PERFECT RIBS EVERY TIME! This really works!

[SmokinAl]

 
I did this yesterday with St. Louis style ribs in my Masterbuilt electric.  By the end of the 4 hours they were just shy of 180 IT, but it was getting late, and they looked damn good when I pulled them off to sear them off on the grill.  They turned out great, great tooth feel, and tasted delicious.  Can't wait to make another batch, with more time allotted for extra wiggle room.

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• johnny b
• Apr 3, 2017

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• johnny b
• Apr 3, 2017

They sure look good!

I'm glad to hear they tasted good as well!

Al

 
Thank you for doing this write-up! I tried to smoke some ribs for the first time over the weekend and they didn't turn out so hot. I didn't get hardly and pull-back and the meat was tough. I'm going to try this method in the future and see how things go. Again, great write-up and thanks for taking the time!

Thank you Sir!

Please let me know how my method works for you!

Al

 

[remsr]

Question about inturnal temps that I don't understand. We are always instructed to prob meat in the thickest part of the meat even though the thinnest part will get done first and most likely dry out by the time the thickest part is done? I pesonaly probe the flat of a brisket instead of the point.

Randy,

 

[butt-attic bbq]

LOOKS GREAT AL WILL BE TRYING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT THANKS FOR THE STEP BY STEP

 

[tallbm]

Question about inturnal temps that I don't understand. We are always instructed to prob meat in the thickest part of the meat even though the thinnest part will get done first and most likely dry out by the time the thickest part is done? I pesonaly probe the flat of a brisket instead of the point.

Randy,

Hi Randy,

The thickest part of the meat takes the longest to cook completely.  Probing the thickest part is to ensure it is cooked to the proper and safe  IT and all other parts should have hit the proper internal IT or be above.  If someone is cooking a Brisket and the thin part of the flat is reporting 200F well the thick part might only be at 180F.  The tough collagen in meat begins to break down at 190F.  If you have a flat in 200F and the point in 180F you will end up with a tough point and tender flat. 

Also there is the safety aspect.  Large pieces of meat cook low and slow for a long time and the FDA states that "Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40F and 140 F". 

Let's use a whole chicken as an example:

If we smoke a whole chicken and check the smallest or smaller parts for an IT of 165F then we may have under cooked and unsafe IT in the breast (thickest part). 

If we pull the chicken because the wing or a drum is at 165F does not mean the chicken is done all over.

If we pull the chicken when the thickest deepest part of the breast is at 165F then we are almost assured that the whole chicken is at least at 165F.

I hope this info helps :)

 

[SmokinAl]

Question about inturnal temps that I don't understand. We are always instructed to prob meat in the thickest part of the meat even though the thinnest part will get done first and most likely dry out by the time the thickest part is done? I pesonaly probe the flat of a brisket instead of the point.

Randy,

I don't know how this thread got to brisket, but I usually use 2 probes for brisket, one in the point & one in the flat.

As far as taking rib temps I try to find the thickest part toward the center of the rack & taker the temp there.

I will also try between a couple of other ribs just to see how it's cooking. If one end is getting done faster than the other, then I'll rotate the ribs.

Al

 
LOOKS GREAT AL WILL BE TRYING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT THANKS FOR THE STEP BY STEP

Your very welcome!

Let me know how they turn out for you!

Al

 

[johnmeyer]

The outside of the meat will always be MUCH hotter than the interior. This is true of every form of cooking except for sous vide. It is even true for microwave cooking which, due to urban legend that never gets corrected, people erroneously think cooks "from the inside out." This is 100% wrong. The laws of physics still apply, and when cooking in a microwave, the outside absorbs the energy first and gets more done than the inside, not the other way around. You can easily prove this to yourself if you have a Thermapen or other thermometer which measures heat only at the tip, and which reads instantly.

So, the reason you put the probe in the interior, as already stated above, is to make sure you get the coldest part of the meat to a safe temperature and a desirable doneness. You will end up with, say, medium rare in the interior, and then will have progressively more done meat as you get closer to the surface. If this is not what you want, get a sous vide machine, and you can have uniform doneness from the middle to the surface. It is a brilliant technology which lets you achieve something that was never-before possible.

 

[butt-attic bbq]

Al do you put the ribs straight on the gas grill or put foil under them

 

[SmokinAl]

Al do you put the ribs straight on the gas grill or put foil under them

I put them right on the grate, no foil.

That way the membrane will burn right up.

Just be careful & watch them closely so they don't burn.

I usually let them go a couple of minutes or until the sauce on top starts to bubble.

Al

 

[remsr]

Thanks Al and I am sorry about the tread being compromised. I'm not real smart about where to ask questions so I just looked for something where internal temp was the topic. The question wasn't really about brisket it was about why All instructions suggest probing the thick of the meat risking drying the thinner part out. Brisket was a prim example. Why would I want to risk drying out the most expensive part of the meat, the flat by probing the point? Two probs is a real good idea. But the way I do my brisket it gets done from flat to point tender and juicy consistently. And I only probe the flat.

Randy,

 

[SmokinAl]

Thanks Al and I am sorry about the tread being compromised. I'm not real smart about where to ask questions so I just looked for something where internal temp was the topic. The question wasn't really about brisket it was about why All instructions suggest probing the thick of the meat risking drying the thinner part out. Brisket was a prim example. Why would I want to risk drying out the most expensive part of the meat, the flat by probing the point? Two probs is a real good idea. But the way I do my brisket it gets done from flat to point tender and juicy consistently. And I only probe the flat.

Randy,

No problem Randy!

Heck if your brisket comes out perfect every time the way you do it.

I certainly wouldn't change a thing.

I have tried so many recipes from so called food experts & chef's that just plain suck.

So the best recipe is the one you & your family like!!

Al

 

[remsr]

Thanks Buddy!

Randy,

 

[geezer]

Al, everything looks great! Your method is a bit different than mine, but so what? The ribs look tasty! 

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Al, everything looks great! Your method is a bit different than mine, but so what? The ribs look tasty! 

Thank you!

That's the thing about ribs that make them different than any other cut.

Everyone has their own way of cooking them & their own taste profile.

What I was trying to show with this thread is that no matter how you cook them or how you like them.

You can achieve consistent results by cooking them to temp.

Al

 

[remsr]

I have 3 racks of St Louis cut ribs rubed and ready to go with the membrane on for the test, vacuum sealed in the freezer. Have to go to Stillwater to get a temp pen that will work. Maybe today. Then it's just a matter of waiting for a nice day with no rain.

Randy,

 

[SmokinAl]

I have 3 racks of St Louis cut ribs rubed and ready to go with the membrane on for the test, vacuum sealed in the freezer. Have to go to Stillwater to get a temp pen that will work. Maybe today. Then it's just a matter of waiting for a nice day with no rain.

Randy,

Good luck Randy & be sure to let me know how they turn out.

Al

 

[remsr]

Will do!
Have you ever injected your ribs, or was that just Jeff and his butter rub injection? Seems that I remember someone injecting with Creole butter?

Randy,

 

[SmokinAl]

Will do!
Have you ever injected your ribs, or was that just Jeff and his butter rub injection? Seems that I remember someone injecting with Creole butter?

Randy,

Yea that was me.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/248701/creole-butter-injected-ribs-on-the-lang

Al

 

[mrad]

Al,

This may seem like a dumb question, but do you leave the lid up or down on the grill?  I would think with the lid up, the IT would not go up as much, but then again, you may loose some of the heat needed to melt the membrane. 

 

[jokensmoken]

Not to be a "smarty pants" but I always thought cook/smoke times were a guide line and have always cooked/smoked to internal temp (188-190°F on ribs).
I'm so plugged into my ribs Ive cut some racks in half so I can pull the less meaty portions a little sooner.
Walt.

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Al,

This may seem like a dumb question, but do you leave the lid up or down on the grill?  I would think with the lid up, the IT would not go up as much, but then again, you may loose some of the heat needed to melt the membrane. 

I put the lid down, you only need a couple of minutes to burn the membrane off & I like to see the sauce bubbling on the top. It really doesn't raise the IT much.

Al

Not to be a "smarty pants" but I always thought cook/smoke times were a guide line and have always cooked/smoked to internal temp (188-190°F on ribs).
I'm so plugged into my ribs Ive cut some racks in half so I can pull the less meaty portions a little sooner.
Walt.

Hey Walt,

It sounds like you have your rib method perfected.

I certainly wouldn't change a thing.

This thread was meant to help those who are getting inconsistent results with their ribs.

If you smoke your ribs to the same IT every time, then your results will be the same every time.

You say that you thought times were just a guideline, but yet you always smoke to 188-190.

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Al