Need some help with ribs....

[2bears]

Next weekend I will be smoking ribs both days to practice for a contest at the end of August.

My problem is this - I get great flavor on my ribs but they always trun out a little tough even after 6 hours and in foil for 3 of those hours.

What is the trick to getting the ribs more tender?

The last ste of ribs I did a couple 3 weeks ago I held them with tongs and they drooped down a lot but they still had a bite to them. hey looked great, tasted even better yet a little tough. I have pics of them but they are not on the puter yet.

I am using a char broil offset smoker using charcoal and oak for heat and hickory for flavor

 

[bacardi]

I just posted I had great success with doing the ribs 3-2-1, but instead of foil to use an oven bag which is an actual air tight seal unlike foil...

 

[2bears]

Oven bag in a smoker?

 

[eman]

In a certified comp you want the ribs to have a slight (bite ) but you want the meat to come off the bone clean.

  Oven bag is ok for 350 degrees or more so i don't see where it would hurt.

 3-2-1 has allways worked for me. sometimes the ribs get to soft for my taste so i cut the 2 back to 1.5.

 When you do it the same way every time and then that one time it doesn't come out right ,all you can do is blame it on the meat. most of us have gotten that batch of ribs or a butt that just doesn't want to cook right.

 

[jirodriguez]

I have found cooking at a lower temperature really helps to keep stuff more tender as well. Last rack of spares I did I ran my smoker at about 210-220°, didn't foil the ribs at all, and they were some of the most tender, tasty, and best looking ribs I have ever produced.

 

[bacardi]

What is the trick to getting the ribs more tender?

Oven bag in a smoker

 

[corn cob]

I have found cooking at a lower temperature really helps to keep stuff more tender as well. Last rack of spares I did I ran my smoker at about 210-220°, didn't foil the ribs at all, and they were some of the most tender, tasty, and best looking ribs I have ever produced.

We Have A Winner!!!!! ~~~  Now You're Cooking!!  ~~~ Good Job!!

 

[cliffcarter]

Next weekend I will be smoking ribs both days to practice for a contest at the end of August.

My problem is this - I get great flavor on my ribs but they always trun out a little tough even after 6 hours and in foil for 3 of those hours.

What is the trick to getting the ribs more tender?

I think you may be keeping them in the foil too long, try 2 hours instead of 3. Here is an explanation-

http://www.ochef.com/2.htm
 

 

[timberjet]

Also try A little apple juice spritz when you foil them. It seems to help break things down just A little bit more for added tenderness. Of course I normally smoke with apple wood so I don't know if the flavor would work with another flavor of wood or not.