Learned A Lesson About Ribs

[SkunkedAgain]

I thawed my babybacks from Fri-Sat and let my rub sit from Sat-Sun. On Sunday morning I got free tickets to the Twins game. Uh oh. Since I don't have a smoker, I decided to use a different method (for me) to slow cook my ribs. I couldn't do the slow oven cook since it's hot outside, and my wife and A/C unit would appreciate not having the oven running.

Therefore, I wrapped my ribs in tinfoil and put on the non-charcoal side of my grill. I put in a bunch of charcoal and went to the game. Upon my return, the ribs were extremely tender. In fact, when I grabbed them with the tongs, all of the meat started falling off of the bones. It was only 4pm though, so I pulled them out of the tinfoil and indirect cooked them for another hour. Then I sauced them and put them directly over the coals. They still tasted great but I definitely dried them out.

Next time I need to cook them that long, I'll go straight from the foil to over the coals with sauce. That ought to lock in the tenderness I hope.

Any other suggestions for a guy with just a normal charcoal grill? My usual method is with a tinfoil pan of water and a mop to keep the ribs moist and tender.

[reinhard1]

i put rub on the ribs. put each rack in double foil meaty side down. then when the coals are ready i put them in indirect heat for the first hour. then i take them out of the foil and put them meat side down indirect for the remainder of the time and start mopping the sauce turning the ribs now and then until tender for the plate. good luck.

[randerson]

Fyi if the rib meat falls off the bone they are over done. Lesson learned from Pit masters

[BobT]

Fyi if the rib meat falls off the bone they are over done. Lesson learned from Pit masters

I disagree with that. I don't care for ribs that you have to pull off the bone.

To SkunkedAgain.

Try this instead to avoid drying out your ribs.

Apply your favorite rub about an hour before you grill. Avoid using too much salt in your rub and no salt if you can. Salt will cause the outer skin to dry out and get crusty.

Maintain grill temp to about 200-225 degrees. After you have your fire ready, place your ribs over indirect heat bone side up to brown the meat for one hour. Wrap the ribs in foil along with a couple tablespoons of liquid. I like to use apple juice but some like apple cider, vinegar, pineapple juice, water, etc. Leave the ribs wrapped over indirect heat meat side down for about 3 to 4 hours maintaining your grill temp to about 200-225 degrees. Open the foil, turn your ribs meat side up, and add your favorite BBQ sauce. Close the foil again loosely over the top so the sauce is not pressed off the meat by the foil. Continue cooking for about an hour.

You’ll get fall-off-the-bone juicy ribs. The secret is the slow cooking at low temp, browning them first adds the smoke flavor from your grill, and the foil wrap keeps them moist.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I am far from a rib expert, but I did the basic 3-2-1 method with success the first (only) time I made them. 3 hours @ ~225, then 2 hours in foil @ 225, then unwrap and another hour (add sauce at this time if desired). They turned out great.

[McGurk]

As far as how you like your ribs, make 'em how you like 'em. If you want literally "Fall Off The Bone" ribs, that would mean exactly that: falling off of the bone and onto your plate. IMHO if they are cooked like that, they are too done and mushy. I don't like when you take a bite off of a rib and that entire side of rib meat comes off all at once. You end up with more than a mouthful of rib meat hanging from your mouth, and I just end up using a fork to eat them. (Blasphemy!!!) Conversely, I do not like to have to chew the meat off of the bone, and have stringy, sinewy meat.

There is a happy medium, and that is what I shoot for. When you take a bite, your teeth cut through the bark and meat for a clean bite, yet the meat easily comes off of the bone. Not falls off, but pulls off. thirdeye has posted a pic somewhere of a fantastic rib with a clean bite taken out of it, and you will see what I (we) mean.

From Kansas City BBQ judge's site:

[pushbutton]

As far as how you like your ribs, make 'em how you like 'em. If you want literally "Fall Off The Bone" ribs, that would mean exactly that: falling off of the bone and onto your plate. IMHO if they are cooked like that, they are too done and mushy. I don't like when you take a bite off of a rib and that entire side of rib meat comes off all at once. You end up with more than a mouthful of rib meat hanging from your mouth, and I just end up using a fork to eat them. (Blasphemy!!!) Conversely, I do not like to have to chew the meat off of the bone, and have stringy, sinewy meat. There is a happy medium, and that is what I shoot for.

Ok, usually don't make ribs more than twice a year, and you just made me aware of how "mushy" mine do get, have always preferred that to chewy though. I'm sure this has been already posted dozens of times, but could you enlighten us mushy rib heathens how to find that happy medium. or is it simply a matter of paying more attention and not cooking them as long?

[McGurk]

I will say this: It is hard to find without cooking them a few more times than it sounds like you do. A couple things to look for are "Pullback" and the "Bend Test."

This is from the "How do you make your Ribs?" thread from a few weeks ago:

From Start to Finish: The 2-2-1 method for Babybacks, or 3-2-1 for Spares and/or St Louis cuts.

Buy them. Rinse and clean them the night before. Peel membrane. Trim spares into St Louis cuts of desired. Rinse again and pat dry. Apply thin coat of cheap mustard and good coat of rub to both sides. Wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge overnight.

Pull out of fridge an hour before smoking. Get charcoal started and allow burn time in the smoker until you get thin, clean smoke. Get smoker up to 225 deg. Put on ribs and don't look at them for an hour. Get spritz (apple juice or mix) or mop sauce ready to use.

"Pull Back" Spritz them after 1st hour of smoke, and every half hour after that until they start to "weep." That means the fat is rendering out and gives the ribs a wet look without spritzing, and usually arrives around 3 hours in. You should start to see some pull-back at this point, too. The meat shrinks exposing some of the rib.

Foil wrap ribs with a good heavy shot of spritz and put back on smoker for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Open foil and put back on smoker for finishing. You should see significant pull back after the foil step.

"Bend Test" Check doneness after a 1/2 hour by picking up the ribs in the middle with tongs. If they are pretty rigid with no "meat splitting" they are not done. If they bend under their own weight with some visible "meat splitting" they are probably ready to eat. You can now put on sauce and grill them over high heat for 10-15 minutes if you'd like (I don't, sauce is on the table). Pull them, put them all on a large platter, and cover them with tin foil. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Cut and serve.

If the ribs fall apart at the bone during the bend test, pull them immediately and serve. They are definately done, and I'd even say they are over-done at this point. The meat can get mushy, and is not as appealing to me.

Another way to check doneness is to twist a rib bone. You want it to move with little resistance but pretty freely. If there is no twisting resistance the ribs are overdone and probably mushy.

[BobT]

Goes to show we have our different tastes. To me the happy medium is the mushy, fall-off-the-bone, tender, and extremely moist ribs. Sorry, McGurk. I don't care for a dry outer skin and having to peel the meat off the bone with my teeth. To me they are too dry and lack flavor when prepared this way. I also prefer to use a fork because it's less messy especially when lathered with BBQ sauce the way I like.

[McGurk]

That's cool, BobT. As I said before, make 'em how you like 'em. That is what is most important! I prefer a rack that slices easy without the meat coming off the bones, has a slight bark that holds it together while still being moist, and that you eat each bone with your fingers making a mess in the process!

[hockeybc69]

On Man vs Food last night, he was at The Shed BBQ in Mississippi.

He commented how great great the ribs were because they just fall off the bone....

Thats the way I like it too. Mushy? Tender? Call it what you want.

Although, I will say that I wont turn a rib away that takes a little pull either.

[TooTallTom]

Although, I will say that I wont turn a rib away that takes a little pull either.

Same here! While I prefer a little chew, I'm not gonna turn a mushy rib away. I'll just pour on some sauce and eat with a fork. Improvise, adapt, and overcome!

[reinhard1]

i think McGurk put it very well. when it comes to the end of the grilling proccess it pays to pay attention to the ribs. now i have done plenty of ribs and have messed up a few also by not paying attention. you should be able to tell the ribs are too your liking toward the end when you give them a turn while in the mop proccess. by taking a sample near the end would help as well. good luck.