Smallish Baby Back, Time & Temp Question


 
M

Mike U

TVWBB Member
I've got 6 racks of baby backs, about 10lbs total, so about 1 2/3 lb per rack.

These are smaller than I'm used to and I'm not sure about time's and temps to estimate how long my cook will be.

I was planning about 6 hours @ 225, but I'm wondering if thats too long.

I'm shooting for just shy of falling off the bone.

Thanks in advance.
Mike
 
Sounds like 5 hrs might be more in line for them. I did some small ones like that last year and they got done right at the 5 hr mark.
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Mike,
Some consider it sacrelegious, but just lift the lid at about 4 hours, then take 2 adjacent bones and try to pull them away from each other. When the meat tears easily, I consider that done.

Also, try not to get into the "time" thing. That bit me bigtime when I first started. The meat is done when it is done, no sooner. ;-)
 
Charles - I have a question about this "meat tears easily" test. When I try this invariably the meat tears right off one of the bones. Is the meat overdone or is the sight of smoky pork giving me superhuman strength?
 
I ended up having to pull them after 5 because of hungry guests and antsy kids. They could have easily gone another 1 hour.

I used the same kind of BB's a few weeks ago with the 3-2-1 foil method. 2 hours in foil was too long since the meet was pulling away from the bones at the ends and in the middle too.

I think the one thing I learned today was the need for consitency, I didn't want to foil them today to see how they'd turn out and even though everyone else like them, I wasn't happy.

I think I'll try a variation of the 321 foil with ribs like this that I get from my butcher, less time in foil, and then stick with it.

I find I like tweaking and playing around too much with a good thing. While thats part of the fun, when it doesn't work out it, things go bad.

It reminds me of the old saying, 'the enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect one.'
 
I've found that 2 hrs in foil is a little too long for my taste. When doing baby backs i usually do 3 - 1 - 1. That works pretty well for me. I like my ribs not so falling off the bone. Tender but firm if that makes sense. Sorry to hear that they didn't come out to your liking.
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I'm finding 4.5 or so, 1.25 or so, .25-.5 for spares. I'm a tweaker/player too. It's inveterate; I can't help myself. But it's the 'dream of a perfect one' that keeps me going.

Great signature quote, Mike. Alway liked O'Rourke.
 
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