St. Louis ribs help

[fisher6688]

I have one 3.16 and one 3.42 lb racks of st Louis. Is my guideline 2-2-1 or 3-2-1. I know my baby backs I gotta guideline of 2-2-1

 

[blacklab]

3-2-1- or so

 

[padronman]

Smoke em all the way with no foiling!!!   I still get fall off the bone ribs not foiling.....unless you are in a hurry. 

Scott

 

[fisher6688]

i might try that without foil next time. im starting late today!

 

[fisher6688]

and how do you get them all caramelized with sugar and honey and butter without the foil

 

[padronman]

The foil wont lend itself to caramelizing  too well in my opinion.  Caramelization comes from heat and in the open smoker it will do just fine.  When you foil you are essentially steaming or braising the meat.  Makes it too wet for the sugars to caramelize. If you put too much water in with your sugar on the stove you will never get caramel just simple syrup.

 

[fisher6688]

Oh ok got ya. Thanks man

 

[padronman]

It's a can of worms to bring up foiling vs no foil

  but I am ALL for the no foiling camp.  I know it lessens the cooking times but I just plan ahead and let my smoker do the work for me.   It is called a crutch and it works well for what it is but in my not so humble opinion

 it's not needed. 

Scott 

 

[barnold]

Not to stir the pot, but why is foiling ribs a crutch?  In the competitions I've seen, almost everyone uses some version of a 3-2-1 cook.  I smoked a lot of ribs without foiling, then I started trying the 3-2-1.  My cook time is the same either way, staying around 220-225°.  Foiling helps keep more moisture in the meat.  I don't put so much liquid in the foil that the ribs are floating in it.  I'll put a half cup of apple juice, drizzle butter on top along with a little turbinado sugar.  The final hour out of the foil in the heat and smoke gives me a nice finish.  I aim for very tender meat that bits off the bone, but isn't overdone to where it falls of the bone.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Not to stir the pot, but why is foiling ribs a crutch?  In the competitions I've seen, almost everyone uses some version of a 3-2-1 cook.  I smoked a lot of ribs without foiling, then I started trying the 3-2-1.  My cook time is the same either way, staying around 220-225°.  Foiling helps keep more moisture in the meat.  I don't put so much liquid in the foil that the ribs are floating in it.  I'll put a half cup of apple juice, drizzle butter on top along with a little turbinado sugar.  The final hour out of the foil in the heat and smoke gives me a nice finish.  I aim for very tender meat that bits off the bone, but isn't overdone to where it falls of the bone.

BA, foiling is often referred to as "The Texas Crutch" ! Not sure why, but I don't believe it's a bad thing, just a name !

 

[skully67]

 
The foil wont lend itself to caramelizing  too well in my opinion.  Caramelization comes from heat and in the open smoker it will do just fine.  When you foil you are essentially steaming or braising the meat.  Makes it too wet for the sugars to caramelize. If you put too much water in with your sugar on the stove you will never get caramel just simple syrup.

3-2-1 last weekend with 2 racks of baby backs brown sugar, honey and apple juice foiled for 3 hours sauced for an hour -  came out great. 

3-2-1 this weekend with 2 racks of baby backs brown sugar, honey and apple juice NO foil for 3 hours, sauced for an hour were much different. A great crunchy glaze with 

the same fall off the bone finish.

I will never foil a rack ever again!

Traeger lil Tex Elite using Apple pellets

cheers,

Skully

 

[padronman]

BA, foiling is often referred to as "The Texas Crutch" ! Not sure why, but I don't believe it's a bad thing, just a name !

Yep what he said. 

 

[danbury]

No foiling anything here.  Plan your work, work your plan.  :)

 

[barnold]

The things mentioned here point to two camps: (1)To foil or not to foil; (2)To mop or not to mop.  From what I've seen on competitions, it's almost a sin to mop pork spare ribs, whereas foiling is almost universal.  On the other hand, a lot of folks mop beef brisket, chicken, etc.

Another thing that has two camps is pork spare ribs that "fall off the bone" or "tender, moist with a good bite".  We prefer the latter.

The only thing that really matters is making the people you're cooking for happy!

 

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Foiling is referred to as the Texas crutch. I'm not sure if it's been named that as a knock at Texas or what.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

The things mentioned here point to two camps: (1)To foil or not to foil; (2)To mop or not to mop.  From what I've seen on competitions, it's almost a sin to mop pork spare ribs, whereas foiling is almost universal.  On the other hand, a lot of folks mop beef brisket, chicken, etc.

Another thing that has two camps is pork spare ribs that "fall off the bone" or "tender, moist with a good bite".  We prefer the latter.

The only thing that really matters is making the people you're cooking for happy! :thumb1:  

BA, exactly.... What may be good Q to one guy is not Good to the next & vise verse ! As long as YOU & THE FAM, FRIENDS are happy ! :beercheer:

 

[fisher6688]

well i ended up doing 2-2-1.5 and no sauce mopped. used pecan wood. in the foil period i used brown sugar, honey, and squeeze butter. came out awesome. i liked how that last bit on the smoker unfoiled really tightened em up and was great

 

[barnold]

 
well i ended up doing 2-2-1.5 and no sauce mopped. used pecan wood. in the foil period i used brown sugar, honey, and squeeze butter. came out awesome. i liked how that last bit on the smoker unfoiled really tightened em up and was great

Sounds great!  You're making me mighty hungry!

During the foil period, I've done as you described and it works real good.  The last rib smoke I did two weeks ago, I used turbinado sugar as the sweet layer and really liked it.  I also did the drizzle with butter and added a bit of apple juice.  During the final phase, I'll spritz with apple juice a couple of times, too.