Waiting on Baby backs

[Texas Que Stepper]

I decided to do some baby back ribs last weekend.something I don't normally do. Since I compete, I usually stick with St Louis cut spares.
i used my Cookshack FEC-100 which is almost always a champ. Kept it simple, dry rib and apple juice spritz every hour or so. Temp at 225°F
​​​​​3 rack on at 1030am.I needed to be at moms by 4pm but thought I'd have plenty of time. At 3pm they were still quite stiff. Had to substitute some pulled pork and pick up some rolls in stead.

I really thought it should have taken less time then spares but I guess not. I'll def give myself much more time next cook but even Meathead suggests cooking time of 3-4 hours.

[LA Pork Butt]

When I cooked both at 225 the Spares took 5-6 hours and the Baby Backs 4-5. Lately I have been cooking them at 275 on my BGE and it cuts 1-2 hours off the cook time

[HouseHomey]

Boom! Did 275-280 a week or so ago and powered right through it. Yummy.

[BarBQ22]

Yup 275 is the magic number for ANY Ribs..

[HouseHomey]

I'm jualmost a convert. The backs I did at 225 were really good I have to redo a 275. But I'm pretty much convinced of 275.

[HawkerXP]

Another reason for everyone to have a PBC!

[BarBQ22]

Or a gateway drum...

[Huskee]

There's a bit of a hidden catch in Meathead's baby back ribs timing. "Baby" backs implies small racks, whereas larger loin backs are what seem to be most popular in stores. I'd suggest sticking with racks in the 2.5 to 2.75lb max range. I find lots of "baby" backs in the 3, 3.5, 3.8lb range and those are just large and I wouldn't call those baby backs. When they get that big they're thicker of course and there's more loin meat on them, which takes longer to melt the insides to a tender and juicy level, and thus makes the top layer (loin meat) drier and less appealing, IMO. I'm usually looking at 6-8hrs for large BBs in that size range, cooking at ~240. It's helpful to fillet them down to an even thickness, especially if you were to compete with loin backs. Butchers are very generous with loin meat left on back ribs since BBs are a high price item and loin isn't.

[Bob's BBQ]

I concur with Huskee - I always look for "skinny" baby backs when I make them. I'm becoming a fan of St. Louis cut because all the loin meat on baby backs tastes too much like a roast to me. Baby backs get a little dry for me as well due to the thickness.

[EdF]

I've been mostly a spares fan for a long time, for those kinds of reasons. I just like the proportions of meat and collagen-containing parts a lot better. Big back ribs, you're almost in "country rib" territory.

[Spinaker]

I like cooking St. Louis Style for this very reason. They cook some much more evenly and consistently. And they have just the right amount of meat on the bone.

[badf00d]

I've mostly been doing back loin ribs from Costco, and Huskee, you're right - they get kind of ridiculous on the thick end. You guys have convinced me to try St. Louis cut again on the next batch. Last batch I tried was a bit fatty, but I'll give them another go.

[Huskee]

I've mostly been doing back loin ribs from Costco, and Huskee, you're right - they get kind of ridiculous on the thick end. You guys have convinced me to try St. Louis cut again on the next batch. Last batch I tried was a bit fatty, but I'll give them another go.

That's my beef with StL is that they're so fatty...at least the ones I find. I still end up filleting all my ribs down uniform- BBs I trim meat, StL I trim fat. I'd be happy with a hybrid of the two.

[JCGrill]

Fatty and lots of meat?

[HorseDoctor]

Fat's where the flavor is!!! 👍

[vandy]

I used to get BB almost all the time then I tried some St Lois ribs from Whole Foods about a year and a half ago and fell in love with them. They do a very good job of trimming them down and getting most of the fat that needs to come off but you do pay the price for it. I got some more BBs about a month ago from Costco and to be honest with you I think I am going to go back to the spare's, they just seem more like ribs to me and they taste better also.

[badf00d]

HorseDoctor - there's no denying fat brings flavor, but unrendered fat causes some people to start to gag. Can't think of a better way to ruin the experience of eating or cooking. When everyone at the table is cutting or spitting out too much fat, they're not enjoying it. It's interesting, because it's definitely on a person-by-person basis. I know some people that prefer a brisket point versus the flat, and I'm one that can't enjoy the point because it's too fatty for me.

[Pistol Pete]

When am I going to learn to read the posts here first instead of looking here for answers to my mistakes?
Food Lion had Smithfield Au Natural Back ribs on sale for $2.99/lb (containing up at 12% salt, broth, and natural flavors!) Of course is bought the biggest ones (over 3# Huskee) and figured they had already been brined so I spanked 'em with Memphis Dust overnight. I am not married to Myron Mixon. Mrs Lucky does not want her ribs to "tug". She wants them "fall of the bone". Well they do. Now I'm trying to salvage dry ribs. I will hose them down with Lexington Mop, which is too spicy for Mrs. Lucky. I'll go out and buy her a pack of Tony Roma's, tell her I fixed the old ones, and eat the ones I made for her. I guess every cloud DOES have a silver lining

[bwurts]

I used to always cook BB at 275- done in three hours. Then they started selling the BB with all the extra loin meat. I would have to trim the loin meat to even them out. Started cooking St Louis Spares @ 275 for 4 hours - they were OK - tried cooking them at 225 until for about four hours and then bumping the temp up to 275 for the last hour - wife and kids love them. I wonder if the lower temps allow more time for the heat to penetrate and render the fat. - I do trim the St Louis cuts good and always take the extra fat off. anyway to each his own

[EdF]

I think it does support rendering more fat.

[Texas Que Stepper]

That's what I love about the BBQ community, always willing to share an opinion and help a guy out. Huskee, thanks for that insight. I actually ended up vacuum sealing the BB and put them in the freezer for another time. I'll finish them off and hopefully have a great meal and very short cook.
Of course thanks to all y'all for a great thread of discussion.