How does it ruin them? It makes fall off the bone rides exactly like the recipe says. I've never had a bad cook ever using it, my kids hate having to chew meat off the bone. I don't care either way as the flavor is the same.
I have to agree, "Fall off the bone" (meaning you cant use the bone to pick it up), is just bleh, it's mushy. You might as well steam/boil them at that point. There should be a "tug" to take the meat off the bone, and the consistency shouldn't be fall apart (pulled pork), that's over cooked.Show me one legit BBQ joint, that makes fall off the bone ribs? When ribs are like that, might as well make a porkbutt. My 2 cents is all, however cook and enjoy food the way you like it.
I have been only "learning" to make my perfect rib for about half the time you have (30 years give or take), but I find it amazing I am in agreement with everything you said here, and in fact do it almost exactly the same, (with the exception I prefer a wet/sticky rib with a sauce, and I set my temp at 250°.I have been chasing "the perfect rib" for almost 60 years. Stick Burners, Propane Burners, Green Eggs, now Pellet Grills. I am serious about the number of years. When asked my life goals, it has always been things like World Peace,, Monetary Security, Good Health, Happiness etc, but always then ends with "oh yeah, and to cook the perfect rib.
Rib truths: Doneness is when the ribs tell you they are done. This means probing for "pass through" feel, using the bend test and/or its cousin the twist test. Color and pull back are also right there as part of confirmation. If a rack is passing those tests, it is done.
Done is not the only point to consider. What kind of "bite" do you want from your done ribs. Are you a "fall off the bone" type guy and how much "fall off the bone" do mean when you say it. I have eaten ribs where you can't lift them by the bone. Fork only. Do you want to feel the meat as you bite through it and have some texture in the "chew"? Sorry, but remember I have been considering this for almost 60 years.
For me, I use 275 degrees as my "rib standard" with no wrapping at any point. It doesn't matter what I am using to cook them (sticks, charcoal, pellets, or propane). Time and Temperature are my keys.
I like and use Pecan for all Pork (unless going for a specific regional trait). My son gets furious because he asks me for temps for doneness and I tell him I have no idea, I have never checked them.
At 275, these are the approximate cooking times that I plan on. (note: I pull the membrane on all my pork ribs, but not my beef ribs)
Baby Back Ribs: 3 - 3.5 hours.
St Louis Trim Spare Ribs: 4 - 4.5 hours.
Full on Spare Ribs with the breast plate and all the bits 6 - 7 hours.
Everyone will find the way that suits them the best. These are the truths for me when I do ribs. I forgot to mention that I do use Cheap Yellow Mustard as a binder on all my ribs. (wouldn't want to be found withholding a key perfect rib technique).
I also tend to finish as a Dry Memphis finished rib. Table sauce can be added at serving time. Give them 2 or 3 choices.
Hope this is useful.
v/r r
Everyone can choose (and cook) ribs to their desired degree of tenderness. My statement was only highlighting the fact that if you are using a stopwatch/timer to cook ribs which 3-2-1 implies, you won’t get consistent results. Proteins are so different from animal to animal (e.g., size/weight, density, pre-cooked tenderness, marbling, etc.) so 6 hours is only a guesstimate someone concocted. In theory, they don’t even specify the type of ribs, the size of ribs and other factors that can influence the outcome such as how and how long you dry rub, and what temperature the racks start at for the cook. As someone that has actually slaughtered pigs/hogs, taken a fresh killed rack, seasoning it, and putting it on a grill, is/was different than taking a rack out of the refrigerator that was cryogenically sealed (frozen), for months then thawed. When you throw in temperature fluctuations and the fact that every 3 pack of ribs I’ve ever purchased had 2 racks of similar size and one rack that looked smaller, especially at the ends, the timer won’t be very helpful in my opinion. To illustrate this concept, do each of the exhibits below use the same 3-2-1 method if you were cooking just the ribs? The pictures represent my recent cooks. The hog was almost 200lbs and the ribs were about 20lbs each. The trimmed ribs were approximately 10lbs each and came from Costco. The piglet was a Fermin suckling variety around 70lbs pre-butchered with ribs that weighed around 6lbs each. However, I will definitely monitor this thread and increase my knowledge on this matter as others continue to share.
The prep on that pig looks absolutely Perfect. Text book. A lot of work goes into prep for a pig roast but it pays in the product at delivery. Really nice looking Pig.
How does it change the flavor in anyway? If I want to chew something off a bone I'd make chicken.Show me one legit BBQ joint, that makes fall off the bone ribs? When ribs are like that, might as well make a porkbutt. My 2 cents is all, however cook and enjoy food the way you like it.
Create an account or login to comment
You must be a member in order to leave a comment
Create account
Create an account on our community. It's easy!
Log in
Already have an account? Log in here.
