Three racks of bad ribs

jha1223 · May 19, 2009, 01:23:35 PM

After two separate racks of good ribs and a decent brisket, I decided to dive right in and cook two spare ribs and one baby back at the same time. It was nothing less than a train wreck. The spares were tough as hell and the baby backs were just not good. They weren't fall off the bone ... just bad.

So, one problem is that I probably jacked the timing up since I was smoking a lot more than I have. In addition, I had the most horrible meat I have ever laid my eyes on. It was bought for me, so I obliged. Extra meating ribs my ass. I'll stick to the lean ones thanks.

I know someone said even our mistakes are good, but I have to admit, I didn't even eat most of the meat. It was just that bad. Other than telling you guys what I plan on cooking every weekend and expecting y'all to give me the times, is there some moderately easy method to figure out times based on how much meat you are putting in the smoker?

I could have had moisture/vent issues, poor quality meat, etc. So many variables, but I would like to narrow it down a bit so I don't waste that much meat or time again.

pensrock · May 19, 2009, 01:31:17 PM

sorry things did not work out this time. I have had similar results from time to time. I tend to blame the pig, I've done everything exactly as I had done before but with less favorable results. what else could it be other than the meat? The taste was good but tough.

Its the pigs fault, thats my story and I'm sticking to it! :) ;D

Caneyscud · May 19, 2009, 02:45:27 PM

Yeh, its the Pig's fault!

Spareribs at 225 or so take 5 to 6 hours putting them in the smoker after it reaches 225. If on a big smoker, I can sometimes do them in 4 to 5 hours - little if any temperature downturn when the meat is put in - and it is 4 to 5 hours no matter how many I put in - when the temp is stable, it is the mass of the individual pieces of meat that determine cooking time. The smaller and thinner the faster - larger and thicker the slower. In a Bradley, they take a little longer because having to build the heat back up to 225 - I've experienced as little as 5 hours for a single rack to 7 hours for multiple racks - spare ribs that is! I usually don't rely on time. I let the meat tell me. When the meat has pulled away from the ends enough, when you take one end of the rack and try to bend it over itself and it bends easily, when you pull two bones apart the the meat gently pulls apart, when trying to twist one bone and it moves a little without much resistance, then they are done. IT is probably around 170 (probably higher if real tender), but REAL TRICKY to get a good reading. I don't foil, and I mop, so I can perform those little tests a little easier. If not under duress, just cut the end bone off, gnaw on it a little to see if the tenderness is what you want. If not keep in and try again. It won't take long until you get the feel of the doneness you want. Sometimes not - as Pens said sometimes - its the pig's fault!

jha1223 · May 19, 2009, 02:57:14 PM

Thanks pens.

Caneys - I had such great results with the single racks that I maybe didn't take things in to account. So, I'll do what I really didn't want to do - just flat out ask.

Two racks of spare, one rack of back, and I like to boat them. I put three hours of smoke on them and I thought that would be good. I moved them to the oven did one hour on the baby's and two on the spare - but all three racks were in the smoker and the oven. I.E. they were all in the smoker, then all of them were in the oven. I bet I ran in to a temperature issue. Not even time in the oven to really break down the fat and get em tender. I think I recall the temperature in the smoker staying low a lot longer than I was comfortable with after loading it up.

Hind sight is 20/20 eh?

Caneyscud · May 19, 2009, 03:30:55 PM

Quote from: jha1223 on May 19, 2009, 02:57:14 PM
I think I recall the temperature in the smoker staying low a lot longer than I was comfortable with after loading it up.

That's the key and the problem of trying to do it just by timing oftentimes (how fast did it recover heat this time?) - then combine that with the fact that the lower rack is hotter than the top rack it gets even more bewildering the first time. I usually don't rotate the racks, keeps the door open too long IMO (I'm in there more than most, because I mop), but others do - I just take the lowest rack out first (with 3 racks of ribs, I wouldn't put ribs on the lowest rack but the top 3). Next time, I'd try the timing of your successful single racks - then test. If not done check again in 30 mins or an hour until done. If boated, dryness (overcooking) won't be too much of a danger - all that trapped moisture/steam is your friend! I'd imagine the spares needed another hour in the oven at least. The babies - eh - pig's fault!!

jha1223 · May 19, 2009, 08:29:29 PM

Good advice I'm sure ;D

There was one rack of the spares that looked fall off the bone good and turned out ok. But the rest were really just bad. They were on the bottom of the set. I did NOT use the bottom actual rack, but started from the top when filling the smoker. I think rather than time, I need to really get used to looking at the ribs and being able to tell when they need to move to the oven. Time and experience are priceless I'm sure.

Thank ya'll!

Gizmo · May 19, 2009, 11:53:02 PM

It does sound like you needed a bit more time on the bones jha. Few more attemps won't hurt, can be kind of tasty at that. 8)

ExpatCanadian · May 22, 2009, 11:49:14 AM

I did some ribs last weekend.... and they turned out chewy as jerky! I had actually run the smoke, boated them with apple juice and then had to go out to a friends birthday party so I left them cooking. I got home at the end of the cooking time, anticipating some fall off the bone tenderness, and was SERIOUSLY let down! I thought maybe I'd had a momentary power cut which stopped my cooking time dead... as you know with the DBS, a power cut is game over, unlike the OBS where when power come back up at least it will carry on. Anyway, I immediately put them in the oven for another 2 hours and sort of rescued them... but they weren't quite the same.

The penny dropped the other night when I was about to start a chicken, and discovered my main element had failed! It must have happened during my rib smoke... which explains why they never cooked properly!

Anyway, back in action now..... don't give up.... even the supposed mistakes aren't exactly disasters!

Roadking · May 22, 2009, 12:36:35 PM

All the times you get on this site are nothing but guestamations and guide lines. Bakers use times to bake because everything is almost perfect and then they will still poke a toothpick into it to test it. Chefs cook by touch, feel and taste not by time. Have a friend who will look at any piece of meat that was cooked by another chef touch it and press it with his knuckle and tell you the internal temp. and whether it's rare, med. rare or other.

When the ribs or any other meat is done to YOUR PERFECTION it is done. Do the ribs look done - yes, now is the time to pinch, press or pull on that meat to see if it pulls off, the way YOU want it to be, add more rub or sauce after YOU taste test. It's not done because someone said it's done at 6 or 7 hours it's only done when your satisfied with it. We did BB ribs 3 weeks ago total cooking time 6 hours, did BB ribs this weekend total cooking time 7-1/2 hours. Why? I don't know or care but we cooked them until they were done to OUR prefection the way we like them.

Look at some of the pulled pork recipes. Some members bring there internal temps to 160, some 170 and some 180 or 190 or higher. None of them are wrong they are all correct it's just all personal preference.

My opinion on the bad or nasty pig is I don't blame it on the pig. I'll bet you that the meat somewhere along the line when it was killed and processed wasn't handled properly. Whether it was aloud to warm up too much and then cooled again or something else it wasn't handled correctly by the time you got it.