using foil with ribs


 
B

Benny Blanco

New member
im sure this has been discussed here before, but id like to throw in my uneducated opinion.

my family had a rib cook-off a few months ago which I won out of about 10 entries. I knew going in that I wanted to make GOOD bbq - not boiled, baked, crock-potted ribs - yuck.

I starting making ribs every chance I got leading up to the competition and I settled on a recipe that called for foiling the ribs at some point. The weekend before the competition, I had a thought - by foiling the ribs, I'm pretty much creating a mini-oven hence steaming/baking the ribs - basically doing the same thing everyone else was going to do. I decided to throw out my recipe last minute and go with a different stratagy. The results were fantastic.

so, long story short - dont you guys get the same feeling from foiling? Are we really smoking only to throw away the results by wrapping the ribs in foil?
 
In my opinion Im with you. Foil is nice for speeding up a cook though if you have to. Some folks add juices and honey or sugar etc. to the foil before wrapping ribs and I have before, but I guess I settled and and am happy w/ not using it if I don't have to. I tried several things and so far the more simple, the better for me. Its all good though.
 
good work on the win. Looks like your ready for the pro circuit.

I got a "washed out" flavor from foiling, didn't like it, so I stopped doing it.

I also prefer a little textural variety, some parts tender some a bit drier. It feels like a home-made product to me.

I don't foil for comp because of the few ribs needed to turn in. I can pick and choose center ones for the judges and save the drier ends for me and my team (mmmm...bark).

people who feel the need to boil ribs, are totally misguided IMO.
 
In no way do I feel like Im ready for competition, but I'd love to join in the fun one day with more experience.

Thanks for the thoughts guys.. I just wanted to see if my thoughts were actually sane and made sense.

For those who were wondering what I ended up doing, I still didnt really smoke proper, but it was the best I could do with what I had.

I actually made these on my Weber gas-grill - I know I know..

1) Soaked hickory planks the night before.
2) rubbed the ribs down the morning of.
3) Got consistent 225 on the grills.
4) Threw the ribs on the planks and onto the BBQ, indirect heat.
5) Used a couple of small apple chip foiled sacks.
6) drizzled a very small amount of honey over the ribs.
7) let cook for approx 3 to 4 hours.
8) Before serving, caramalized my own BBQ sauce on the ribs over some flames.
9) served.

Since then, I've picked up a 22" WSM and am planning to do my first cook on Monday with 6-8 racks of baby backs.
 
If done right, foiling is fine. If you are getting a "washed out " flavor, try coating the ribs with : a) Muscovado sugar, b) BBQ Rub c) Pineapple Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly, before you wrap. Make certain to not overcook in the foil.No more than an hour in foil. Then, you must "firm them back up," by giving them additional time "naked" back in th cooker. This is when I start the glazing, or saucing process. I foil EVERYTIME I cook ribs and have been told "best ribs I ever ate," many times.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Hutson:
.. "best ribs I ever ate," many times. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Moms and wives don't count... bassist.
Just jokin Dave your the man! Glad were online so you can't play (music) circles around me. I got some ribs on right now, maybe i'll try what you said. I hurridly put some texas bbq rub on cause well... i was in a hurry. can I wrap them in something you'de suggest to try em' out that way? I've foiled before but w/ what depended on what I rubbed them w/? what do you think, I got about 3 1/2 hours left if you make it by then. THANKS!!!

*I just decided to try Jalapeno jelly w/ a little apple juice, and extra rub in foil. I don't think i'll glaze, but im gonna make a sauce that hopefully somewhat goes w/ it, ill just re-arrange a base i like I have in a notebook.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">If done right, foiling is fine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

right now I'm getting good results without foiling and its one variable that I'm not ready to add into my protocol. And it would more than double the work involved with my current protocol (put in wsm, don't touch until done). I can see incorporating a short foil to improve uniformity in texture some day, but I'm not there yet.

I support a post-foil firm-up period with my HH brisket.
 
I cooked some ribs this past weekend and I took a slab, cut it in half and foiled one and not the other. On the foil one, I put a little bit of honey and brown sugar with a little apple juice in the foil before putting the ribs on it. I actually, like the foiled ones just a bit better, but I think that had to do with the honey/brown sugar giving it a nice flavor. After I took them out of the foil, I did put them back on the smoker to firm up.

From what I could tell, both ribs cooked well. The main reason I see for using foil is to add extra stuff like the honey/brown sugar/apple juice to it.
 
When I foil it's only for a half an hour and then I put them back on naked until finished. But if you put a plate of ribs in front of me, I could care less if they were foiled or not, I'm probably going to eat them as long as they taste good. I think we can all agree on that.
 
very good point, dave.
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Reasons why I foil:

1) I get more consistent cooking times
2) Everyone I know craves falling off the bone ribs.
3) I myself crave falling off the bone ribs.


I've tried it every different way, and always come back to liking the foiling the best.
 
I only foil after the ribs are done to hold them in the cooler. I have never used it to cook/smoke them. Foil is for cooking inside in the oven.

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