Smoking ribs today...question


 
B

Bill M.

TVWBB Member
I was going to try the Competition rib recipe today for the first time. I noticed that the recipe says to carmelize the sauce right after removing the ribs from the foil.

I smoked ribs via the 3-2-1 method with good results and thought the last hour (at an elevated temperature) without foil was for improving the texture (so they wouldn't be too mushy).

For those who have tried the competition recipe, did you find the texture of the ribs too mushy? Has anyone deviated from the recipe and put the ribs back on for 30 minutes to an hour after removing the foil and then glazed?

Thanks for any help; I'm off to purchase my ribs:
 
Bill--

I'd go with your deviation for the exact reason you mention: After you foil, put the ribs back on as is to finish--imo the texture gets better--then a light glaze for a few minutes, the heat of the ribs will tighten and caramelize it in short order.
 
Bill, I love that recipe but I deviate from the duration in foil with juice. It calls for 90 minutes in foil but I'd suggest 45 - 60 minutes max.
 
I generally foil mine for at least 90 minutes. I think from what I have been reading is because of the quantity. The least amount of ribs I have made since I have owned my wsm is 6 racks. Usually it is 12 racks. I know when I do the 12 racks if I only foil them for 60 minutes I am disappointed that they are not as tender as I like. I think with that quantity it takes longer to heat up all of that foil and juice. Also I double foil at that stage. I put the meat side up and the bones sometimes poke holes in the single layer.

My point is you may need to make adjustments for how many slabs you are cooking. For me with 12 slabs 60 minutes is not enough.
 
That's a good point Jeff, I think I only put the foiled ribs back in the WSM the first time I did them. Since then I've been using the oven.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff T Miller:
My point is you may need to make adjustments for how many slabs you are cooking. For me with 12 slabs 60 minutes is not enough. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point Jeff:
I found this out "the hard way" yesterday. My previous attempt at smoking ribs was next to perfect. My confidence was up, so I invented family and friends over for some of my smoked ribs.

Since no one turned down my invitation, I smoked twice as many ribs this time as last time. I didn't deviate from the temperature or time I smoked the ribs my previous time. Well, most of the ribs had to be gnawed on in order to get the meat off of the bone. My previous time the meat released easily and the texture was perfect.

Long story short: More ribs=more time on the smoker.
 
It should still be about the temperature, shouldn't it?

If you have a large thermal meat mass and if it was effecting temperature, wouldn't you see this on the thermometer? I would think, for a given temperature, it wouldn't matter how much meat was in the WSM.
 
If the mass was affecting the temps then certainly you would see it reflected on the therm. E.g., Assume you normally fired your cooker and waited for it to hit your lid temp before you added the meat. Adding a couple rib slabs or a butt would affect your lid temp some, adding 6 butts or a dozen slabs would affect it much more. A lot more meat would require more burning fuel to hit 240 lid, say, but when it hit 240 well, there you'd be. Of course, had you not compensated for the increased meat mass when you added lit to your unlit at the outset, you'd see an increase in the time it takes to get your internals moving since you have much more mass absorbing the (relatively) finite amount of heat you're generating. Also, placement of a lot of meat on the grates could affect airflow which might affect temps at the grate level(s) without being reflected much by the lid therm.

This is why I--and others on this board--advocate not being too dependent on time and temp alone, but to use your eyes, hands, fingers, a skewer, fork or toothpick to test for doneness, especially (though not exclusively) with ribs. Other variables, like the fat to lean ratio affect time as well. If you know what your ribs should look like before you foil them (if you foil), how the meat should feel when you insert a toothpick into the foil letting you know it's time to unwrap them, and how twisting a bone should feel (or poking the meat with your finger should feel) when the ribs are ready to come off the grate, you'll be much further along in perfecting your approach. Of course, your 'done' ribs might be different than my 'done' ribs, so all these 'shoulds' are a matter of individual preference.
 
Kevin,

Good points.

I suspect that the attributes of smoking that are frustrating to a beginner (me!) are the same attributes that make the hobby so enticing to the veterans. You make the point that no two cooks are exactly the same for a variety of reasons.

A recipe can tell you "x" number of hours at "y" temperature, but things are not that simple. It takes time to learn how to use your complete compliment of senses while cooking.
 
"X" hours at "y" temperature would be the definition of baking. As an example, I cooked a butt yesterday-- 5 pounds at an average of 235°, no foil. At 7 hours, the internal temp was 185°. If I was watching the clock and the thermometer only, I would have said I have at least a half hour more time-wise, and the thermometer would make me believe it would take even longer than that to rise another 10° or so. But looking at the butt, the appearance, especially around the bone, made me stick a fork in it. It went in like butter-- it was done. So when they say "it's done when it's done", that doesn't necessarily mean later than sooner.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dennis T.:
Bill,

Anything to report regarding how those ribs turned out? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The ribs weren't as tender as my previous batch which pulled from the bone quite easily. The ribs were HUGE. I purchased 2 slabs totaling 10 1/2 pounds. The smaller spare ribs I've used in the past probably would have been more tender; or maybe I should have simply left these larger ribs on the smoker longer.

This was my first time with Hickory as well. I used 3 chunks of Hickory and 1 chunk of pear. There was definitely a much greater smoke flavor to these ribs; maybe a little too much. I think I will try a 50/50 blend next time.

Don't get me wrong, these ribs were very good. They disappeared in quick fashion, but I'm looking for the "perfect" ribs and I haven't quite found them yet.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill M.:
but I'm looking for the "perfect" ribs and I haven't quite found them yet. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Aren't we all looking for the Holy Grail? As Dennis T. pointed out, this is what makes the hobby so much fun -- the search for excellence as we define it.

Smoking with the WSM and the info from this site ihas gotten me closer to perfect ribs, but not there yet. Besides, if I did get perfect ribs, I would just destroy the evidence.
 
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