Foiling--The Texas Crutch

[frosty]

She that must be obeyed 

 prefers a softer rib, so I generally don't foil, but have used pink butcher's paper in the past and it worked great.  When using the 3-2-1 method, I generally am done at about 4 - 4.5 Hours when complete and spray occasionally with apple juice.

Either way, GOOD LUCK!

 

[daricksta]

 
When they're good they are great and when they're bad they're really bad. I think it's the hassl

Having to mess with foiling them is the hassle I'm talking about. There are just so much better cuts of meat, in my opinion of course, that are better. Even with them already done I'll always choose pulled pork or smoked pork loin over ribs. They're just not my favorite.

I can understand they're not your favorite.

The biggest controversy with ribs is whether to foil or not to foil. They become really simple if you just season them with salt and pepper and leave them unfoiled. I like to use a more elaborate rub and I like to brush on some sauce in the last 30 minutes. Smoke pork ribs are my kids' favorites so what am I to do?

 

[daricksta]

 
When they're good they are great and when they're bad they're really bad. I think it's the hassl

Having to mess with foiling them is the hassle I'm talking about. There are just so much better cuts of meat, in my opinion of course, that are better. Even with them already done I'll always choose pulled pork or smoked pork loin over ribs. They're just not my favorite.

Beef brisket has the same controversy has pork ribs: to foil or not to foil to move it more quickly past the stall point. I've so far smoked them unfoiled. For some reason I haven't done pulled pork in a smoker, something I'll remedy next time out.

 

[daricksta]

 
She that must be obeyed 

 prefers a softer rib, so I generally don't foil, but have used pink butcher's paper in the past and it worked great.  When using the 3-2-1 method, I generally am done at about 4 - 4.5 Hours when complete and spray occasionally with apple juice.

Either way, GOOD LUCK!

You sound like you've got it down. My wife prefers ribs any way I choose to cook 'em just as long as they're flavorful and tender. I've smoked ribs both unfoiled and using the 3-2-1 (or variations of it) to great success.

 

[daricksta]

 
When they're good they are great and when they're bad they're really bad. I think it's the hassl

Having to mess with foiling them is the hassle I'm talking about. There are just so much better cuts of meat, in my opinion of course, that are better. Even with them already done I'll always choose pulled pork or smoked pork loin over ribs. They're just not my favorite.

Just curious: have you tried smoking pork tenderloins? I haven't but other guys have. My wife and I have cooked them in our kitchen oven and man, they come out as tender and flavorful as beef tenderloins. If you decide to smoke them (they always come two to a package) please post it on SMF.

 

[smokesontuesday]

 
Just curious: have you tried smoking pork tenderloins? I haven't but other guys have. My wife and I have cooked them in our kitchen oven and man, they come out as tender and flavorful as beef tenderloins. If you decide to smoke them (they always come two to a package) please post it on SMF.

I've never smoked tenderloins but pork tenderloin roasted with sage is one of my favorite dishes ever. I don't see why it would be an issue though as long as you watch the temp closely. I'd imagine tenderloins are pretty unforgiving considering how lean they are.

I have smoked the whole loin quite a bit though. I'll wait till a meat sale then grab two or three of them. We usually slice one into chops about an inch thick and the others into 3-4 pound cuts for smoking or cooking like a roast in the electric skillet.

 

[smokesontuesday]

 
She that must be obeyed 

 prefers a softer rib, so I generally don't foil, but have used pink butcher's paper in the past and it worked great.  When using the 3-2-1 method, I generally am done at about 4 - 4.5 Hours when complete and spray occasionally with apple juice.

Either way, GOOD LUCK!

Yep. My wife loves ribs which is the only reason they ever get smoked at all at our house. 

 

[cliffcarter]

 
Just curious: have you tried smoking pork tenderloins? I haven't but other guys have. My wife and I have cooked them in our kitchen oven and man, they come out as tender and flavorful as beef tenderloins. If you decide to smoke them (they always come two to a package) please post it on SMF.

Here's a pork tenderloin cook of mine-

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/146563/pork-tenderloins

 

[daricksta]

 
Here's a pork tenderloin cook of mine-

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/146563/pork-tenderloins

This looked really good. I bookmarked the page where you linked to your rub recipe sources.

 

[daricksta]

 
I've never smoked tenderloins but pork tenderloin roasted with sage is one of my favorite dishes ever. I don't see why it would be an issue though as long as you watch the temp closely. I'd imagine tenderloins are pretty unforgiving considering how lean they are.

I have smoked the whole loin quite a bit though. I'll wait till a meat sale then grab two or three of them. We usually slice one into chops about an inch thick and the others into 3-4 pound cuts for smoking or cooking like a roast in the electric skillet.

Yes, pork tenderloins are very forgiving.

I've never thought of slicing boneless pork loins into chops but that's a great idea. We do your weekly grocery shopping on Saturdays so this week I'm going to compare prices between whole pork loins and pork loin chops.

 

[smokesontuesday]

 
Yes, pork tenderloins are very forgiving.

I've never thought of slicing boneless pork loins into chops but that's a great idea. We do your weekly grocery shopping on Saturdays so this week I'm going to compare prices between whole pork loins and pork loin chops.

Don't know where you shop but our local grocery store will even cut whole loins to order for the whole loin price. If I know the butcher working that day (couple of them used to work for my grandpa) then I'll save myself the trouble and have them cut and package the whole thing. Nothing frustrates me more than getting home with presliced meat and finding a whole bunch of half inch cuts underneath a couple of nice inch to inch and a quarter cuts on top.

 

[daricksta]

 
Don't know where you shop but our local grocery store will even cut whole loins to order for the whole loin price. If I know the butcher working that day (couple of them used to work for my grandpa) then I'll save myself the trouble and have them cut and package the whole thing. Nothing frustrates me more than getting home with presliced meat and finding a whole bunch of half inch cuts underneath a couple of nice inch to inch and a quarter cuts on top.

For now, we buy most of our meats at Safeway (don't know if you have this store in your area but it may be on its way out anyway after being purchased by a holding company which owns a few other chains. I've made friends with just about all the butchers and their policy is to cut up whole cuts of meat upon request.

When I buy pork chops at Safeway it's generally no more than a package of 4-6. Costco pork chops are all uniformly cut and so thick that many times I have to slice them in half crossways just so they don't take forever to cook in the oven and also because my wife doesn't like to eat big hunks of meat.

 

[smokesontuesday]

We don't have Safeway/Homeland anymore but I'm familiar. I'd imagine most grocery stores with a meat counter would cut to order but who knows anymore.

 

[daricksta]

 
We don't have Safeway/Homeland anymore but I'm familiar. I'd imagine most grocery stores with a meat counter would cut to order but who knows anymore.

Hard to say. The supermarket biz is extremely competitive but at the same time many chains have been bought out. I think maybe 2-3 investment firms (or whatever they're called) own most of the nationwide and regional chains. I know one company owns something like 6 different supermarket chains in California and Nevada. The company that bought Safeway also owns Albertson's and a few others.

We also have a Kroger-owned (another owner of several chains) supermarket in town and the butchers will custom cut if you ask.