Falling off the bones.............

[rdevous]

 
I've heard numerous times on cooking shows that "If the meat is falling off the bone...it's over cooked!"  I was wondering what the forum thinking is on the subject?
 
I personally do not have a problem with it.  I've been served plenty of meat clinging to the bones with a death grip and dry as sand!
 
 
Ray
 

[Habanero Smoker]

For ribs I like a little more texture, so I don't like the meat cooked to a point it is falling off the bone. When I bite into a rib I like to feel a little tug when the meat comes cleanly off the bone. I mostly smoke/cook spare ribs and never had a problem with them drying out.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

It depends on what you're cooking and what was intended.  It can be either a good thing or a sign that things were taken too far.

[FLBentRider]

It's a personal thing.

We can't even agree in our own family! Some like a little tug, others want little tug.

I assume we're talking ribs here.

[MechMedic130]

I like the meat to fall of the bone. I actually like my ribs just a little on the dry side also, not sand dry, just enough to kind of contrast with the sauce. Still juicy, but not really juicy enough to make a big wet mess when you chew it.

I also don't like having to spend an hour after dinner digging meat out of my teeth, lol.

[db14]

I like to say that the meat should "pull right off the bone."  What I mean by this is that when you bite into it the meat comes right off.  When the meat "falls of the bone" a lot of the time you lose the meat just cutting the ribs apart and end up needing a fork (or picking up the meat with your hands ;)).  You're almost ending up with pulled pork at this point.  The meat should stay on the bone until you want it off.