Rib Basics

[AJ328]

Hey guys I'm new here and after lurking around for the last 24 hours or so , I got this idea for a detailed discussion. Being a bit of a newbie in some respects I'm hoping to get a full idea of the various methods of how to cook different meats on the grill and think that can be adequately done with these four questions. I hope many of you will find this as interesting as I do.

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?

2. How do you arrange the coals?

3. Do you use foil?

4. What's the temperature and cook time?

Topic of the Day: Ribs

My Answers
1. Typically apply a rub of brown sugar, dried chllis, and other seasonings an hour or two before grilling.

2. I always put them to one side, but since coming here I'm going to try the snake/fuse method.

3. I slap them right on the grill, no foil on them or anything but I do use a drip pan.

4. I've always aimed for 250 for 6 to 8 hours, basically when I can slide a bone out.


-AJ

[LightningBoldtz]

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?   Mustard and whatever spice I can find that day.

2. How do you arrange the coals? If it is on the Kettle I will probably put my smokenator in and use that.

3. Do you use foil? Yes Smoke for 2.5 hours, Foil for an hour, sauce for 30 minutes.

4. What's the temperature and cook time? a lot of ppl say 225, I don't agree, I like it at 250 to 275. and as I stated above about 4 hours. 

I have not had a person say that my ribs are bad, in fact I get the "You should open a restaurant"  No Thanks

[Cuda Dan]

Aj
This is my 2 cents.
1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?
Pull the back skin off the rib's. Season them at least 2 hours before.

2. How do you arrange the coals?
I always place them one side of the kettle and place a tin with water. Also add wood chips and chucks.

3. Do you use foil?
 No

4. What's the temperature and cook time?
Keep track of the temperature, try 250 range and set a timer to check. If you are cooking lets say 4 racks (in a stack) then I rotate bottom to top move them every 30 minutes.

[1buckie]

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?

Usually not too, too long before they go on.....salt can result in a strange taste if left on for a long time

2. How do you arrange the coals?

Varies, depending on type of rib, how they're aimed to end up & such......
Favorite for me is dry, full spares, lotsa smoke:


This is coals to one side, w/ wood chunk a few times......

Grilled, shorter cook, no wood, same basic setup:


Bigger flats, longer & lower cook & for beef ribs, two short snakes, opposite directions:




just rotating the grate a few times as the coals burn around...........

3. Do you use foil?

Sometimes, but braized 1st & then grilled &/or smoked after....see here:

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/ribs-two-ways-wrapped-unwrapped/





4. What's the temperature and cook time?

All different, depending on size, type, method, etc.

Common for a lot of these type things is (along with pork butt, brisket & other things)  is 260f.....seems to be a good middle-of-the-road area where things move along, but don't go so fast they get dried out..............
 Anywhere from 1-1/2 hours for a quick, grilled backrib to 6+ hours for full spares without a lot of trimming..................

[mirkwood]

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?

2. How do you arrange the coals?

3. Do you use foil?

4. What's the temperature and cook time?

Topic of the Day: Ribs

1.  24 hours before cooking I peel the silver skin off the bone side and do minimal trimming of fat,
rub with very thin coat of evoo and apply a generous coat of Meatheads Memphis Dust and let the
ribs hang in the fridge till cooking

2. I use a Smokenator and 2 or 3 lemon sized chunks of pecan wood for smoking.

3. Yes and I use a drip pan too, timing is 3 hours unwrapped 2 hours wrapped and maybe 30 minutes
wrapped at the end and never sauce during the cook, let the person eating them sauce them if they want it.

4. Aim for 225 or as close as I can get it. Time see #3

[MINIgrillin]

I peel the membrane, trim, and season 1-1.5 hr before cook. I use a blend of off the shelf rubs.
On the 26r I ride the snake, 275, foil when they are ready for it with apple juice (usually after 2 hrs or so)  but have been using WSM lately.

WSM with the minion has been rock steady at 250-265f for 5 hrs with no attention from me. Foil for 2 and then to medium high grill for 30 minutes to firm up and sauce.

On the 26r I can go from prep to serving in 3 hrs. I prefer 4 but it's possible to get it done shorter.

Oh ya... I'm using st Louis cuts lately. I started with baby backs but st Louis takes the rub in a little better

[toddmog]

Hey guys I'm new here and after lurking around for the last 24 hours or so , I got this idea for a detailed discussion. Being a bit of a newbie in some respects I'm hoping to get a full idea of the various methods of how to cook different meats on the grill and think that can be adequately done with these four questions. I hope many of you will find this as interesting as I do.

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat? I use a similar rub to what Aaron Franklin uses.  Paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, & onion powder.  I will likely add some cayenne in the future to add a little heat.  I pull the membrane and season them while my pit is coming up to temp.

2. How do you arrange the coals?  Haven't done any on my kettles...YET

3. Do you use foil? I have the last couple of times, but won't the next cook.

4. What's the temperature and cook time? 250-275ish...wherever the temp settles in.  I don't make a bunch of adjustments to chase the perfect temp.  Usually around 3.5 hours for babybacks...haven't done spares yet.

Topic of the Day: Ribs

My Answers
1. Typically apply a rub of brown sugar, dried chllis, and other seasonings an hour or two before grilling.  Sounds good as long as there isn't so much sugar that it burns.

2. I always put them to one side, but since coming here I'm going to try the snake/fuse method. Let me know how that works for you...I'm curious too.

3. I slap them right on the grill, no foil on them or anything but I do use a drip pan. Nothing wrong with that!

4. I've always aimed for 250 for 6 to 8 hours, basically when I can slide a bone out. Some would argue that "fall of the bone" tender or being able to "slide a bone out" is overcooked.  Many prefer "bite through" ribs with a small bit of tug.  Google "rib bend test" for some good info on how to tell when ribs are done.


-AJ

My thoughts in red.  Oh, and welcome to WKC!

[AJ328]

Thank you all for the great tips and advice. I did google the rib bend test and I'll try it this weekend. My grandmother was Spanish and from an area of Spain that prided itself on roast suckling pig that wasn't considered cooked properly unless you could cut it with the edge of a plate, so when roasting/bbqing pork I tend to go to the extreme, but I'd never par boil it.

As for sugar in the rub that I use, I find that as long as the temp is below 300 and the heat is indirect, it never burns.

Again, thanks for the participation.

-AJ

[MINIgrillin]

Edge of a plate...lol

[AJ328]

I haven't thought about it in years actually

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxaqHQAu3rA

[MINIgrillin]

Well...there ya go. You weren't kidding.

[Johnpv]

1. How and when do you flavor/season the meat?

I trim, and season my ribs with rub just before I start getting my charcoal hot.  So depending on the weather anywhere from 30 - 60 minutes before they go.  I first drizzle on some olive oil, and the my rub which is a mixture of Brown Sugar, Salt, Chilli Powder, Old Bay, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Cumin. 

2. How do you arrange the coals?

I use the snake method in my kettle, it seems to work really well for me.  I place a big aluminum pan filled with steaming hot water underneath the ribs.

3. Do you use foil?

I do foil, I don't use a lot of liquid though just a small amount.  So I'll basically take a stick of salted butter and slice it in half, on the ribs I'll pour on a little maple syrup or honey.  I'll layer butter, rubs and then butter.  Then I get the foil mostly closed up and add like 1/4 of a cup or less of apple juice or something similar. 

4. What's the temperature and cook time?

225 - 250 for around 5 1/2 - 6 hours.  I like the 3 2 1 method, 3 hours bone side down no foil, 2 hours in foil meat side down, and then 30 - 60 minutes bone side down again outside of the foil.  No saucing though.  I've taken to not using any sauce at all.