Pull Temp for Firmer Beef Ribs?

[High Low Jack Game]

I cooked a six pound American Wagyu plate rib rack from Snake River Farms on my BGE this Labor Day weekend. I followed the amazingribs recipe for Texas ribs (almost) to the letter. Eight hours, 225 degrees with oak. Cooked to 203. Held for two hours in a faux cambro until dinner time. This turned out to be the most successful cook I’ve done so far. This thing was perfect. I recently bought a pack of big aluminum drip pans from BGE and these performed perfectly too. I captured every drop of rendered fat - nearly two pounds of it!!!!

But I digress. I’ll get to my question. The meat was incredibly tender - almost pot roast-like, like the recipe warns about if crutched (I didn’t crutch, but held in a cambro). My guests were blown away. However, I’d like meat with a little more chew to it. What lower temp would y’all recommend I cook it to I order to get it firmer - akin to a nice ribeye? Thanks!

[Sid P]

Go through the recent "BBQ light bulb" thread and you’ll see lots of references to "cook to tenderness, not temp". Use your temp probe to check tenderness for larger cuts of meat, and a toothpick for ribs. I start checking beef ribs at about 190°, but I’ve heard that wagyu cuts can cook faster than prime or choice.

Let us know how it goes!

(https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ht-bulb-moment

[Panhead John]

Great advice Sid!

[ofelles]

👍 above

[Red Man]

Beef ribs just can’t be smoked to the texture of ribeye using conventional methods. The meat is too tough and will be more like the texture of brisket when it’s tender. The only way I’m aware of to get beef ribs to be the texture of ribeye would be to sous vide them for about 2-3 days at 135 degrees. If you pull short ribs when they still have a bit of chew, they’ll be dry because the collagen won’t have dissolved yet. If you want more chew, you could try beef back ribs. They are the meat on the bone that is on a bone in ribeye, so they are obviously still good without being taken to high temps.

[High Low Jack Game]

Thanks for the tips Sid and Red Man. This is great information! I will try "probe tender" on the next rack and I'm thinking about stepping down from American Wagyu to choice or prime for more meat and less fat.