Bark on ribs

[javajoe]

Actually my question is...

1. How do you cook your ribs so that you don't end up with bark on them? I always put mustard and rub on them the night before so doing them naked is really out of the question even though I have been known to enjoy a naked rack from time to time. Some bark is ok but hard sometimes to cut them up without them falling apart. Is it the brown sugar in the rub? I really like to sink my teeth into the meat without having the whole bark come off first.
2. Also, do any of you guys cut them up first before you foil them? I think that may be the hot ticket espacially for the times they get too tender.

 

[flash]

Always best to hold off on too much sugar early in the smoke. High temps cause the sugar to burn. I usually add sauce when I foil them, but not before.
With the 3-2-1 method, you could cut them apart before foiling, but if you remove them from the foil for the last hour, they will firm up and allow an easy cut on the dinner table. If you want your ribs even firmer, then cut back on the time in the foil.

 

[kew_el_steve]

When I do a 3-2-1 or a 2-2-1, I take them out of the cryopak, rinse, pat dry, remove the membrane, massage with mustard, shake rub on with a pizza shaker, and in to the smoker. Takes 10 minutes. I don't do overnight anything with ribs unless I'm doing an Emeril's marinade.

Two hours in a foil pan that's covered with apple cider in the bottom at 215 in the oven.

On a pre-heated grill at medium-low heat with Jeff's sauce or Sweet Baby Ray's. Paint it on one side with a brush, turn over and do it on the other. Off of the grill in about 15 minutes. Spares or baby's. perfect every time. Be sure to lift with tongs lengthwise while flipping 'cause they will be trying to come apart. It's not difficult. Make it easy and fun!!!

Dutch's beans go great with it, BTW...

 

[jamesb]

If your getting a crunchy/chewy or brittle bark, you probably need to reduce the amount of sugar in your rub or try to use a turbinado type sugar.

For spares, I just wash, trim to St. Louis style and remove the membrane. I rub them just a few minutes before going on the smoker, or if cooking a bunch of ribs (several cases), I will rub them AS they are going into the smoker. I don't foil until they are coming off of the pit and going into a hot box for holding/resting. Right as they come off the smoker I will hit them with a glaze (ala Danny G.) and then wrap them...

James.

 

[javajoe]

 

[gypsyseagod]

i rub & leave overnight.. only time i had a bark was w/ a sauce & that was sudar & almosy 300f heat. if yer going 3-2-1 or 2-2-1 @ 225- there should not be a bark.

 

[crownovercoke]

I agree w/ gypsyseagod, I rearly have a bark that falls off. But then again I love to mop good q sauce after unfoiling. So little to bark up.

Hope it helps

 

[jmedic25]

What if you held off on the mustard and tried olive oil instead. Or just sprinkle the rub on with no binder. I thought that the bark was the rub, mustard and smoke mixed together. If you took one of the three away would you not have less bark? Let us know what works. I love thick bark but i am interested

 

[hawgheaven]

I'm a rub-n-sit overnight in the fridge kinda guy. I don't go overboard with the rub, no need to. I sometimes will do the mustard slather also, depending on my mood.

The last rib smoke I did, I used no mustard. I accidently got more rub on one rack than the rest... and as a result, that one developed more of a bark.

FWIW, I don't know what your smoker setup is, but it might help to rotate the ribs from side to side in the smoker if you are using a horizontal with a hot spot...

 

[javajoe]

I do have hot spots. I will tinker around with the ideas this weekend. Doing 4 racks with Wicked beans. Q view of course. Thanks guys