Ribs question

[jds87]

Hi all,

Buddy and I have entered a Amateur BBQ competition... Chicken and ribs...

The chicken I have nailed to my liking i'm thinking..

The ribs are amazing fall off the bone (overcooked to some, perfect for the family) st louis ribs... i'm doing the 3-2-1... wrapping with brown sugar, butter, honey and rub..

I am thinking of doing 3-1-1 and see how that goes? my guess is it'll solve the falling apart.. temp is usually between 225-250...

Anyone have any best practices for competition ribs?

 

[BKING!]

I’ve done 3-1-1 before and the tenderness seemed spot on for me for competition standards

 

[bdskelly]

For me, not wrapping at all will allow for a little tug off the bone. Look up “Smoking Als Perfect Ribs Every Time” for instructions on cooking to internal temperature. It’s an interesting method that will get you consistent results.

 

[gmc2003]

I'm in the category of liking FOTB ribs. But If remember correctly Al takes his ribs to 195* for bite through. I think you would need a thin probe to get an accurate reading, but maybe it's just me because my eye to hand isn't what it used to be. If you use the bend test then you should get to were you want. Pick the ribs up about a quarter of the way in with your thongs. If they bend freely and start to crack/split you should be good to go. Best of luck.

Chris

 

[one eyed jack]

Like Brother Kelly I no longer wrap ribs at all, (And haven't for years). Ribs turn to mush when wrapped. There probably is an amount of time, (Wrapped), that could be beneficial, but for me it's not worth the effort to figure out what that amount of time is.

That being said; I have never entered a rib contest so my opinion doesn't count for much in that regard.

I haven't studied, nor tried Al's method of smoking ribs to temp so I have probably done it wrong, but in my experience; The close proximity of bone to meat in ribs makes it very difficult to get an accurate reading from a meat probe. I have checked done-ness, by probing the meat in its thickest sections, with a toothpick often enough to have developed a feel for done-ness that pleases me.

Best luck with the contest.

 

[motolife313]

Seems I've only been cooking ribs 5 hours if that and there fall off the bone everytime. Cooking at 250 and that's time includes putting on the meat then starting fire. Time starts when fire starts

 

[SonnyE]

I do my ribs on the barby. Never wrapped.
I did some with the 3.2.1. method and loved them.
But I've been told NOT to mess with my ribs. :confused::(

 

[SmokinAl]

You would be surprised how many judges like FOTB ribs, especially in a amateur comp.
I stand by my method of smoking ribs to temp, foil or no foil. 195 IT is tender & juicy with a little pull, and 200-205 is FOTB. You can get a thin probe therm from Thermoworks for around $30, which makes it very easy to get a good temp reading between the bones. https://www.thermoworks.com/ThermoPop
Al