Two babyback rib questions

[Hindsight]

Hi all. I've been working (slowly) to perfect my babyback selection and procedure and have a couple questions remaining.

I'm using a weber bullet and I prefer the foiling technique. I cook them at 275F throughout the cook. I have been foiling them after 2 or 3 hours (going by time only), but I have seen a lot of people use "the smear test" (where you try to smear the rub off the ribs) as an indicator that the bark is set and the ribs are ready to go into the foil. My issue is that I'm having inconsistent results with the smear test - sometimes even after 3 hours, certain portions of the ribs still won't pass the smear test. It seems to happen on areas of the ribs that get soaked by fat that has rendered and then run down and blanketed the surface. I also wonder if the smear test is even a reliable method when using a water-pan smoker like the weber (maybe the added humidity doesn't allow the bark to fully set?)

Last question is, lately I am buying baby backs from a farm and they are nicely trimmed. The amount of loin meat on top of the ribs is minimal so you don't get that over-cooking issue. But on nearly every rack of babybacks I buy, no matter who they are from, at one end of the ribs there are some little stubby pieces of small bones that sit just above the main rib bones. These are annoying to me and I'm wondering if people trim those off and if so how? I can't quite tell (without possibly ruining the rack) if I should try to shave them off the top by trimming the meat thickness at that end, or if I should trim them off by cutting the length of the main rib bones shorter at that end.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SmokyMose]

First I ever heard of "smear test". I do them just like you've been doing them.
As far as little bones, If they annoy you cut 'em off....

 

[sandyut]

First I ever heard of "smear test". I do them just like you've been doing them.
As far as little bones, If they annoy you cut 'em off....

same and same. The thickness and meatiness of the racks vary ALOT.

I cook mine at 250 till done. no foil. but BB's usually take 5-6 hours unwrapped start to finish. I sometime check the IT as I like them close to 195 give or take. I use the bend test or probe the thick part. this is a good summary of how to tell when they are done.

 

[tallbm]

Hi all. I've been working (slowly) to perfect my babyback selection and procedure and have a couple questions remaining.

I'm using a weber bullet and I prefer the foiling technique. I cook them at 275F throughout the cook. I have been foiling them after 2 or 3 hours (going by time only), but I have seen a lot of people use "the smear test" (where you try to smear the rub off the ribs) as an indicator that the bark is set and the ribs are ready to go into the foil. My issue is that I'm having inconsistent results with the smear test - sometimes even after 3 hours, certain portions of the ribs still won't pass the smear test. It seems to happen on areas of the ribs that get soaked by fat that has rendered and then run down and blanketed the surface. I also wonder if the smear test is even a reliable method when using a water-pan smoker like the weber (maybe the added humidity doesn't allow the bark to fully set?)

Last question is, lately I am buying baby backs from a farm and they are nicely trimmed. The amount of loin meat on top of the ribs is minimal so you don't get that over-cooking issue. But on nearly every rack of babybacks I buy, no matter who they are from, at one end of the ribs there are some little stubby pieces of small bones that sit just above the main rib bones. These are annoying to me and I'm wondering if people trim those off and if so how? I can't quite tell (without possibly ruining the rack) if I should try to shave them off the top by trimming the meat thickness at that end, or if I should trim them off by cutting the length of the main rib bones shorter at that end.

Thanks in advance!

Hi there and welcome!

SmokinAl here on the forums figured out that if you take pork ribs to an Internal Temp (IT) of 195F you get bite off the bone texture ribs. This is the best test and most consistent approach for ribs I have found period. Like 100% consistent and accurate.

I can attest that his findings are spot on and I take my ribs both spare/St. Louis and babyback to 198F because I like a little closer to fall off the bone but not exactly falling off and I get perfect ribs every time. I don't wrap my ribs at all.

So I think that if you follow the 195F IT of the ribs (middle of the rack) it doesn't matter if you wrap, not wrap, spritz, mop, or do anything else you like to your ribs. They should come out the way you desire everytime (once you find your specific IT number) :)

 

[Hindsight]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yeah I have been experimenting with checking temp too, but need to try out more temps. I was going higher (203-208) and found they were a bit too loose for me by that point.

 

[SmokinAl]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yeah I have been experimenting with checking temp too, but need to try out more temps. I was going higher (203-208) and found they were a bit too loose for me by that point.

If you want FOTB ribs, then about 200-205 will get you there, but as said above a good bite & plenty tender & juicy 195 is the number. The key is having a instant read therm with a very thin needle. Here is the one I use.

ThermoPop® 2

Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.

www.thermoworks.com

.
Al

 

[mcokevin]

I learned pretty much everything about how I do ribs from Al's method. It just works. I have made a few variations on personal preference, but you really can't go wrong with his method as a base. You will get great ribs every time. Of course figure out how you like to do it, but I'll tell you Al has done a lot of the work for you already and has it available on the forum.

I run at 225 and leave them unfoiled for the full duration of the smoke. Never have had an issue with them drying out, even on my new smoker which has HEAVY convection. I don't really understand why people foil them, it just seems like so much extra work. When you run them uncovered you get great bark and smoke penetration. They take a little bit longer, but that just means you get to start earlier. I take mine to an IT of at least 193. Once they hit 193 I start doing a bend test every 10 minutes or so, and that's when I know they are done.

 

[Hindsight]

Thank you Al and Mcokevin!

Kevin the reason I'm a fan of the foil is that it speeds things up, makes your finish time more consistent (in my personal experience), and you can also add a bath concoction into the foil which then permeates the meat with additional flavors of your choosing. I know the purist route is no foil and no bath so the taste of the pork comes through more clearly, but I have just personally found that my friends devour ribs that have been foiled in a bath and then glazed at the end more than they do the more traditional method. It seems my friends like candy disguised as ribs hahaha. Personally, I like both ways equally from a taste standpoint.

I'll give Al's method a try by-the-book exactly and see what my eaters think! Thanks again, and thanks for the thermopen link too!

Jeff

 

[mcokevin]

Yeah, I understand the speeding things up - I guess I am just OK with it taking a while. When I am smoking something for dinner we usually do cold sides that are ready to serve whenever and have a cheese plate or other snacks for people to munch on in case dinner is delayed a bit. That combined with plenty of beer and white claw seems to keep people satisfied :)

Also +1 for the ThermoPop -- also what I use for ribs.

 

[tallbm]

Thank you Al and Mcokevin!

Kevin the reason I'm a fan of the foil is that it speeds things up, makes your finish time more consistent (in my personal experience), and you can also add a bath concoction into the foil which then permeates the meat with additional flavors of your choosing. I know the purist route is no foil and no bath so the taste of the pork comes through more clearly, but I have just personally found that my friends devour ribs that have been foiled in a bath and then glazed at the end more than they do the more traditional method. It seems my friends like candy disguised as ribs hahaha. Personally, I like both ways equally from a taste standpoint.

I'll give Al's method a try by-the-book exactly and see what my eaters think! Thanks again, and thanks for the thermopen link too!

Jeff

Feel free to continue wrapping even with a probe jammed into the meat, it won't hurt a thing :)

 

[912smoker]

Thank you Al and Mcokevin!

Kevin the reason I'm a fan of the foil is that it speeds things up, makes your finish time more consistent (in my personal experience), and you can also add a bath concoction into the foil which then permeates the meat with additional flavors of your choosing. I know the purist route is no foil and no bath so the taste of the pork comes through more clearly, but I have just personally found that my friends devour ribs that have been foiled in a bath and then glazed at the end more than they do the more traditional method. It seems my friends like candy disguised as ribs hahaha. Personally, I like both ways equally from a taste standpoint.

I'll give Al's method a try by-the-book exactly and see what my eaters think! Thanks again, and thanks for the thermopen link too!

Jeff

And experimenting with different methods is the best way to determine whatyou (and your friends/family) prefer. Just discovered my crowd prefers Al's method when I tried it 2 wks ago !