Baby Back Ribs Help

[PVPAUL]

All, I have been making BB Ribs for years and the go cook is as follows:

1) Season Ribs and Steam cook for 2 hours and cool down until they can be handled without breaking

2) Smoke the ribs under heavy smoke for about 25 minutes

3) Sauce ribs and direct grill until almost burnt

Now I know this is not the "Purist" way  for true ribs cooking, however my wife loves them this way and I believe folks like me in the Midwest prefer the final outcome / texture of ribs this way (falling off the bone).

I've wanted to find a technique that's simpler (less work) and done all in one cook. Most times when I would cook as above this was three separate steps. In researching other options I came across the 3-2-1 technique....Smoke for 3 hours.........Wrap in foil with apple juice for 2 hours.......unwrap and finish in smoker for another hour. I did this technique and while the ribs were very good they still did not have the texture with "fall off the bone" that us folks from the Midwest seem to prefer.

Next month I will receive my KK and look forward to experimenting with this. I understand that one of the benefits of the KK is that it's so tight that it reduces moisture content loss in the protein you are cooking......Just not sure I can expect the texture you get with "fall off the bone" I get with the steaming step.

Look forward to your input / suggestions,

Newbie, Paul

[5698k]

Are you looking for fotb mushy, or fotb tender?


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[MacKenzie]

Paul, you want simple, just season and put them on the KK set at 225F-250F and remove when done to your liking.  

[Pequod]

Ditto what @MacKenzie said. I prefer 275F for ribs (just preference...225-250 is fine too), but otherwise agree wholeheartedly. Put them on and let 'em ride until they are done the way you like them. Sauce at the end only...or on the side at the table. Doesn't get easier than that.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Pequod

[tony b]

3 hours ago, PVPAUL said:

while the ribs were very good they still did not have the texture with "fall off the bone" that us folks from the Midwest seem to prefer.

Not this Midwesterner - I like my ribs closer to competition style - with some bite left in them. Plus, I'm a dry rub guy - no sauce. So, I'm not a fan of 3-2-1 either. YMMV

Doc did an experiment that I tried once, it works, just not my style, but maybe more up your alley. He started out putting them in the pressure cooker and then onto the KK. Cut the cooking time in half and it was really hard to tell they started out in the pressure cooker. You'd have thought that they we just done straight-up on the KK. Dennis played around with doing them sous vide, as well.

 

[PVPAUL]

All, thank you for your feedback,

5698 - I would say FOTB tender (definitely not mushy!)

Mac and Pequod,  I look forward to experimenting like you are suggesting. 

I think the process of steaming is a more gentle process (over pressure cooking / boiling) which I believe renders out the fat content some, which I prefer to keep in place and I’m also not really looking to speed up the process so I’ll likely pass on this option....but appreciate the suggestion.

Thanks,

Paul

[5698k]

I personally don’t care for 3-2-1, or 2-2-1 or 1-2-3 or 6-6-6, whatever that catchy number stuff is.

You’ve been given excellent advice, but I’ll repeat...anywhere between 225°-275°, cook to your liking. For fotb, try 275° for 4 hrs, and see how you like it, adjust from there.


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[PVPAUL]

Thanks all, I like simple and anticipate the final results from your suggestions will get me to what I’m looking for.

Best,

Paul

[jonj]

As a Midwesterner as well, I prefer the competition bite style as Tony mentioned over the falling off the bone. No offense to others' preferences. Ribs can handle a variety of cooking methods and still be tasty.

[PVPAUL]

Hello Jonj, I think I need to clarify my comment regarding “Midwestern” folks preferring “FOTB” ribs. About 7 years ago I attended a local BBQ and brew outing in which they had about 6 to 10 BBQ folks providing their BBQ. This included a “Vote” (pretty unofficial) on which BBQ place was the favorite. Afterwards I was talking with the outfit that won and confirmed with them that they “steam” their ribs  prior to smoking / grilling. Based on this and other friends likes etc I somewhat formulated this opinion. I understand this is “stereotyping” and probably not really accurate and probably not politically correct (however I don’t always like to be politically correct.....like I love the movie Blazing Saddles!) I apologize too all you folks out here from the Midwest that prefer their ribs competition style!!!

Cheers,

Paul

 

[tony b]

No harm, no foul, in my book! I'm about as non-PC as it gets! I, too, think Blazing Saddles is an awesome movie. 

[Tyrus]

Ribs, ribs everywhere nor a morsel too eat. Wrap them babies to achieve the texture you want, it mimics the steaming process but falls at the end of the first 3 hours over the grill. I can understand different strokes for different folks but a little experimentation maybe all you need to try.

[tony b]

à Chacun Son Goût

[Tyrus]

C'est vrai.

[DennisLinkletter]

There is a VERY popular place here in Bali that pressure cooks them until you can pull the bones out.. then the grills them with a tamarind, honey, some acid and pork fat from the pressure cooker at high temps until it's blackened and super caramelized.. I'm not one for baby food but if you have to eat it this is tasty..

[Stile88]

On 4/29/2019 at 1:52 PM, Pequod said:

Ditto what @MacKenzie said. I prefer 275F for ribs (just preference...225-250 is fine too), but otherwise agree wholeheartedly. Put them on and let 'em ride until they are done the way you like them. Sauce at the end only...or on the side at the table. Doesn't get easier than that.

Are you wraping or no during this process 

[Pequod]

55 minutes ago, Stile88 said:

Are you wraping or no during this process 

I never wrap. Always run naked at around 275 until they are done the way I like them. A 3lb rack of Costco St. Louis spares takes 4 hours (+/- 30 minutes).

[PVPAUL]

All, I just wanted to report back on my first baby back ribs cook on my new 32KK. I lightly salted ribs with Kosher salt and let sit in fridge fro a couple of hours per Meathead dry brine technique. I then rubbed ribs with Dizzy Pig Dizzy dust. Used basket splitter with half a load of RO lump. Lit the lump with a torch and then hit it with my lawn air blower. Set my new 2 qt lodge pot smoker on the charcoal and set it up for what I though would be about a 240F cook which was the second smallest bottom vent hole and a 1/4 turn on the top vent. Put the ribs on at about 240F and went fishing. Came back home about three hours later and the temp was about 340F? I discovered that I accidentally left the bottom left vent open very slightly (I thought I had closed it completely but this was not the case).  I did the bend test after about 3.5 hours and they looked good. I took the ribs off and placed in the lower grate and open up the vents so I could sear / finish the ribs with some sauce (decided not go go naked this time). 

I was very happy with the tenderness off the ribs and more importantly so was the wife!!!

Thanks for all of your advise here. 

Paul

 

PS - I know a picture is worth a 1000 words but unfortunately I forgot to do it this time!

[tony b]

2 hours ago, PVPAUL said:

I then rubbed ribs with Dizzy Pig Dizzy dust.

   My "go to" for pork.

Seeing as you're new here, we'll cut you some slack - this time - for no pics of the cook. 

The bottom vent doesn't dictate the temperature as much as the top vent. Next time you're shooting for 250F range, just bump the top vent off its seat, just until you see smoke coming out. It doesn't take hardly any airflow to do a low & slow in a KK, once you have the fire going.

[Adam Ag 98]

Doing my first baby back loin ribs today. Pretty good amount of meat on the bones.

I split the rack and did 1/2 rubbed in adobo sauce, el gordo red fajita seasoning (Dallas co. - the type of red rub you find on pre-marinated meats at your local Mexican market), brown sugar, S&P.

The other is mustard rub, kosher salt, garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar.

Shooting from the hip on spices based on flavor profiles I know I like. 10 years ago I had an electric smoker that I did a few briskets on (better than nothing) and the 2nd setup is what I used, sans the brown sugar.

Targeting 250. 

21" Supreme

Cocochar but I put a few small chunks of coffee char in a foil pack w/slits in it. 1/2 basket via the basket splitter, drip pan lined w/foil.

I lit a little after 2pm, top about 2 turns, bottom 1/2 open and 3rd largest hole. Opened at 2:50 when temp said 260 to put foil pack, wracks, etc.

Is that long enough to be heat soaked? i.e. from here I'll work on closing the top and fine tuning below to hit 250?