Ribs: Wrap or Spray?

[noboundaries]

I'm a spare ribs guy.  I can buy full, untrimmed racks at $1.88/lb year round, on sale for less, so that's what goes in the smoker.  I rub, throw on the smoker at 225-250F, and walk away for 5.5 hours, no wrapping or spraying.  We like sauced ribs, so I'll take a look at 5.5 hours for the meat to have pulled up about 1/2" on the ribs, and do a quick bend test.  When I sauce them, I sauce with heated sauce from the microwave, not cold from the refrigerator.  Based on the bend I'll come back in 30 minutes to an hour and pull them off the smoker.  My wife likes FOTB, so I take mine off about 30 minutes before hers. Always tender and juicy. 

Occasionally I've had them go 7 hours, but not often.    

I've never temp tested ribs.  Might have to give that a try.   

 

[indaswamp]

It's best to use a meat thermometer with a very thin probe it check the temp in ribs since the meat is between the bones. I personally never temp check ribs and use the bend test.

 

[myownidaho]

I've switched to Al's method of cooking to 195 IT. Superb results every time. If I do anything, it's an apple juice spritz.

 

[indaswamp]

I've switched to Al's method of cooking to 195 IT. Superb results every time. If I do anything, it's an apple juice spritz.

+1 on the apple juice spritz.

 

[tbrtt1]

Any store bought beef or pork has been atleast partily frozen. 

Think about it, from when processed to the shelves is a long time between processing, trucking and in storage at the store.   

I did't realize that. I thought the cryovacing of the primals gave beef ~45 days or so.

 

[Ken schauer]

Thank you chefJimmJ. One quick (naïve) question. What does "2-2-1" mean?

2 hrs smoked,2 hrs wrap,1 hr unwraped