How come every smoking book has different cooking times for ribs??

nickm62388 · Jun 28, 2015

I have 4 smoking books that are awesome and helpful. But every one has different cooking times for how long it takes for ribs to cook in smoker. Some say 3 hours vs some saying 4-6 hours at 225-250...I usually keep my smoker between 230-250 for whatever. The first time I cooked ribs it took about 4.5 half hours.I do the 3-2-1 method. Now as you can see in the picture, thats how they turned out. They tasted great, but idk if its suppose to look like that in the middle of rib. I dont know if thats a good sign or not good sign Someone said that their called smoke rings and thats good???. I have Pork baby back ribs sitting in fridge with dry rub for a cook tomorrow. So any input or help would be greatly appreciated

d.

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nickm62388
Jun 28, 2015

noboundaries · Jun 28, 2015

Those ribs look pretty good, and yes, that pink around the edges is a smoke ring, a good thing for appearance.

Temperature will always make a difference, as will the type of pork rib. Baby Backs and Loin Backs, leaner cuts from the spine area of the pig, are usually done in 4 hours, give or take a little at the temp you described above. Spares, cut from closer to the belly and generally fattier, take about 5-6 hours at that temp, give or take a little. Wrapping can cook either type more quickly, sometimes significantly more quickly, because it can add an overpressure as the wrapping liquid flashes to steam.

I don't wrap spares. I will wrap BB/LBs because my wife likes them fall off the bone. At 250F I use a 2.5 - 1.0 - .5 to give her the BBs/LBs she likes. I leave mine unwrapped and they can take a little longer.

My spares I never wrap and at 250F they are just right to a tad overdone for my liking but my wife decided she loves them that way. At 225F for 6 hours she didn't care for them at all, calling them dry and tough, but I thought they were perfect.

jarjarchef · Jun 28, 2015

Meat is done when it is done. The times are a guide only. With most any type of cooking you have to go by feel. Weather it be beef, pork or any other type of ribs that really applies. I use times as a guide and I wrap my ribs, so the middle cook time is very subjective to the quality of the meat. If you wrap and put any type of liquid in with the ribs you are now braising and that can go from perfect to over cooked rather quickly. I test my ribs like I do my potatoes with a tooth oick and stick them. If you dont feel resistance they are done, they fall apart they are over done......

nickm62388 · Jun 28, 2015

Ok then I should be fine. I actually am going to try something different this time with something I saw on BBQ pit masters all stars on Thursdays episodes. When I wrap them in tin foil I will be putting brown sugar, honey, and butter and then wrapping them up. I will def post a pic of my ribs and beer can chicken tomorrow when they are done, is it best to put the bbq sauce on like 15 minutes before I take them off? I no your not suppose to coat bbq sauce on that long or it will burn.

x0xsaywhutx0x · Jun 28, 2015

They look amazing! You can sauce them for last 15 or 30 min for a nice glaze. Wont burn unless the temp is too high, around 325 from what i was told.

jarjarchef · Jun 29, 2015

For my glaze I mix some of the juices from wrapping with a little bbq sace to give a little thickness to the mixture and brush that on. Then 15-30 in smoker to set the glaze. Then dust with a little cajun seasoning just before service.

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

by the way , that "smoke ring " is not really a smoke ring ,its just called that , I never put sauce on my ribs I use a dry rub and serve sauce on the side

nickm62388 · Jun 29, 2015

Ok done my cook. Now this is dumb question but is there such thing as "overcooked" but not where they weren't tender. I took the ribs off and let rest for 20 minutes or so and when I started cutting it up it was just falling apart? Obvy it's best when it slides off the bone but I feel it may have been sliding off a little to much? Also is it easier to cut ribs with the bone side up so you can see better for slicing ? Other then that it turned out great.

image.jpg

nickm62388
Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

YES YOU CAN OVERCOOK !!!!!!

a lot of people here on this forum overcook almost everything that they cook , I guess its just a matter of what you want but if the meat falls off the rib , its overcooked

the meat should be tender but have a slight "tug " when you bite it, also remove the membrane from the ribs before you cook them , then cut the ribs apart from the bottom side

jp61 · Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 said:
YES YOU CAN OVERCOOK !!!!!!

a lot of people here on this forum overcook almost everything that they cook , I guess its just a matter of what you want but if the meat falls off the rib , its overcooked

the meat should be tender but have a slight "tug " when you bite it, also remove the membrane from the ribs before you cook them , then cut the ribs apart from the bottom side

To me it seems to be a matter of personal preference to what degree things are cooked. Some people eat raw meat and some do not. Yes, things can be "overcooked" but, your "overcooked" may be perfect for someone else. Maybe this guy just needs to sharpen his knife?

Would you consider this example overcooked?

Smoked Boston butt, bone pulls clean as a whistle with basically no resistance?

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

we aren't talking about boston butts, we are talking about ribs HUGE DIFFERENCE and I will agree if you want to eat your ribs with a spoon I say ....more power to you ,but i'll take mine on the bone please !!!!

jp61 · Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 said:
we aren't talking about boston butts, we are talking about ribs HUGE DIFFERENCE

You're talking about "a lot of people here on this forum overcook almost everything that they cook".

I'm talking about personal preference and how that may be different than yours.

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

YES I SAID THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM OVERCOOK DAMN NEAR EVERYTHING ..AND I MEANT EVERY WORD OF IT hell if people want to eat charcoal and sip meat thru a straw

by all means be my guest . but that doesn't mean I have to tell em what great cooks they are

jp61 · Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 said:
YES I SAID THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM OVERCOOK DAMN NEAR EVERYTHING ..AND I MEANT EVERY WORD OF IT hell if people want to eat charcoal and sip meat thru a straw

by all means be my guest . but that doesn't mean I have to tell em what great cooks they are

For sure they're not as good as you are.

It's been nice chatting with you.

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

if some has to tell you that your a great cook .............then you probably aren't

enough said !!!!

jp61 · Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 said:
if some has to tell you that your a great cook .............then you probably aren't

enough said !!!!

I know you're not talking to me, but I'll confess anyway...

No, I'm not a great cook. But, I do alright while still learning and am getting better with time and effort. If only one day....

My judgment of people is a lot better than my cooking and have a friendly suggestion for you in that regard...... give yourself a little bump, you seem to be stuck? Maybe you just need some fresh air?

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

just the way I am , my friends know that they can expect the unvarnished truth ,

I say what I think , and yea a lot of people can't handle the truth nowadays

my friends never have to wonder what I might say behind their backs because I have already said it to their face ,

my ex father in law was a lot like me and we got along just fine

I knew where he stood and he knew where I stood ...great way to get along !!!!

jp61 · Jun 29, 2015

cal1956 said:
by the way , that "smoke ring " is not really a smoke ring ,its just called that

Great tip Cal, thanks!

See, I told you, I'm learning something new every day.

cal1956 · Jun 29, 2015

see I can be easy to get along with ...lol

jarjarchef · Jul 3, 2015

nickm62388 said:
Ok done my cook. Now this is dumb question but is there such thing as "overcooked" but not where they weren't tender. I took the ribs off and let rest for 20 minutes or so and when I started cutting it up it was just falling apart? Obvy it's best when it slides off the bone but I feel it may have been sliding off a little to much? Also is it easier to cut ribs with the bone side up so you can see better for slicing ? Other then that it turned out great.

image.jpg

nickm62388

Jun 29, 2015

For me...... if you are cutting the ribs and they are falling apart, they are over cooked. I do not serve them at home or work like that. Ribs should be eaten off the bone, not with a fork.......

When I cut I have the bone side down. I find the rub or sauce (your choice) tends to come off if done the other way. It is easier to see the bone with it up, so it really depends on you..... When we have a lot of racks to cut we will stand the ribs up and use a heavy knife and just go for it.......at that point it is not about a competition look for the cut, it is about keeping them hot and served quickly.

How come every smoking book has different cooking times for ribs??

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