BabyBack quest for perfection

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BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Chasdev » Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:16 am

I'm trying to perfect my babyback skills, but I don't want to produce comp type ribs where the meat comes off with a tug, I WANT fall off the bone tenderness AND the maximum amount of moisture possible in the meat.
Last week I cooked two racks on a Kamado using 2/1/1 at 250 and one rack was comp perfect while the other was quite dry.
Not sure if I needed to rotate the racks or if one was just a lesser rack quality wise.
In any case, I'm switching to my pellet spitter and would love to hear from folks that also like "falling off the bone" baby backs.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby OldUsedParts » Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:28 am

Gotta run the Wiffy to an Appt but when we get back I have a suggestion for you - - - L8tr G8tr,
Emm
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Slippy » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:22 am

IMG_9065.jpg
I think 4 hours at 250 may be a little underdone for what you want. I do my ribs at 275 for 4 hours. I go to Tom Thumb and get the "Extra Meaty" baby backs and they are always really good. My method is to apply mustard & rub, smoke for 2 hours, wrap for the next 2 hours. At about 3:45 minutes into the cook, I open up the foil and add honey and butter, rewrap for the final 15 minutes... Pretty much failproof. I think the only thing you need to change it the temp..... If you are using a Kamodo, I don't think it would be too much different, just make sure the meat is not exposed to direct heat around the platesetter.
Last edited by Slippy on Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby woodenvisions » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:33 am

2-2-1 gets my vote

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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Chasdev » Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:13 am

I'm concerned that 5 hours will dry them out.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Slippy » Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:33 am

Chasdev wrote:I'm concerned that 5 hours will dry them out.


I agree. 5 hours is too long for baby backs. Spare ribs would be ok. I think you should try to keep them wrapped for the finish. They will stay tender that way. Add some type of liquid to the foil for the final few minutes. I use butter/honey, but BBQ sauce works. I have been wanting to try Rib Candy by Texas Pepper Jelly... I do a lot of ribs and have never had a rack dry out on me using this technique.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby OldUsedParts » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:21 pm

The only thing I could add to the above comments is that when I do 3-2-1 St. Louies (tweek for Baby Backs to 2-2-1), I spritz well every hour with Apple Juice. The fall apart is in the wrapped time and my Wife likes it fall off the bone tender. :salut:

BUMP:
This is what I call Fall Off The Bone. :dont:
Nothing dry about these believe me. :salut:
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby egghead » Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:01 pm

I don’t cook to time and I don’t wrap. I cook at 240-250 until they are done (usually 5-1/2 to 6 hours) and spritz every 30-45 minutes after 3 hours. They are done when they bend to almost 90 degrees. May add a little extra rub late in the cook.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby woodenvisions » Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:38 pm

Chasdev wrote:I'm concerned that 5 hours will dry them out.
First 2 hours unwrapped at 250 with apple juice/cider spritz every 30 minutes, then next 2 hrs wrapped in foil with a dab of butter and brown sugar, the last hour unwrapped has never rendered overcooked or dry in my experience but that's just my opinion

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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby OldUsedParts » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:02 pm

One thing that I have never had with the 3-2-1 method is "Dryness" - - - isn't that what the low and slow with spritzing is for :dont: :scratch:
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Chasdev » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:22 pm

The main reason I'm switching to the pellet spitter is that opening the lid on the Kamado over and over again to wrap/unwrap and/or spritz causes the temps to spike and as all kamado drivers know, it's easy to raise the temp but next to impossible to lower them back down again.
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby OldUsedParts » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:51 pm

Pellet Spitters make great Reebz so :tup:
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby Rambo » Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:38 pm

There has never been but one perfect :salut:
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby spacetrucker » Fri Jan 18, 2019 9:57 am

late to the party as usual, I am pretty much with Egg head, I dont wrap ribs, I dont spritz, and I do cook at 275 until they pass the bend and or tooth pick or ice pick test, you know, where the probe slides in like warm butter...,
fyi I'm not a comp cooker I am a good eatin kind of cook!!
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Re: BabyBack quest for perfection

Postby 'BoutTime » Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:28 pm

Chasdev wrote:I'm trying to perfect my babyback skills, but I don't want to produce comp type ribs where the meat comes off with a tug, I WANT fall off the bone tenderness AND the maximum amount of moisture possible in the meat.
Last week I cooked two racks on a Kamado using 2/1/1 at 250 and one rack was comp perfect while the other was quite dry.
Not sure if I needed to rotate the racks or if one was just a lesser rack quality wise.
In any case, I'm switching to my pellet spitter and would love to hear from folks that also like "falling off the bone" baby backs.

Thought I would add my two scents in here.
I hope you never find “perfection”, because that, in my opinion, would take much of the enjoyment out of it. This is not just a BBQ thing, but applies to cooking in general, and I suppose to nearly all things in Life.
I'm a pretty fair cook, and I have two tenets I subscribe to – never be discouraged by any mistakes you make (just try not to repeat them), and never stop looking for ways to make things better. When you get to a point where you want to be, experiment. Try different woods. Different rubs. Different (shudder) sauces.
But good luck in your quest nonetheless.
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