# Please help with st. louis ribs at a higher temperature for pullback



## kryinggame (Jun 8, 2012)

I'm experimenting here. I got a St. Louis rib, rubbed with Jeff's rub (modified) in the fridge. Normally, I cook it for 5 hours at 225 degrees using Pitmaster pellets. I'm looking for pullback, which I never get at a lower temperature.

In order to get pullback, I'm thinking of smoking the rack at 250 degrees. I don't do 3-2-1, rather I prefer to let the rib smoke w/o touching it.

With that, how long should I let it smoke?

Thanks!


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## deltadude (Jun 8, 2012)

kryinggame have you been watching the latest season of Pitmasters?  In last week's episode they had to do BB Ribs, there are 3 pitmasters competing and each smoke them in a slightly different way.  However if you pay attention to when they foil you will notice that each team had about 1/4" pull back when they foiled, the finished product had about 1/2 inch or less.

To answer you question about how long, 321 for St Louis Ribs is the rule of thumb.  However that first stage I go by pullback, I expect to see about 1/4" on at least 2/3 of the rack, when I do then I go to the foiling stage, if you have more than 3/8" pullback you may have waited too long before foiling.  That first stage can be 2-3+ hours each smoker is different and so are the rib racks.  My temp is between 225º and 250º.  I don't spritz, I start paying attention to pullback about 2 1/4 hrs into the smoke if doing St Louis ribs. 

GL and let us know how things are working out.


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 8, 2012)

Just curious...Why do you want Pull Back? I have done some research on this and the consensus seems to be, just like Smoke Ring, it adds no Flavor, is no indicator of Tenderness or Doneness and if anything pull back indicates poor quality ribs that are not very meaty, moisture loss or over cooking. Some say foiling causes pull back but I always foil, family loves the flavor my Foiling Juice adds, and rarely get more than the slightest, 1/4" pull back. I also always buy the heaviest, meatiest ribs_  _I can find...
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






...It will be interesting to find out how your experiment turns out...JJ

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/88518/no-pull-back

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/122699/rib-bone-pull-back

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/103702/no-pull-back-on-baby-back-ribs


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## deltadude (Jun 8, 2012)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Just curious...Why do you want Pull Back? I have done some research on this and the consensus seems to be, just like Smoke Ring, it adds no Flavor, is no indicator of Tenderness or Doneness and if anything pull back indicates poor quality ribs that are not very meaty, moisture loss or over cooking. Some say foiling causes pull back but I always foil, family loves the flavor my Foiling Juice adds, and rarely get more than the slightest, 1/4" pull back. I also always buy the heaviest, meatiest ribs_  _I can find...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My biggest concern when cooking is taste, texture, appearance, in that order.  However there is one other factor that is equally important, consistency or repeatable, can I do it again, and again.  So after reading a hundred posts about guys struggling with 321 or 221, I started paying attention to what worked for me at the different stages.  Pullback was a signal for me that the meat is actually cooked enough to move on to the next stage of foiling, or I should say the cooking process had progressed to the point where I could go on to the next stage.  Let me ask you, if you have a MES 40 smoker filled with 16 racks of ribs how are you going to tell when to go from that first stage to 2nd, do you think all those racks of ribs will cook evenly?  For me the answer is simple, when I start getting a little pullback, I prefer 1/8" on average, maybe half the racks will be ready and others will vary requiring an extra 15,30,45 minutes before foiling.   Also you can't just leave the ribs foiled for 2 hours, you have to check them or they will be over cooked.

2 or 3 times a year we do a BBQ for 30-50 people, on the 4th of July I have been cooking for the past 6 years, and the guest list keeps growing, 2 years ago someone brought a local food critic, who told the serious foodie who brought her, my BB ribs were the best she ever had.  I don't compete in contests, I'm not a pro chef or cater, but have been asked and do graduations, a couple of small weddings, etc  I've tasted the Q at about half dozen local BBQ joints and mine is better in every category.  That was until I went to Lucille's a BBQ chain that has great ribs and they are expensive $29 for half rack of BB ribs.  I notice that they're ribs had hardly any pullback.  However I think it is more the smoker and how it is used plus temp that will determine pullback.

JMHO


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 8, 2012)

DDude, that makes sense for a large number of ribs, the volume could cause inconsistant temps top to bottom. I have never done 16 racks in my MES but I have done 8 racks several times. I have done them both 2 racks per and 4 racks in 2 Grill Pro Stands. I have not noticed a difference shelf to shelf in pull back, I will have to look more closely. Congrats on getting a Good review! Them Critics can be some tough SOB's to please. I have had the Restaurants I have run, mostly Steak and Seafood places, reviewed multiple times. I even cooked for Martha Stewart once... I would like to open a Sandwich and BBQ Joint some time and see what they think of my Q!...JJ


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## indyadmin1974 (Jun 8, 2012)

Another reason pull back may not happen on lower temps may have to do with not trimming properly.

I always make sure that I get the meat trimmed as close to the joint and edge of the rib as possible with no meat hanging over said joint or rib.

Midwest KCBS judges seem to expect pullback so when I compete I try to get pullback but not at the expense of over-doneness.  And anytime I fire up a smoker and go into competition mode.  More for consistency than anything else.

People eat with their eyes first and I think people expect to see things like pullback and a smoke ring so I can understand why folks desire to have that even in an electric smoker.  Yes it adds nothing as far as taste but if you set 2 ribs side by side and one had no pullback or smoke ring and the other had pullback and a smoke ring I'd venture to say that a majority would go for the latter.


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## deltadude (Jun 9, 2012)

Chef JImmyJ,  thanks for the comment, as I said I'm not a pro like you, just a home cook who tries to put great tasting food on the table.  You got right off my example about a lot of ribs in the smoker and how it affects temp especially in the first couple of hours of the smoke.  You get a lot of meat in the MES 40 and it can take 2 to 3 hours to achieve set temp.

I can't imagine cooking for Martha Stewart, she would be someone tough to please, just that fact she was in your restaurant says a lot about the quality of your food product.

The best recipe I ever got for coleslaw that I used on pulled pork sandwiches, came from her show around 2002, unfortunately I lost that dang recipe, it was a simple vinegar (no mayo) base Carolina type white slaw.  When I went to Lucille's which I mentioned above their slaw was a peanut slaw with light vinegar almost Asian flavor.  Martha's show was a early June show for the BBQ season and they did a ribs and pulled pork with that slaw, if I remember right it was Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q as guest pitmaster show off his stuff.  I served that recipe a week later for my daughters HS grad party lunch and got some nice comments.  I have since come up with my own version, it is almost as good, but after eating the slaw at Lucille's I am going to tweak it a bit and go in a more Asian direction, which is really popular out here in calif.


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