or even two or three per foil or can I use a cheap foil pan and put four or five slabs in it with a small amount of liquid?

Is this a new method? I never heard of foiling the ribs and then throwing them in the smoker. And what liquid are you talking about?

2: When do recommend switching the ribs from the top grate to the bottom? After three hours maybe? 2: When do recommend switching the ribs from the top grate to the bottom? After three hours maybe?

Again, never heard of that either but I`m very new to this. I didn`t know you had to alternate.

3:Eight racks will fit in the smoker right?

Yes, this I know. I made 8 yesterday. 4 on each rack and room for two more if I needed to.
 
Originally posted by Dave L.:
For our July 4th party my wife wants me to do spare ribs. Normally I do one or two slabs for a couple of people but this time I'm doing six or eight slabs. I have a few questions about the cook.
1: The slabs are going to be cut in half to accommodate the cooker and I always foil the ribs. Do I have to foil all of them individually or even two or three per foil or can I use a cheap foil pan and put four or five slabs in it with a small amount of liquid?
2: When do recommend switching the ribs from the top grate to the bottom? After three hours maybe?
3:Eight racks will fit in the smoker right?
Click to expand...

#1. What kind of ribs are you cooking? Spares you will need to cut in half, loin backs you won't. Here's a few pic's to show you placement, you can lay more on top horizontally. I foil the racks individually and stack them, shuffling half way through the foil cooking time.
8 racks of St Louis cut spares (4 on the top grate, 4 on the bottom.


6 Racks of Loin Backs all on the top grate.


#2. I do not rotate my meat from the top to the bottom or visa versa, I don't see the point and it creates temp spikes.

#3. Yes that much meat and some will fit!
 
Sorry Ernest, I guess I said it wrong. I always foil the ribs after three with a mixture of apple cider and apple vineger. I was wondering if I could put them in a foil pan instead of wraping each one individually. And do I have to rotate them in from top to bottom and visa versa.
 
Yes, use a foil pan and seal tightly with foil. I do it all the time when there is more than 2 or 3 racks involved. If using a lot of liquid, you might want to rotate the racks, in the foil pan, half way through the steaming.
 
Thanks for the replies. I usually spritz the ribs before wrapping them. I think if I give each one a couple of spritzes before I put them in the pans it should be enough. I don't want to boil them.
 
I never spritz. I foil individual racks without any liquid.Matter of personal preference. Ribs have enough fat so they'll be moist without adding anything IMO. Adding liquid can change the effectiveness of your rub.
 
Originally posted by Ernest Buckley:
1: The slabs are going to be cut in half to accommodate the cooker and I always foil the ribs. Do I have to foil all of them individually or even two or three per foil or can I use a cheap foil pan and put four or five slabs in it with a small amount of liquid?

Is this a new method? I never heard of foiling the ribs and then throwing them in the smoker. And what liquid are you talking about?
Click to expand...

You might be interested in this: 3-2-1 Method

There is a lot of discussion out there about the --MANY-- variations of the 3-2-1 process.
 
Originally posted by dsitterson:
When I foil sometimes I drizzle honey on the ribs when foiling.
Click to expand...

Add some brown sugar after you drizzle. Make sure the foil is seal tight. Caution when you open them up. The liquid inside will be very hot!
 
Thanks Joel, but that method is way too involved for me. I think once you put your ribs on the smoker you don't have to open it again until you foil(and foiling is an option).
I'm trying to find a easier and less messy way of foiling multiple racks.

I agree with you Dave/G about the fat content. I know I don't have to spritz. I have cooked ribs with and without spritzing but I think the apple cider vinegar adds a little bite to the meat...of course it could be all in my head.

I am probably having a problem because this is will be the first time I have used the bottom rack and am not sure about the difference in temperature between the upper and lower racks. I have always been able to put everything on the top rack when cooking for my wife and a couple other people. It seems the majority says to rotate halfway through the foil stage. I normally foil for about 45 minutes so I will rotate after about twenty minutes. What do you think?
 
Originally posted by Dave L.:
I always foil the ribs after three with a mixture of apple cider and apple vineger.
Click to expand...

Going to be making some spares this weekend. What ratio of apple cider to apple cider vinegar do you use?
 
I really like the 3-2-1 method. Ribs come out extremely tender. I use 1/2 can of beer for each half rack of ribs.
 
I you are foiling to add a flavor layer as well as to steam then I would foil individually. If you are foiling simply to steam a pan is okay--so long as the liquid in it is minimal--or else you need to rotate the ribs in the pan part way through, imo, not something I want to deal with at all.

I foil individually and just stack them in the cooker.

I don't use anything in the waterpan so the difference isn't huge but, regardless, I don't rotate during the first phase of cooking. After foiling they can easily go back into the cooker in different positions. Foiling evens out cooking differences considerably.

(Note, though, that I do not cook nor foil by time. I smoke till deeply colored then foil; then the ribs are cooked till done while in the foil (which isn't all that long). They get unfoiled and returned to the cooker for just a few minutes--like 5-7--to firm up a bit or, if I am thinly glazing, the same amount of time for the glaze to seize and set.)
 
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