Wrapping ribs


 
LMichaels said:
Got 2 slabs of trimmed up St Louis ribs on the Wolf tonight with some packets of cherry wood on it. Not going to wrap tonight though
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The experience I had with my lifetime supply (2-3 uses so far) of pink butcher paper was it let the moisture escape but contained the fat, unlike foil, which retains more moisture.
 
So two slabs of low quality Costco St Louis ribs. My own rub. Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika. No sauce. Cherry wood smoke and about 4 hours on the Wolf. Meat temp'd at right around 175 to 185 depending on where I stuck them. Rested them covered for about an hour. Bottom line great flavor but actual quality of the meat was bad. Those ribs must have come from a mean old sow that had been bred and left supporting the kids far too many times with too many baby daddies. :D Good smoke ring and everything but Costco pork is bad
 
Larry sorry you had bad luck with the Costco ribs as my experience has been there ribs are no better or worse than our local chains being Kroger and Publix. Were they the Swift brand which is carried by the chains also.

4 hours with no crutch is really quick for St Louis ribs I don't use a therm for ribs but providing your therm was accurate 175 - 185 is low you would get better results getting them to at least 190 or a bit higher. Some use a range for 190-200 but again I don't use a therm use a wooden toothpick got that technique from Harry's video and when it goes thru them like peanut butter they are done unless you want them fall off the bone. Were they tough or was the taste just off?
 
I have always done my ribs to a steady temp for a specified time and used the "bend test". I didn't think cooking to a target temp was a thing with ribs.
 
Bruce said:
I have always done my ribs to a steady temp for a specified time and used the "bend test". I didn't think cooking to a target temp was a thing with ribs.
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It really isn't to much variation in the ribs themselves not like a steak I have used the bend method also the toothpick deal works well also.
 
They were Swift branded. Sadly there is so much other crap in their meat it spoils it. I only mentioned the temps because it's where I found the point for bend test and not being over dried was about right. I wasn't really "shooting" for the temps I noted. They were simply a "notation". Wrapping MAY have helped but again meet quality was poor at best. I'm thinking I may go out to the local packing house next time and get some locally raised and butchered pork. I have had good luck here https://www.eickmans.com/ They only sell locally and well raised meats.
 
Larry, interesting on the Swift not had any issues with them at Costco I only buy them with no marinade or rub. I don't think there is any substitute for buying them at a real butcher but I have had no complaints on the ones I have done when I had company. I think you said you don't sauce them and I don't either I just give them a rub spray them down with water and and can't believe its butter after an hour or so to build up bark repeat after another 30 minutes sounds like I am pumping Harry's method but it works.

You need to come over to the dark side and try wrapping them it makes a difference. Some of my guests like sauce so I generally use some Sweet Baby Rays but I warm it up in a small pot and then put it into a bowl so they can use whatever they want. 4 hours I will contend is not enough time for St Louis Ribs or Back Ribs no matter what the bend test says, even using Harry's 275 temp in my smoker for a few hours then wrapped to the oven at 275 they generally take at least 4 1/2 or more.
 
Well you saw I did try wrapping a different slab but much higher quality pork. Not sure what the butter substitute does. That stuff is a chemical nightmare anyway. Only thing in my house resembling butter is BUTTER nearly 100% I only buy Kerrygold (or something similar) as it is grass fed and organic. It's high in Omega 3 as well. So even if I don't have salmon I still get my Omega 3s. Grass fed beef is much the same. Very high in Omega 3 but I cannot find it except from some local farmers but then I have to buy whole quarters and I cannot deal with all that. So I just buy regular beef. But I stay far away from the chemical s^&tstorm things like fake butters and such. I also refuse to allow foods to cook in contact with or be stored in contact with aluminum.
If I can't pronounce the names of the ingredients or I cannot buy them on the grocer shelf they don't belong in my food
 
Never had any problems with Swift premium ribs from Costco or Safeway but then I don't cook to temperature I use the toothpick and bend test for doneness and I do wrap my ribs. Even doing HH ribs I've had no problems and get them done in about 2 1/4 hours on the performer only draw back is not a lot of smoke flavor, which is fine with me.
 
Again, I don't cook ribs to temp. I too use the bone extending and the bend test. I only posted the temps to note the test with the new thermometer nothing more. Today will be a more critical test. I will be making homemade pasta and either marinara or bolognese style sauce or gravy and grilling chicken thighs for second course
 
Bruce said:
Butter on ribs, please enlighten me?
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Take the time to view the Harry's video I posted you will get it and pick up a lot of tips. Butter will burn which is why he does not use it water, and parkay or I can't believe its butter which ever is available or cheaper will work. I use the can't believe only because it was on sale, I use honey and brown sugar on all my ribs including a rub. I bought a few glass spray bottles on amazon was not a fan of the plastic they are easier to clean and the spray mechanism seems to work better.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07CV247PV/tvwb-20

They say on my order they were out of stock but then they list them for $8.99 which is a buck less than I paid for them.
 
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I have seen the liquid margarine idea on several rib videos on YouTube. I agree with Larry that they aren't a very healthy choice, but I would be OK with using it as part of coating for ribs where, as Brian says, you really aren't consuming a whole lot of it. I have, however, used brown sugar, honey and regular butter with no issue.

FWIW - not much - I ditched Smart Balance a few years ago and personally use Land O Lakes butter & olive oil mix for toast, corn on the cob, etc. Butter, olive oil and salt - nothing more. Not organic and definitely not as good as Kerrygold. I figure I am doing good with what this, but maybe someday I will try mixing better quality butter with olive oil to make my own homemade alternative:o!

When I was in Germany, we had breakfast at the small hotel in Berlin where we stayed. I couldn't believe how good their butter tasted. I told our hostess that it was SO GOOD and definitely not like American butter!

p.s. This conversation did provoke me to purchase the roll of butcher paper (which went on sale briefly:cool:). While I will probably never be as careful as Larry is regarding aluminum, this does seem like a better plan. If I had to hold the ribs for a longer stretch after grilling I could see covering butcher paper wrapped ribs with an additional wrap of foil. But, like Larry points out, the aluminum wouldn't then be in contact with the food.
 
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European butter tastes so much better because it has a much higher fat to water ratio. American butter when melted has a totally different "feel" if you ever have handled a stick or chunk of it to say butter some corn. If you do the same with Kerrygold it feels more like a smooth putty. If you melt it in a pan no moisture forms. You should try it as it is actually healthier according to my Dr than the blends like you're using. Due to the very high Omega 3 fat content. I have also found a couple other brands of grass fed organic from Europe that I find equally as good tasting, I also have stumbled across some from WI made in the European style (grass fed, organic high O3 fat, high fat to water ratio) but they're very hard to find and honestly I prefer the taste of the Kerrygold
 
Larry, if you can recall some of those brands from Wisconsin, let me know. Where do you get the Kerrygold butter?
 
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