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2nd Last Meal Ribs in SnS on Kettle

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    2nd Last Meal Ribs in SnS on Kettle

    My second attempt at Last Meal Ribs turned out much better than the first. Both attempts used St. Louis cut slabs. The first time I kept the temp reading between 220° F and 240, mostly around 225°. Took them off the grill after 5 hours and they were way overcooked. I had a hunch that my temperature reading were low. Second try I kept the temp reading for most of the smoke between 205° F and 210. Never let it get above 225 and then only for 2 short periods. I took them off after 4 hours and they were not overcooked and were much better than the first try. These had great smoke flavor but were not as tender as I would like. Here is where I am asking for opinions: To end up with ribs that are more tender, should I shorten the cook time, or should I cook at an even lower indicated cooking temperature?

    #2
    Make sure you have an accurate thermometer and just keep an eye on them. Some racks may just take longer or shorter than another rack. If not quite tender, cook for longer. If overdone, cook shorter. Just keep an eye on them.

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      #3
      Chasl I think the first thing we need to sort out is your temperature issue. Can you give us more insight as to how you're reading your temps and why you suspect they're off?

      Comment


        #4
        2 pound racks take me about 5 hours at 225°. 3 pound racks take me about 6 hours at 225°. The things I look for to determine doneness is the meat shrinking enough to expose the bones and the bark buildup. I don't use my thermapen on ribs because the bones can interfere with your reading. The fail proof test for ribs is the bend test. Pick your rack up with tongs, if it splits in the middle it's done.

        Reading your comment I think you've been under cooking your ribs.🤔

        Comment


          #5
          I use a Maverick ET-732 thermometer set and place the probe in the clip that goes on the top grill of the kettle, the same grill the meat is placed on. The probe sits about i" above the grill. I place it out toward the edge of the kettle so that the slab of ribs is between the probe and the SnS. Maybe I should place the probe between the ribs and the SnS?

          Comment


            #6
            I have not tried to use a temperature probe on the meat and I have gotten a nice bark on both cooks.

            Comment


              #7
              Suspect your cooking temp is higher than your probe is yelling you. Not sure about air circulation with a SnS but seems like the far side of the meat would be a cool spot. Also don't think your temp swings are big enough to be a serious problem. Try to pay more attention to the ribs and less attention to the time. The "bend test" or "toothpick test" or just the feel of the ribs will tell you when it's done far more accurately than watching a clock. Good luck.

              Comment


                #8
                On the first cook I did use the tips suggested on this site to determine when the ribs were done.

                There are several techniques to tell when your ribs are ready: bend, twist, peek-a-boo, taste, toothpick, popup, and thermometer test. Since ribs come in so many different weights and thicknesses, knowing when they are done is an inexact science but here are some guidelines and techniques that will help make it easier.


                I ended up with ribs that were edible and tasty, but darn near something you could call a crispy critter. On the second cook, I did it by time as an experiment in comparison. It partially worked out. I got a thick bark and a great smoky flavor (I used applewood), but the meat was what I considered to be OK for texture, but not really that tender.

                Keep in mind that I'm coming from a background of grilling beef steaks, which I feel I have mastered. In the grilled steak world, the more it is cooked, the less tender it is. That is why I thought maybe I cooked the 2nd batch too long. That conclusion might be based on a bad assumption.

                Also keep in mind I've always considered Tony Roma ribs as the standard for great tenderness. Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic for smoked ribs. I have a good friend who makes what I consider to be very good ribs, but they are not smoked, and he parboils the ribs somewhere along the way.

                Tomorrow I am going to try again, and I will start by moving the temperature probe. I'm certainly not giving up.

                Comment


                  #9
                  OK, steaks vs. low & slow bbq are two completely different cooking techniques resulting in two different types of "tender". A good steak is at it's tenderest when it is raw. That is because the best steak cuts are mostly muscle and fat with very little connective tissue (collagen). Muscle fibers are most tender in the raw state and start to contract & toughen when exposed to heat. As you said, "the more it is cooked, the less tender it is". The cuts typically subjected to low & slow cooking (including ribs) are usually complex muscle groups with a higher proportion of collagen, both in the form of tendons & ligaments but also the "silverskin" that envelopes each individual muscle. When collagen is subjected to long periods of moderate heat it slowly breaks down into gelatin which releases the muscle fibers and the meat then becomes "tender" again. This also includes the tissue that attaches the meat to the bone. Therefore, the two different types of "tender" if you will.

                  Perhaps we are not on the same page concerning how tender you want your ribs to be. It's been many years since I bought pre-cooked ribs so I have no idea what "Tony Roma Ribs" are like. If they are "fall off the bone" tender as I suspect your friends parboiled ribs are, then that is not really the goal of most of the techniques and advice you will get here. (See MH's treatise on "if you boil ribs the terrorists win".) Most aim for a rib that has some "chew" and requires a gentle pull to get the meat off the bone vs "fall off the bone".

                  Good luck with tomorrow's cook. Have fun & enjoy!



                  Comment


                  • Chas Martel
                    Chas Martel commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Thanks for all you comments. They make sense and are in line with all of the material I've read on this website. It help to reiterate in a slightly different voice. I probably did not cook the ribs long enough on the 2nd try

                  • Chas Martel
                    Chas Martel commented
                    Editing a comment
                    MH says, "Properly cooked ribs will pull cleanly off the bone with your teeth, but they will still have some resilience and chew, like a properly cooked steak, but not be tough." My 2nd try wasn't quite that tender, I think. I probably did not cook them long enough. Something to consider next time.

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