Timing advise on ribs

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jfluhr18

Newbie
Original poster
May 8, 2014
4
10
So I am doing smoked pork ribs & loin for a party this weekend at our house and we also have a bday party to go to for a few hours over lunch which is messing with my timing.  I plan on doing the 3-2-1 method for the ribs and the loin to 145.  The problem I have is I won't be home from the bday party until about 1:30 and we plan on eating at our party by 6 which leaves me with only about 4 hours to cook.  I'm pretty sure the loin wont be a problem as they will only take about 2 hours to smoke then rest for half hour to an hour.  The ribs are my problem with time.  would it work to smoke the ribs in the morning before we leave for about 3 hours.  take them off and wrap in foil until we get home and then finish them 2 hours covered and 1 hour un covered with sauce?  The smoker I am using is new so I don't want to leave it un-attended for any period of time.  Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the SMF Family and no worries. I routinely smoke St Louis Racks of Ribs at 275°F for 4 hours no foiling and get tender, bite off the bone ribs. If you need them Falling Off the Bone, foil with liquid for 1.5 hours after the first 2 hours followed by the last .5 hour out of foil to firm and caramelize any sauce you wish to coat them with....Good luck...JJ
 
Thanks JJ.

I was thinking I could do the 3 hours of smoke in the morning and then 2 hours in the oven while we are gone.  Finish on the gill before we eat.  Would I then leave them in foil all afternoon to let cool before finishing?
 
Smoking for 3 hours, cooling, then 2 hours in foil will leave you shy. You need extra time, about an hour, to bring them back to temp then oven cook the two hours. Leaving them out all after noon is not a good idea. Yes any Bacteria would be dead but there just may be some surviving Spores that can activate and poison the meat with Toxin. If at any point they can't be held above 140°F they need to be refrigerated.

Another option if you want low and slow with foiling is to go 4 hours at 225°F then 2 hours in foil with a liquid, I will give my Foiling Juice recipe. At this point let them rest 15 minutes or so and go in the refer, as is, to keep cold until needed. They are fully cooked at this point and only need to be reheated on the Grill...JJ

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Pork Rub, yours

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey

1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice

1T Molasses

Optional:

2T Vinegar, 2T Mustard and 1/4C Ketchup to make it more KC Style.

Simmer until a syrupy consistency.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and

run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return

the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining

in the Foil. Simmer the Juice over med/low heat to reduce to a saucy thickness. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.

For a Sweet Finishing Sauce for Pulled Pork:  Make a Double batch, Butter optional.

Add 1/2 the batch to the Foil Pack or place it in a Pan with your Butt, when the IT hits 165*F.

Cover the pan with foil and continue to heat to 205*F for pulling.

At 205* rest or hold the Butt in a cooler wrapped in towels until ready to serve.

Pull the Pork and place it back in the pan with the pan Juices and any additional reserved Foiling Juice to moisten and Serve...OR... Bag and refrigerate until needed.

When re-heating place the Pulled Pork in a Pan or Crock pot and add reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider, as needed to make up the Juice that was absorbed while  the pork was refrigerated. Cover and re-heat in a pre-heated 325-350*F oven or on High in the crock pot to 165*F and Serve.

Note: the addition of the reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider should make the PP moist but not Swimming.

I was AMAZED...No additional sauce needed. ENJOY...JJ
 
Last edited:
They are St Louis
 
Smoking for 3 hours, cooling, then 2 hours in foil will leave you shy. You need extra time, about an hour, to bring them back to temp then oven cook the two hours. Leaving them out all after noon is not a good idea. Yes any Bacteria would be dead but there just may be some surviving Spores that can activate and poison the meat with Toxin. If at any point they can't be held above 140°F they need to be refrigerated.

Another option if you want low and slow with foiling is to go 4 hours at 225°F then 2 hours in foil with a liquid, I will give my Foiling Juice recipe. At this point let them rest 15 minutes or so and go in the refer, as is, to keep cold until needed. They are fully cooked at this point and only need to be reheated on the Grill...JJ

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Pork Rub, yours

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey

1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice

1T Molasses

Optional:

2T Vinegar, 2T Mustard and 1/4C Ketchup to make it more KC Style.

Simmer until a syrupy consistency.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and

run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return

the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining

in the Foil. Simmer the Juice over med/low heat to reduce to a saucy thickness. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.

For a Sweet Finishing Sauce for Pulled Pork:  Make a Double batch, Butter optional.

Add 1/2 the batch to the Foil Pack or place it in a Pan with your Butt, when the IT hits 165*F.

Cover the pan with foil and continue to heat to 205*F for pulling.

At 205* rest or hold the Butt in a cooler wrapped in towels until ready to serve.

Pull the Pork and place it back in the pan with the pan Juices and any additional reserved Foiling Juice to moisten and Serve...OR... Bag and refrigerate until needed.

When re-heating place the Pulled Pork in a Pan or Crock pot and add reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider, as needed to make up the Juice that was absorbed while  the pork was refrigerated. Cover and re-heat in a pre-heated 325-350*F oven or on High in the crock pot to 165*F and Serve.

Note: the addition of the reserved Foiling Juice or Apple Cider should make the PP moist but not Swimming.

I was AMAZED...No additional sauce needed. ENJOY...JJ
When I said leave out for the afternoon I should have clarified that they would go in the fridge.  then I would just finish on the grill when need.
 
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