Weber Kettle Club Forums
Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: Eapples on September 28, 2013, 02:46:54 PM
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Hello: I have another question (yeah...what a surprise) --
I was reading about the "3-2-1" method for ribs. In this article, the writer cautioned that if you're doing baby back ribs, then make it 2-2-1. Any opinions on this method, or tweaking it for baby back ribs?
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2-1-1 works well for me. I usually buy the swift costco 3 packs of bb's. They are decently meaty but don't need 5 hours of cooking time.
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2-1-1 works well for me. I usually buy the swift costco 3 packs of bb's. They are decently meaty but don't need 5 hours of cooking time.
Thanks for your input.
I'm using baby back ribs that we bought in Publix. I don't believe that I've ever done baby back ribs. I generally do the regular spare ribs, which I've been doing for just two hours, indirect low. I brine the ribs. They come out pretty good, according to my palate. Now I want to do real bbq, that is, as real as it can get on a gas grill. (The weather isn't cooperating, and I don't want to use my fairly-new kettle in the rain).
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"(yeah...what a surprise)"
I'M SURPRIZED !!!!!
Kettles rock.....in the rain !!!
Even though usually thicker than regular, the back ribs have less of the right kind of fat to flavor & tenderize......yeah, 2-1.5-1 maybe even less on the middle & last number.......foil braizing really loosens them up & if too, too long, it's pork mush / jello.................
This one only sort-of relates......it's foil braized reg. ribs, then taken out of foil later in the cook to re-glaze & firm up the coating......just to add another perspective to the sauce / foil / braize thing
also has a decent demonstration of the 'Bend Test"
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/swine-xylophone-hot-fast/msg41064/#msg41064
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Eapple I can easily go 2-1-1/2hr for most of the baby backs I make. They avg around 2-2.5lbs. I'm cooking at 275 too.
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"(yeah...what a surprise)"
I'M SURPRIZED !!!!!
Kettles rock.....in the rain !!!
Even though usually thicker than regular, the back ribs have less of the right kind of fat to flavor & tenderize......yeah, 2-1.5-1 maybe even less on the middle & last number.......foil braizing really loosens them up & if too, too long, it's pork mush / jello.................
This one only sort-of relates......it's foil braized reg. ribs, then taken out of foil later in the cook to re-glaze & firm up the coating......just to add another perspective to the sauce / foil / braize thing
also has a decent demonstration of the 'Bend Test"
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/swine-xylophone-hot-fast/msg41064/#msg41064
I say "surprised" because I usually think of another question to ask right after I log off. Instead of doing all my questions at one time, I ask them when I think of them. It annoys some people, and intrigues others. I apologize if I'm annoying anyone. I am who I am, and I don't apologize for that.
Anyway, thank you for your advice. I think that your suggestion is a good middle ground from which to start. If the ribs come out too mushy, then it gets added to the experience vault for the next go-round.
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Eapple I can easily go 2-1-1/2hr for most of the baby backs I make. They avg around 2-2.5lbs. I'm cooking at 275 too.
Thank you. Someone else suggested doing 2-1.5-1. I'm going to start there as a good middle-ground starting point, and using your suggestion as one parameter.
Everything that everyone is suggesting/recommending gives me an idea of what/where/when/how, and that certainly beats the hell out of starting out blindly.
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the longer that you leave the ribs in the foil the more tender they will be to the point to where the bones literally fall out, that it too much for me.
Personally I think 1 to 1.5 hours is about all that baby backs need. I know that you are hooked already but once you nail ribs, you will never look back.
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Ask away eapples, that's what we're here for.
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Have you wrapped the ribs you do in your gasser? I tried foiling once and decided I prefer them not foiled. I suggest trying both methods to see which produces the results you like best.
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"(yeah...what a surprise)"
I'M SURPRIZED !!!!!
Kettles rock.....in the rain !!!
Even though usually thicker than regular, the back ribs have less of the right kind of fat to flavor & tenderize......yeah, 2-1.5-1 maybe even less on the middle & last number.......foil braizing really loosens them up & if too, too long, it's pork mush / jello.................
This one only sort-of relates......it's foil braized reg. ribs, then taken out of foil later in the cook to re-glaze & firm up the coating......just to add another perspective to the sauce / foil / braize thing
also has a decent demonstration of the 'Bend Test"
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/swine-xylophone-hot-fast/msg41064/#msg41064
I say "surprised" because I usually think of another question to ask right after I log off. Instead of doing all my questions at one time, I ask them when I think of them. It annoys some people, and intrigues others. I apologize if I'm annoying anyone. I am who I am, and I don't apologize for that.
Anyway, thank you for your advice. I think that your suggestion is a good middle ground from which to start. If the ribs come out too mushy, then it gets added to the experience vault for the next go-round.
Well, they came out so tender that when I was trying to cut the ribs to separate them, the meat fell away from the bone...BUT they were damn good tasting. I think that next time around it'll be 2-1-1, or maybe 2-1/2-1/2.
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Eapple I can easily go 2-1-1/2hr for most of the baby backs I make. They avg around 2-2.5lbs. I'm cooking at 275 too.
Thank you. Someone else suggested doing 2-1.5-1. I'm going to start there as a good middle-ground starting point, and using your suggestion as one parameter.
Everything that everyone is suggesting/recommending gives me an idea of what/where/when/how, and that certainly beats the hell out of starting out blindly.
I did the ribs following 2-1.5-1, and the meat was coming off the bone as I was cutting them to separate the ribs. But, the flavor was excellent; so, next time I'll cut down on the time a bit.
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the longer that you leave the ribs in the foil the more tender they will be to the point to where the bones literally fall out, that it too much for me.
Personally I think 1 to 1.5 hours is about all that baby backs need. I know that you are hooked already but once you nail ribs, you will never look back.
When you're right, you're right. The meat was falling off the bone. Tasty, but I like a little pull when I'm biting into the rib. It was like I was eating pulled pork. My wife told me to leave the recipe alone and not to mess with it. When it comes to stuff like this, I'm a thinker and a tinkerer.
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Have you wrapped the ribs you do in your gasser? I tried foiling once and decided I prefer them not foiled. I suggest trying both methods to see which produces the results you like best.
On the gasser the ribs were falling apart as I was trying to lift them out of the foil wrap. They were juicy and tasty; but, there was no pull when I bit into the rib. The next time around I'm going to try wrapping 'em, but for a shorter period of time, maybe just one hour or maybe just a half hour.
I'm just waiting for some decent weather so that I can do all this on my kettle.
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Ask away eapples, that's what we're here for.
I'm feeling good about my kettle. Most of my successes have been on my gas grill (Weber Genesis 1000). I'm anxious to see how I do with charcoal. The digital thermometer from Redi-Chek, which got trashed on Amazon.com, is working out really well. It alerted me to the fact that I ran out of gas during the cook (falling grill temp); and with indirect the thermometer in the grill lid is nowhere near the temp at the cooking grate. When I did the ribs yesterday, the digital read 280-286 (the lowest temp I could get with just one burner) while the thermometer in the grill lid read 220. I know that maintaining temp on the kettle will be more challenging; but I'm ready.
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" I know that maintaining temp on the kettle will be more challenging"
OK.......but what if it's not........more challenging, I mean?
Under the heading of: "How I think about cooking on a Kettle" comes this~~~~>
I sit the grate therms on the food grate, next to the food so I can see what the temp is right at the food..........I don't basically / usually need to, but I do it for other's benefit, so I can answer temp questions.......mostly......90% of the time is spent paying attention to the food, the Kettle itself & the cooking environment.......10% (or less) looking at therms........
I get that the technology is there & as with any toys of the technology, we SHOULD play with them........I just like to not get too mentally dependent upon something that, while a great tool, can also be decieving & may also rarely fail............
Perhaps if I were to do competions, or have the need for tighter controls on the temp for other reasons (smoking cured stuff comes to mind) then I'd be much more inclined to get into all that jazz............... ;D
One Touch Platinum, who put up a lot of great recipes & cooks here, has a real good attitude about a lot of this,cook up to a point & instant read the ending......a lot of reverse sear technique comes into play...........I was reluctant to go that direction a lot, 'cause it's counter to my old, set-in-my-ways ways & having people demand that's the ONLY way to do tri-tip, etc, but a lot of that now makes more sense......................
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" I know that maintaining temp on the kettle will be more challenging"
OK.......but what if it's not........more challenging, I mean?
Under the heading of: "How I think about cooking on a Kettle" comes this~~~~>
I sit the grate therms on the food grate, next to the food so I can see what the temp is right at the food..........I don't basically / usually need to, but I do it for other's benefit, so I can answer temp questions.......mostly......90% of the time is spent paying attention to the food, the Kettle itself & the cooking environment.......10% (or less) looking at therms........
I get that the technology is there & as with any toys of the technology, we SHOULD play with them........I just like to not get too mentally dependent upon something that, while a great tool, can also be decieving & may also rarely fail............
Perhaps if I were to do competions, or have the need for tighter controls on the temp for other reasons (smoking cured stuff comes to mind) then I'd be much more inclined to get into all that jazz............... ;D
One Touch Platinum, who put up a lot of great recipes & cooks here, has a real good attitude about a lot of this,cook up to a point & instant read the ending......a lot of reverse sear technique comes into play...........I was reluctant to go that direction a lot, 'cause it's counter to my old, set-in-my-ways ways & having people demand that's the ONLY way to do tri-tip, etc, but a lot of that now makes more sense......................
I mean "challenging." You're talking to someone who, when he bought his first house and was trying to repair a faulty outlet, kept tugging on the short piece of wire coming out of the wall, not realizing that he was pulling the bx cable out of the wall. Yes, for me it'll be a challenge until, as someone else in this forum suggested, I get so comfortable with my kettle and the low and slow process that I can basically set it and forget it.
I like tinkering, but I don't like tinkering with B until I understand A, and I don't move on to C until I understand B, and so on. I can see myself following your m.o., more or less, but for now I'm comfortable at my pace. AND I really appreciate all the advice and all the suggestions from folks. THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.
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That's perfectly OK !!!!
It's why we're all here together......everybody gets to learn in all different directions, starting from any & all skill levels.......in my book, NOBODY gets shut down for asking....... 8)
This is a little off the original 3-2-1 topic, but here goes............
A good way to get the hang of, for instance, Step "A" might be a test burn................
Set up a charcoal ring, per a few links I'll show, and when you see someone post up about 'snake' or 'ring' take a look at their setups too......
Just set the thing up, lite it off, set a pan of cold water on the cooking grate (to simulate cold lump of meat being added) & set your vents at a bit less than half.......then pay attention & monitor this throughout the day ( best done on a Saturday or whatever day you might be around the house all day doing other things anyway.........use whatever therm setup you'd like to work with & that will also help to get the hang of that part too !!!!!
Point of this is to get used to making either no moves at all, or very slight adjustments, over a very long period of time.......to understand the concept of patience & observation & getting the hang of the charcoal / kettle environment.........no quick moves, no freaking out, relax, let any nervousness take a back seat, watch the machine do the work, you get the priveledge of being an unpaid assistant, the payoff WILL come later !!!!!
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/food-pr0n/bob's-beef-o-rama/msg20382/#msg20382
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/first-try-at-the-buckie-method/
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/3lbs-boston-butt-never-done-anything-like-this-before-best-course-of-action/
There's some different ones to look thru......really, really strongly suggest a test burn.....
it's a grand learning experience & charcoal is almost always cheaper than meat or other foods you might cook like this........
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Yes, for me it'll be a challenge until, as someone else in this forum suggested, I get so comfortable with my kettle and the low and slow process that I can basically set it and forget it.
That may have been me :o ... I see everyone messing with foil, and I have tried it.
I didn't like messing with all of that ... A big time waster IMHO. But, everyone's method may vary.
Try it next time without foil ... no peaking, just let them ride. You may be surprised at the end result. :D ;)
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Only made ribs once in my kettle and I did the 3-2-1 method. Worked out well for me with St Louis style ribs. First try I had tasty ribs.
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That's perfectly OK !!!!
It's why we're all here together......everybody gets to learn in all different directions, starting from any & all skill levels.......in my book, NOBODY gets shut down for asking....... 8)
This is a little off the original 3-2-1 topic, but here goes............
A good way to get the hang of, for instance, Step "A" might be a test burn................
Set up a charcoal ring, per a few links I'll show, and when you see someone post up about 'snake' or 'ring' take a look at their setups too......
Just set the thing up, lite it off, set a pan of cold water on the cooking grate (to simulate cold lump of meat being added) & set your vents at a bit less than half.......then pay attention & monitor this throughout the day ( best done on a Saturday or whatever day you might be around the house all day doing other things anyway.........use whatever therm setup you'd like to work with & that will also help to get the hang of that part too !!!!!
Point of this is to get used to making either no moves at all, or very slight adjustments, over a very long period of time.......to understand the concept of patience & observation & getting the hang of the charcoal / kettle environment.........no quick moves, no freaking out, relax, let any nervousness take a back seat, watch the machine do the work, you get the priveledge of being an unpaid assistant, the payoff WILL come later !!!!!
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/food-pr0n/bob's-beef-o-rama/msg20382/#msg20382
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/first-try-at-the-buckie-method/
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/3lbs-boston-butt-never-done-anything-like-this-before-best-course-of-action/
There's some different ones to look thru......really, really strongly suggest a test burn.....
it's a grand learning experience & charcoal is almost always cheaper than meat or other foods you might cook like this........
Actually, I did just that when I got my kettle. I did several test burns, e.g. with full chimney starters of briquettes, lump charcoal; half chimney starters of briquettes and lump; using the charcoal baskets; spreading the coals out across the charcoal grate; using the snake method. I didn't run any tests using the minion method, although it can be argued, I guess, that the snake method is a variation of the minion method.
America's Test Kitchen used the minion method for doing a turkey on the grill, and Meathead, I believe, recommends the minion method on the WSM. I'll do some test runs, or burns, with my WSM just to see for myself how the temp varies, if it does at all; to go through the set-up; and so on. I can't assume that I'll get the same results using the same method on different equipment. What I HAVE NOT DONE is to make notes on the results of my tests.
Also, I contacted Kevin whatshisface (from Weber) via Facebook regarding temp control, and he recommended adjusting the bottom vent more so than the top vent. I tried that with my test runs, and I did notice the change when I adjusted the vent.
One of my hurdles is to get away from the precision of the gas grill, i.e. getting used to being able to move like clockwork with food prep, grill prep, cooking, and going more toward the go-slowly-and-take-mental-notes-on-any-variation-in-process-and-outcome approach.
Now, how cool is that when cyber-brethren start thinking along the same lines?
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"One of my hurdles is to get away from the precision of the gas grill, i.e. getting used to being able to move like clockwork with food prep, grill prep, cooking, and going more toward the go-slowly-and-take-mental-notes-on-any-variation-in-process-and-outcome approach."
That's a great way to think about it......you also can just write stuff down, if that helps......
I'll do that sometimes.....probably not actually often enough...... ::)