Simple rib cook + bonus jalapeno relish

[Tim in PA]

Family was out of town so I decide to cook some ribs. I kept it simple and didn't wrap it or anything. I spread dijon mustard on it and doused it with Old Bay. The final 15 minutes or so I sauced it with Weber's original sauce. Halfway through I put a sweet potato over the chain after rubbing oil, salt and pepper on it.

Before sauce and potato complete:




Sauced and ready to eat: 





Smoke ring:





The flavor for the ribs was fantastic. I think I would have liked them to come off the bone a little easier. Not necessarily fall off the bone but more than what I had. Is that the purpose of wrapping them the final hour? Or should I just left the ribs on a bit long? You can see the pull-back on the bone on the end but not the whole rib. Should I have left it on a bit longer?

Then last night I made up some jalapeno relish. Looking to debut it on Sundays eCook!

[MartyG]

Ribs look great Tim. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the relish on Sunday!

[1buckie]

"Is that the purpose of wrapping them the final hour? Or should I just left the ribs on a bit long? You can see the pull-back on the bone on the end but not the whole rib. Should I have left it on a bit longer? "

Either or.....................

wrapping with liquid will soften things some.....going a little longer will tender them up some, but you run the risk of drying things out more that way.....

Those look just right for moisture, so if you just kept going they might end up dry too quick.....

Lance (Mirkwood) did wrapped one's at the Napa meetup that were perfect.....just right tender, just right moisture, not the least bit oily.....

I did these the other day, blackberry / chipotle, wrapped at the start, then glazed out of the packet.....



They were really moist & pulled of the bone with a very small tug.....lotta extra moisture from the glaze.....




One thing you can test out might be to start off hot for the 1st 30~45 minutes, then  curtail the heat to a low medium for the rest of the cook....gets the jump on rendering / softening, but doesn't do them so fast they get dry.....more elbow room to check where you want them done too.....

The smoke ring on those looks grate !!!!!

[Thomas Andrews]

Those ribs look grate to me!

I made spare ribs last night using meathead's rub and they were tender and pulled off the bone with just a little give.

This was my method:

- 3 hours at 225f (occasional spikes when a lump of hickory caught fire) - no mop sauce/spray at any point

-2 hours wrapped in foil with margerine and honey (no sugar at this point as there is sugar in meathead's rub)

-  Foil removed and 1/2 hour glazed with Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce

Done (no rest time or anything)

[Tim in PA]

Does wrapping them without a liquid defeat the purpose? I'm not sure how apple juice would affect the flavor from the Old Bay.

[Thomas Andrews]

I used to wrap them in apple juice but after spending a bit of time watching videos of the different approaches on you tube,  I watched Malcom Reed's spare ribs and he wrapped his in honey, parkay butter and brown sugar and his ribs looked the best from what I'd seen on the Internet at that point in my rib cooking career!

As buckie said before, wrapping helps to get them more tender if a liquid is used.

I'd have to say the Malcom Reed way works best for me.

[Tim in PA]

I'd imagine using those ingredients would really take away from the other spices that I'm trying to work with.

I think I'll try and keep it simple and wrap them with some apple juice at the end. I really don't want to take away from the Old Bay.

[1buckie]

Does wrapping them without a liquid defeat the purpose? I'm not sure how apple juice would affect the flavor from the Old Bay.

Old Bay's kinda savory or tart, so maybe just a touch of cider vinegar.....underneath the ribs, meat side up in the wrap, if you wanted to test the foil waters...........