Why is pork sparerib meat frayed?

[Michael Vaewhongs]

Meat question: *Why is my sliced pork sparerib meat frayed* (picture with multiple ribs on plate) vs. Jeremy Yoder's (MadScientistBBQ) rib whose meat is smooth (picture with single rib)? This was my first ever rib smoke or cook

I could not find answer on search of this forum nor in my Harold McGee food science book. If same question answered in past then please provide link to it and accept my apology for my sucky search skills.

Ribs were moist, had wonderful smoke and overall tasted awesome. 1/2 rack of ribs unglazed and other 1/2 rack glazed. Same frayed meat present on cutting both 1/2 rack of ribs. Knife used was very sharp boning knife. Should knife have been Granton edged?

BACKGROUND
Outdoor temperature 82F with at most 3mph south to north wind.
Smoke wood: 5 parts hickory to 1 part cherry.
Fuel: Frontier brand 100% Natural Hardwood Briquets South American Charcoal (Paraguay)

Storebought Smithfield St. Louis Style pork spareribs unfrozen 3.68lbs. Rub is coarse sea salt, coarse black pepper, coarse onion powder, coarse garlic. Meat side up: Four hours at 225F (3rd hour when meat darker red and dry start spray every 15 min with mixture 1:1 apple cider vinegar&water). Hour 5 uncovered meat side still up @275F. Then apply 2 tablespoon smoked bacon fat to ribs then wrap in butcher paper and place in smoker meat side *down*. Stop cook when rack feel loose and temperature 207F. Rested meat uncovered for 15 minutes. Too short rest?

Here is link to YouTube video used as reference for this cook.

 

[DanHoo]

My opinion from what I can see is they were cooked too long.

I do 3 to 4 hours 225 meat side up. I spritz a couple of times.

Then wrap meat side down. Cook wrapped another hour at 225, then I open the foil flip to meat side up and finish cooking in the foil. I make a foil boat for the finish about 30 to 45 mins. Temp of the last step varies. If I'm running late I'll raise the temp to 325.

I don't temp test ribs, but 207 seems a bit on the high side.

 

[Doug M in VA]

Make sure you have a very sharp knife

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I was going to mention the knife.
I use a non serrated but it still shreds mine when I am done cooking them.
I have never once temp checked my ribs of course. Also mine are never as juicy as that video displays near the end when he pushes on it.
Maybe I need to relearn how to do ribs, 225 is not a temp I can achieve.

 

[TonyUK]

I agree with Dan, they look overcooked. What you have there is close to pulled ribs. And some people like them like that.
That's why the meat has started to come apart as you sliced them.
Personally I like a bit of tug off the bone as opposed to fotb mush! I take my ribs to 190 max....naked. (Not me...the ribs).

 

[DanHoo]

Here's what I meant by foil boat. It's the same foil I wrap with just opened up to hold the drippings. My goal of the last stage is to firm up the meat side so it isn't soggy. I think these are baby backs not spares fwiw. One was naked, one lightly sauced.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I've had ribs take 7 hours so it just depends. 207 is high finishing temp on ribs. 190-200 is about right just depending on how tender you want them.

 

[Chuck-roaniecowpony]

If you're cooking for yourself or friends and family, don't worry about the "frayed" look. It comes from being so tender, the meat separates at the grain boundaries rather than slices cleanly. If you like it that tender, it's part of the package. A more "competition" style cook will leave them with more "bite", which is another way of saying they have more strength in the connective tissue between the grain, or slightly less tender. Somewhere I recall someone (Harry Soo?) stated that the window of perfection for a competition style rib doneness was around 6 minutes at a particular temperature (?). My family likes them closer to fall of the bone and they tend to "fray" a lot when cut. They like em that way, so I cook em that way.

 

[DanHoo]

If you're cooking for yourself or friends and family, don't worry about the "frayed" look.

Yeah, it's about the flavor. If the ribs are not dry and taste great, go with it.

 

[Bob Bass]

Michael,
Don't know what edition your McGee book is. Mine is the Scribner 2004 revised edition.
In McGee's book, check out Chapter 3 "Meat", "The Structure and Qualities of Meat" AND "Cooking Fresh Meat: The Principles" / "The Challenge of Cooking Meat: The Right Texture"
Others have given some great advice. I agree that the meat is overcooked.

 

[DanHoo]

Last time I overcooked ribs I pulled the bones, shredded the meat. In a separate pan I melted some butter, added apple juice and some SBR. Got it hot and stired it in with the meat and made pulled rib sammies.

Not as good as I wanted but it was making lemonade out of lemons.

 

[MikeCantell]

The fat is what holds all the meat fibers together, when most of it is rendered they separate, same thing happens with beef in stew if heated to long, look at pulled pork, it wont shred good till it's got the fat broke down then it falls apart

 

[Bob Bass]

Mike.... Might I suggest some additional research on the subject of meat fibre, specifically connective tissue.
Like the book Michael noted - "On Food and Cooking : The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee. It's considered by many in the culinary world to be The Book ! Extremely informative. And 'only' 896 pages in length.

 

[Michael Vaewhongs]

Thanks to everyone's prior response. 2nd cook now stopped at 197F for thicker portion and 200F for thinner portion and no more fraying of meat. Knife used was w/o granton edge.

Meat was same brand Smithfield foods St. Louis pork spare ribs (almost same weight) as first cook with frayed meat. It was same general cook temperature and time (e.g. 225F x 5 hours, 275F for one hour) per Mad Scientist BBQ video in my original post with now lower ending temperature.