Oven Bags V Foil

[PyratSteve]

Has anyone finished ribs off in oven bags rather than foil?  The idea has merit to me but I'd love to hear from those who may have tried this.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi PyratSteve;

Welcome to the forum.

It does sound logical, but sometimes you just don't know until you try. Thinking out loud, when ribs are wrapped in foil they are tightly wrapped. When you place food in oven bags, you can't get it that tight. So I'm wondering if the bags will have an effect on the braising.

[Shadow beb]

Hi all,

I have been smoking ribs and pork butt for 5+ years and I have to say... my ribs never turn out that great when I use the smoker the whole time... It is embarrassing! I host an event called "Rib-a-palozza" TM. 3 times a year and always lose to my buddy Sean... hate the guy!

His secret? He uses OVEN BAGS! We go side by side, I wrap in HD foil and cook the same amount of time... but mine turn out tough and his fall off the bone!

Last weekend I tried a new approach at home: A traditional KC style rub with some espresso grounds added... smoked with Jack Daniels wood for 2 1/2 hours, paced in OVEN BAGS with 1 bottle of squeeze Parkay for moisture. One bag had a small hole for steam, the other was sealed shut. After 2 hours they were falling off the bone! A quick sear on the grill with some smoked chipotle sauce and we were dancing! The one with no whole was more tender, I suspect the steam had something to do with it.

There is my two cents, I hope I win the next cook off!

Arizona Bilski

[NePaSmoKer]

Might as well just boil em then and slap bbq sauce on em

[Shadow beb]

Hi NePa-

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I wasn't clear in my post. I smoke them for 2.5 hours with the rub. Then when I would normally put them in foil, I moved to the OVEN BAG. If I boiled them and grilled them I wouldn't get that smoke I crave so much!

[KyNola]

You were clear enough in your post.  Pretty sure what Rick is referring to is your "fall off the bone tender" reference, twice.  In a lot of circles "fall off the bone" equals "overdone".  In most cases, it is the excessive steaming of the rib meat that causes it to release itself from the bone.

Having said that, a lot of folks want their ribs to literally fall of the bone.  If that is how you prefer yours then you have found a good method for you.

[Up In Smoke]

X2 KyNola,
Eloquently put.

[Ka Honu]

KyNola - You are such a smooth talker!

[TedEbear]

His secret? He uses OVEN BAGS! We go side by side, I wrap in HD foil and cook the same amount of time... but mine turn out tough and his fall off the bone!

The wrapping in foil is called the Texas Crutch and is what they use in BBQ competitions.  The thing you have to do to make it work is to be sure and SEAL the foil tightly so no steam escapes - roll it, don't just fold it over.  Add 1/2 cup or so of apple juice before sealing and they'll be perfect, fall-off-the-bone tender in a couple of hours.  Stage 2 of the 3-2-1 method of smoking ribs.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Shadow beb;

Welcome to the forum.

I prefer pull off the bone tender. I had a BBQ/Cookout this weekend, and wasn't watching my cooker as closely as I should, and was cooking one batch of ribs 20 degrees hotter than I wanted. They came out fall off the bone tender and the guests loved them. A fall off the bone rib is one that is over cooked, and if cooked further the meat then becomes mushy. I have obtained fall off the bone tender ribs, by using either foil or the naked method

If you like fall off the bone tender, as most member of this forum like; and the results you obtain are what you like; then you are doing it right. As TedEbear mentioned, if you don't seal the ribs tight, competition cooks claim you are steaming (braising) the ribs, but either way you are steaming (braising). Also competition cooks try to avoid taking their ribs to the fall off the bone stage.

I have to refer to my original post and state I still don't know why if the ribs are tightly wrapped or loosely wrap; and each method does not allow steam to escape, it should make a difference; but for some reason it does.

[KyNola]

If you like fall off the bone tender, as most member of this forum like;

I don't prefer my ribs fall off the bone tender which is why I never foil my ribs.  I prefer them to be tender and when bitten the meat pulls easily and cleanly from the bone and leaves a distinct bite mark.

[Habanero Smoker]

I prefer them to be tender and when bitten the meat pulls easily and cleanly from the bone and leaves a distinct bite mark.

That's what I call pull off the bone tender; besides the bite mark you feel a slight tug as the meat pulls from the bone. The perfectly cooked rib, you will also notice beads of moisture at the bite mark still on the bone, and the moisture should be drawn back into the bone within seconds. For my self; foiling depends on what equipment I am using, and with foiling you can produce good pull off the bone tender ribs. Most competition cooks I have talked to use foil at some stage and higher temperatures; 250 - 270°F.

Right now I'm practicing a 2-1-1-.5 method in my charcoal smoker. Cooking the spare ribs at 250°F, 2 hours meat side up, 1 hour meat side down, 1 hour foiled (with agave, brown sugar and squeezable margarine), remove from smoker rewrapped in foil with sauce and allow to rest .5 hours. During that time you test the ribs and adjust the cabinet temperature if your ribs are cooking too fast or too slow.

[BAM1]

Ditto on pull off the bone.  It is IMO what most of us strive for.  Fall off the bone to me usually means mushy.  Same thing happens to pulled pork when over cooked. 

[Shadow beb]

I continue to learn new things as I spend time with this impressive knowledge base! I would say that my wife and kids want fall off the bone ribs with a smokey and sauce flavor. When I think back to the best ribs I have eaten they come to the "pull of the bone" quality.

GREAT! Now I must rethink my entire existence... at least as it pertains to ribs and smoke!  ;)

[CLAREGO]

got to make a comment on this Original Saran wrap works wonders too. i like mine anyway but dry lol but the preferred method is clean off the bone  ;D