Fall off the bone, or a little "bite"

[gypsyseagod]

check my new post under beef " fer the newbies"- just did 2-21 on some bbs i couldn't do the 1 part w/out foil under cause they were already falling off- i even took the pit to 350 (i had stuffed baked taters to do to) well you'll see the play by play in a sec- lemme go post it . btw- it was memphis style dry rub... aww hell - just go to the post.

 

[TulsaJeff]

I "personally" like the ribs with a little chew however, based on the number of emails I get on the subject, many folks desire the ribs to fall apart.

I think this is due to the fact that we cater to the newbies and folks getting started are trying to reproduce what they had at their favorite restaurant as far as texture.

Many of the restaurants parboil their ribs before cooking/smoking them and thus produce ribs that are truly fall off the bone and flavorless without their signature sauce all over them.

I like to go into restaurants like that and order ribs naked just for fun.. many times they will not even serve them that way. If they do then you will quickly see that they are "ok" for restaurant meat but far, far away from what we have accustomed ourselves to in our back yards.

On into the learning process, many discover that ribs with a little chew are truly excellent.

 

[zapper]

"R" rated reply!












Who cares! I am starving right now!



The best ribs in the world are like the best boobs in the world, that is, whatever you have in your mouth at the time is the best!



I agree that ribs should not fall off of the bone and splash sause onto your shirt before you even get it all of the way up to you face. And having to rip the meat off of the bone with your teeth and a two handed grip is a little on the tough side. But I have no respect for someone who eats a half rack worth of ribs, leaves a pile of bones on the table and then says that the ribs were too tender or too tough. The truth be told, for me anyways, is that flavor is the bigger deal. I have never had meat that was too tender or too tough to eat. Too salty, too spicy, too raw or even burnt might slow me down, but then again I did say that I am hungry right now!

 

[cajunsmoker]

I like my ribs to be cooked where the meat you bite into comes cleanly off the bone and is tender. The other meat should not pull off the bone just because you bit the meat next to it.

In my one competition under the IBCA rules some of the competitors told me that the judges were looking for ribs that literally would fall off the bone. They said if you held the bone and slung the rib and the meat flew off it was perfect under IBCA rules. That is not how I like mine cooked however.

 

[stray]

I said that I like mine fall off the bone, because of how smokyoky worded his question. I think that ribs are perfect when you can handle them without the meat fall off the bone, but you can grab the end of the bone and give a little twist and you can pull the bone out.

 

[mrgrumpy]

I agree, they should be done, tender, but not fall off the bone. There should be just a little resistance when you bite into them, and have to gently tug them off the bone....


The reason I quoted you is:
One of the well known bbq societies is allowing that type of cooking at their competitions, and not sticking to their motto which states "it is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form."

I have not renewed my membership nor will I. In fact, I am now looking for competitions that are not sanctioned by them. And this year, they are starting to have a few competitions allowing gas.... what is next.....

It is really not to their motto at all.

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I needed to vent.... and I know others feel the same way. All I can suggest is to make sure that those that do not agree with the changes is to write, call and let them know what you feel.

Bill

 

[keywesmoke]

I like them just about any way I can get them, chewy or falling off. I'll take the sugary sauce, I'll take the naked, the tired, the poor, the hungry masses.....

 

[Dutch]

The last three times I did ribs, they were in the smoker for 6 hours with no foil. The first time was because I got busy and for got to foil them. The resulting texture was fantastic, a bit of resistance to the bite but then pulls cleanly away without taking the rest of the meat on the rib with it.

The second time was to see if the first non-foiled ribs smoke could be repeated succesfully and it was. The third time was to smoke some ribs for the Mom-in-law. She said that they were better that the ones she orders from Texas Roadhouse!

 

[deejaydebi]

I like the ribs to come apart with a little pull. Not pulled pork easy but so I don't need a knife except to separate the bones. I don't want the meat sticking to the bones so I look like Rover trying to eat the meat off either.

Somewhere in between. The meat should not stick to the bones but be nice and chewy not mushy. Did that make sense to anyone?

 

[gypsyseagod]

yup. i just couldn't spit it out that way.

 

[smokyokie]

We're a bit more carnivorous than that ourselves. We want the meat attached to the bone. IOHO, bones should never "pull out". We kinda think it's good to give our teeth a work out now and then.

Tim

 

[tomsdopemeat]

I usually entertain a group that varies in their desire for fall-apart or a little bite.  I don't bother making them to please everyone, I take them off when I think they are done.  And then if you want them to fall apart, you just wrap them in foil and put them in a 350 degree oven till they are as mushy as you want.  My advice would be that you are the one putting in the real effort.  Make food the way you think it should be, then let other people ruin it in the oven if they want.  But I would never waste one stick of wood turning spare ribs into pulled pork.