Foil Wrap Individual Slabs or Slabs in a Foil Pan Sealed with Foil - Difference?

[Sidewalk76]

When making slabs of ribs on the cooker, I double foil wrap each individual slab after the smoke phase.... and have great results. However, sometimes I find it a pain in the butt, esp when a get a bone that pokes through the foil wrap.

Is it OK to stack slabs of ribs in a foil pan and seal it with aluminum foil for part 2 of 3-2-1 ribs?? Should I stay away and be better off staying with the foil wrap?

I've heard pro's and cons - and wanted to bound this off the experts.

Thanks for sharing your insights!

[tbob4]

I have used the aluminum pan method when cooking for large groups. I can get more access to my other rack for sausages and corn when the ribs are going through the wrap stage. The drawback is that if you are putting anything like honey, brown sugar, butter, garlic etc in the foil you don't get the ingredients distributed evenly on the meat of the rib. Another difference is time. You may want to extend the time in the pans by about 1/2 hour. If the juices coming out of the foil is the sole issue, put a pan underneath the wrapped ribs if you have space. If things being messy on the ground when you unwrap is the issue, transfer the wrapped packet to a large pan, unwrap and return to the smoker. It will catch the mess.

[Spinaker]

I don't wrap ribs, but, you can use foil pans without a problem. In fact, if I were you, that is what I would go to. So much easier and you don't run the risk of the bones poking holes in the foil. As long as you seal the top, you will be totally fine.

[xaugievike]

I've done both ways (and additionally I've just stacked slabs and wrapped in foil only) and never noticed a difference (disclaimer....no longer wrap at all).

[jfmorris]

If I wrap, I wrap each slab tightly in foil, or paper. I've never dumped them in a pan as I usually do full slabs, and don't have many pans that long. Now I am doing blasphemy ribs, so no wrap, no pan.

[Steve R.]

If you're going to wrap, flip them over meat side down, and the bones won't tend to poke through the foil. But cooking at home, I never wrap.

[PappyBBQ]

I don't wrap to cook, but I DO now wrap to faux cambro an hour before eating.

[Troutman]

Having tried about every method known to man on the subject of wrapping ribs or not, I've come to the conclusion that at least for my taste and level of finish, I'm favoring butcher paper for one hour at the end of the cook. Of course YMMV. Regardless, I have done the stacked foil pan method and the only thing I would suggest you do is flip flop them during the cook within the pan. What tends to happen to me is the juices make their way down to the bottom of the pan and begins to braise the bottom rack, while the top rack tends to dry out. Flipping helps avoid that. Otherwise it's a great way to get your ribs done and save on space. Good luck with it !!!

[Frozen Smoke]

I've never wrapped ribs. Work your way towards refining your technique to not wrapping and save the time and expense of foil and pans.

[dshaffes]

For competitions, I wrap ribs individually, but cooking a lot of ribs for a big crowd a pan works fine. I agree that they should be rotated during the cook.