outside of ribs has texture of leather

[scott22]

I have smoked chicken and ribs in my propane smoker, fish and jerkey turn out great but my ribs and checken cooked at -200 have a tough leathery outside to them flavor is great. I use Alder smoke

 

[ron50]

Chicken, especially the skin doesn't benefit from the low and slow. I usually smoke my chicken and turkeys at 300 and the skin is great. For ribs, I'm not sure; I like a little chew to the outside.

 

[skeeter]

Chicken will get rubbery, did you peel the silver skin off of the bone side of the ribs? That will do it, learned that doing beef ribs.

 

[scott22]

yup removed the membrane do you think too much smoke or not venting enough might do it?

 

[johnd49455]

When I smoke ribs I have a mop sauce that contains my rub, cider vinegar & beer. I mop the ribs every hour & the come out great every time.

I have done chicken wings & the skin was like leather. I am doing a smoke tomorrow & I will do ribs & wings. I have read a lot & I am going to use some oil in the mop sauce for the wings & see how that works to keep is soft & not rubber or leather.

 

[scott22]

thanks let me know how it worked I'll try it

 

[deejaydebi]

Sounds like the ribs were cooked at a high heat. Ribs will always be leathery if cooked at too high a temperature. It's a naturally tough muscle group and needs to cook at low temperature and slowly to tenderderize. Did you spray them once in a while? Although the water pan is not for cooking normally - ribs are helped alot by the steam it will help tenderize the meat.

Rons right on the poultry. One of the few exceptions to Low and slow. It needs the heat to render the fat out of the skin and make it thin and crispy.

You you had to much smoke it would not taste good it would have been bitter ad nasty.

Did you use a thermometer in the smoker? Did you calibrate it first using a cup of boiling water to check it read 212°F ?