quote:Originally posted by dmevis:
I was somewhat horrified at how much they had shrunk.
1) They were not as tender as I was hoping for. I don't know if this is my cooking or the particular cut of meat. The meat was not falling off of the bone.
2) They were not quite as moist as I would like.
Ribs shrink. Sometimes they'll do a 1/2 or more; other times, almost nothing.
1) Cook them longer usually is the answer. Fall apart ribs actually mean they're overcooked, so you need to cook them longer for the meat to tenderize
2) BUT....cooking longer can dry them out. Depending on the fat content of the ribs themselves they may dry out. Good fatty ribs will not dry out as much as those without. look for ribs with lots of good fat in them. Several methods to help. Basting, saucing, etc. Most common on is people like to foil. Some that use that method can jump in with thoughts.
You'll get some ideas here, just keep experimenting.