Last Meal Ribs... need help

[Eros]

Thanks. I actually remember seeing a pit master at the annual Big Apple BBQ in Madison Square Park opening up a vacuum packed bag of ribs and finishing them on a hot grill.

[Hugh]

This is my first shot at smoked ribs. Using all of meatheads techniques and Last Meal Ribs.

There are cooking at this moment.

I have a few problems....I mean learning opportunities.

But first - my setup:
- Gas Grill Weber Genesis II 310, GrillGrates, iGrill2 therm. I put the water in a tray under the grillgrate on the hot side (as per Meathead).
- I removed a membrane from one of the backs. The other was covered over 1/2 with a thick slab of fat. Wasn't sure how to approach that so I left it (should I have removed with a knife?)
- I put 4 ounces of Hickory chips in a tinfoil pouch I made directly on the hot side (over the flame protector). I wanted to use pellets but Home Depot didn't have any.
- I salted the ribs last nite and put in the fridge. Discovered there was no room so I had to wrap in plastic and scrunch into meat holder. Not sure what that will do to the dry brine.
- I liberally coated them in Memphis rub before putting on the barbeque.


Problems so far....

1) I didn't preheat the grill. I set it all up with the wood on the under the grillgrate and then realized if I preheat, I'd lose smoke or have to handle very hot grill grates to get the wood under....first mistake. I threw the ribs on cold. What is the downside of that?

2) Fire! The smoke started fairly quickly and by 15 minutes in I had a fire. The tinfoil bag looked like a grease fire. Initially it seemed ok, there was just a big cloud of nice smelling smoke. Toward the end (20 minutes) though the smell became metallic. I wonder if the tinfoil burned??? It wasn't heavy duty tinfoil. It will be interesting to taste these things to see if there is a metallic taste. I think I put too many holes in the tinfoil to let in too much oxygen?? Fewer holes next time. How long should the smoke last???

3) Heat consistency - I did a big pulled pork a few days ago and the gas weber held the heat at 225 with one burner no problem. Today I can't hold 225 with one burner. I'm at about 195. I assume that is because I have a water tray over the lit burner? I hate adding a second burner since the inside rib is very close to the middle burner and would get direct heat.

I resigned myself to needing two burners so I moved the water over to the middle burner and resumed cooking.

4) the back of one slab was covered in fat. Should I have trimmed it?

5) The type of meat - the package said they were side ribs with breast bone removed. there wasn't a butcher in the grocery store last nite so I assume they are similar to a Saint Louis Cut?

[kmhfive]

I'm not sure about the cut, but your description seems like BBs with extra meat. I probably would have trimmed the fat and maybe some of the meat. The temperature will be OK. You might consider swapping locations mid-way through.

[HorseDoctor]

Side ribs, sternum removed sounds like spares. Maybe still had side pork (bacon meat) still attached. Still should have been rib with membrane on other side. Confused!

[Hugh]

I'm going to move this over to my post about bbq'ing with a gasser. Please respond there. Thx

[ribmaster888]

Have 3 hours left in my 24 hours sous vide with my baby backs. I salted and let rest, coated all slabs with Memphis Dust,before starting sous vide process. Will put on Weber kettle with slow and sear with cherry wood for 30 minutes and sauce at end. My question is when I pull slabs from sous vide bags, should I add more Memphis dust before it goes on bbq?

[Joetee]

Well I don't know. I followed the rib recipe. Not baby back. I think a full rack.
Salted for 5 hours. Memphis dust.
Grilled at 225° for 6 hours without opening. Temp stayed pretty consistent. After 6 hrs I brushed them good with sauce and continued cooking for another 30 minutes.
Though they were good, just wasn't as tender as I would have liked. They also were not fall off the bone.
Is it possible that they just needed to cook longer?
I used a Weber kettle with a slow n sear with water in the reservoir. I also used a drip n griddle under the meet which was laid flat on the grill indirect heat.
Any suggestions?

[Spinaker]

Joetee
They needed to cook longer. Fall off the bone is not always what people want. Things tend to get mushy at that point. If you want fall off the bone, wrap them in foil or cook them a bit longer.

Also, don't cook by time. Things are not done when the clock says they are, they are done when the meat says it is done.

Give this article a read! It should has some additional tips for you.

[Joetee]

Thank you. I don't want them completely fall off the bone but maybe with a little tug. I didn't use a IT temp because I didn't think it was necessary with ribs. But I did forget about the bend test.
I was afraid that after 6 hrs they were over done and the water reservoir was already dry.
But thanks

[smokenoob]

exactly Spinaker , I asked a friend once how long he was gonna cook some fat chops, his answer was ‘till they’re done”

[Spinaker]

Joetee

Yeah, sometimes they just take longer. I would not worry too much about the water reservoir. If you have a Thermapen or another accurate thermo, you can probe between the bones and get a pretty accurate tempo those ribs. I also find that using St. Louis Style ribs to be easier, as they are more uniform in shape and cook fairly evenly. No pesky loin meat on top! I shoot for about 185 F. That gives me some tug, but a clean bite!

[nickrebo]

I was a little too tired to whip up some Memphis dust, so bought this rub https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/memphis-bbq-rub which has salt in it. Following the 1/2 tsp per pound, how much of the rub should be used for 2 St. Louis racks? I can’t recall their weight, but nice size ribs from my local butcher.

[Joetee]

I don't usually worry about salting to much. I salt more than instructed. It usually drips off. I hardly ever taste to much. And I don't salt anything on my plate.
As far as the dust, you should still see the meat.
I have never used that dust.
This probably don't help you much, sorry.

[PhilipW]

Hi there, I'm looking for some help with the bark on my ribs. I've cooked the last meal ribs for about 3 times, and the result is always good (jucy, tender etc.), except for the bark. Whenever I'm done the bark is always black and almoat burnt, instead of beaing caramelized and golden brown

The temp. is kept steady around 225 (200 - 250) °F. So I don't think the temp is the problem. What else could I've been doing wrong?

[Joetee]

How you are doing them is how I like them. Are you reverse searing them at all at the end? Someone will chime in here for you but it sounds to me they are delicious.

[PhilipW]

I do not reverse sear them since they are already to burnt for my taste just by the smoke. Any other ideas?

[Joetee]

I'm sorry I did not read your question very good the first time. Are you using a smoker or a kettle. And are you using a thermometer instant read thermometer not the thermometer in lid.
How much wood are you using and when are you putting it in. Oh and are you using barbecue sauce and when are you putting it on the meat?

[Joetee]

Ok I'm not sure what exactly you are doing, but here's what I do.
Apply coshir salt liberally the day before.
Apply Memphis dust before putting on the grill.
Only use 1 or 2 chunks of wood only in the beginning of the cook. To much wood smoke can ruin any cook. I only use chips for fast cooks like hamburgers.

[Joetee]

Also, if you are applying BBQ sauce, only apply during the last 30 minutes or so. It burns real easy because the sugar.
Use a digital thermometer for your BBQ temp. The only mounted on lid is never ever accurate.
Check IT with a digital thermometer away from the bone.
Do the bend test to see if they are done. The meat should crack.
Let me know how and what you do ok?

[PhilipW]

Thanks for the tips. I am using a digital thermometer to check the air temp (which stays around 225) so it should be fine.

The salt I apply the night before as you say, and then the Memphis dust before I throw it on the grill.

I use a grill with sidesmoker.

About the wood I usually have more than you have specified. I usually feed the fire maybe 1 chunk every hour or so (cook for 8 hours or so).

Could the excess wood be the reason for the black and burnt bark?

[PhilipW]

Oh and BBQ-sauce I don't use at all

[Joetee]

I'm not sure about the smoke but I think if it tastes good and not to much like smoke I should be fine. I'll include a photo of mine.
I don't like black burnt like crust.

[Joetee]

PhilipW

[PhilipW]

That looks great, mine's more burn't than that - any mlre ideas about the error of my ways?

[Joetee]

Where was your heat source? Was your meat far enough away to not burn? I use a Slow n Sear. I've put foil up between the heat and meat at times as a shield. I cook mine indirect all the way through the cook.
If I use a rib rack, I leave a space in between the racks of ribs.
Mine take about 5+- hours.

[PhilipW]

Okay, mine are also cooked indirect the whole way, but they are still to burned. The fire is in the offset box and should be far enough away. I haven't tried using foil as a shield though, maybe that'll do the trick.

Thanks!

[TimmyR]

Here's a quick question...I put my spares on my BGE at 1pm with 4 oz of wood. I am adding by babybacks at 2:30pm (goal is dinner at 6pm). I assume that's a good time to add 4 more oz of wood. I'm using about 50/50 hickory/apple

[EdF]

Why not?

[TimmyR]

Done!