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Amerique Ribs Were bad :(

I iowahawks77Member
new owner, had some ribs i put in yesterday. Ribs turned out awful. Took my time, did a temperature at 200-225 for 5 hours, after wrapped in tin foil.

Not sure why the meat was so tough, any advice on what I could have done wrong?

They were loin back ribs, but not the usual kind, can't think of anything else
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J jrhMember
I did ribs(babybacks) yesterday in my 020. Pulled the membrane, applied KC Butt Spice then smoked(4 oz. apple wood) for 3 hours @225, then sprayed with apple juice, wrapped in foil and returned to smoker for 2 more hours @ 225. As usual they came out moist, juicy, succulent and were gone in no time. Did you wrap in foil after 5 hours? They might have dried out. Be patient 'cause you will get lots of good advice from the friendly forum folks. We're all in this together!
G grubmeisterMember
I was going to suggest they might not have been quality meat. That you said they came from Costco makes me believe otherwise.
I've gotten ribs from elsewhere and they were just plain awful.
Assuming they were good quality, I'd say it had more to do with how well done they were. That takes practice. Also, although I haven't foiled myself, the point when you apply the foil might make a difference.
FM Former Member
Quick answer is they sound like there weren't don.

Like they asked, how do you know when they are ready? BBQ isn't a recipe. X hours for perfect ribs. yes, that will get you close, but there is a little bit of experience and art to get that last bit.

Oh, and don't ask me about foil. I don't foil my ribs but the others that do will help (with the butter, parkay, brownsugar, etc etc method).

And forget 3-2-1 method if that's what you used. It's awful (ask me if that's what you did and I'll tell you why)

Need more specifics to help. We werent there, so you have to walk us through:

What kind of ribs?
How much did they weigh (each rack)?
Wood?
Prep Steps
Which Smoker
Temp?
How Long?

When you say bad, was it:

Too tough (cook them longer)
Bad flavor (taste or creosote taste)

Happy to help, just need some specifics.

Think of us as CSI people, we need the info to examine and determine the guilty
I iowahawks77Member
i used the newest amerique model


i dont know the exact temp, got em from a friend who said they were from some restaurant that uses them.

Cooked them at 200-225

Did the 3 2 1 method, used the parkay honey and brown sugar,

but by looking at them, they looked over cooked, dry, and nasty before I even got to the last step.

It was very very dry.


Tasted, tangy, dont know if that happened to be from the apple wood,
used hickory too.

I should have just used maybe one kind of wood maybe?
P pagsMember
What type of ribs? 5 hrs for baby back ribs is just too long creating dry ribs as you described. At 3.5 hrs, test the ribs by running a toothpick through the meat in several areas. If it runs through easily, they're done, otherwise, cook them for another 20-30 minutes, then check again. In addition to dry, the meat was probably falling off the bone. Yes? Another sign of overcooking ribs.

Two types of wood won't affect anything. Sometimes I mix wood too.
cal 2cal 2Member
A very good rib cook taught me that if you don't know the weight of your ribs, at best, you will only be an average rib cook...solid advice!

Like Smokin', I believe you need to learn to cook the product correctly before trying all the tricks...might be you won't need them!

If you didn't put a slash of juice in the foil and wrap tightly, I bet they came out dry!

I also believe they were not done!
andyjandyjMember
quote:
Originally posted by cal:
Like Smokin', I believe you need to learn to cook the product correctly before trying all the tricks...might be you won't need them!

Don't know what this 3 2 1 method is, sounds complicated.... Foil, honey, Parkay, etc. etc... I use the 1 2 3 method. 1) Remove membrane 2) Apply rub 3) Cook them til they're done.

When are they done? When the toothpick says they're done. See Pags reply above.

You say they were like leather, that sounds like they were under done. You said 200-225. Did you start at 200 then turn it up? How long did you cook at 200? But then, I never ever use foil, so maybe that changes something.
M maxqMember
Iowa...a few tips.

Learn the basics. Start with whatever cut of rib you prefer, and stick to the same weight range. Whether they be loinbacks or spares, look for ribs that have some fat striation running across the top. Stay away from ribs that show the tops of the bones, or "shiners".

Apply rub and wrap 1-2 hrs before smoking. A salty rub applied hours in advance will draw out moisture.

Stick with one type of wood for starters. A 2-3 oz piece of Hickory (or whatever) is plenty for the AQ.

Forget foiling, for now anyways. Perfect your doneness before adding in a new variable.

I would suggest a 240-250 set temp for the AQ. Once the ribs are in the smoker, leave the door shut for at least 2 hrs...3 is better. You don't need to mop or spritz them...the AQ holds more than enough moisture.

Assuming you're using loinbacks or spares in the 2.5 lb + weight range, at the 3 hr. mark stab them top to bottom with a toothpick, inbetween the bones, towards the center of the rack. The toothpick should enter and exit with minimal resistance. When you hit that point, you can pull and foil them...with or without sauce, glaze, etc. Let them rest 15 minutes in foil before slicing/serving.

Here's the thing, an underdone rack will look dry and be tough. An overdone rack will look dry and be tough. A properly cooked rack will develop some moisture over the top when it's done. If you look at th underside, 1 or 2 of the longer bones will be breaking through the skin. Probe 'em with a toothpick at that point and you'll know what to look/see/feel for.

Once you get the doneness down correctly, you can start to experiment with foiling (3-2-1) techniques.

My .02 cents.
J joemMember
I found that higher temps (250-275) will render more fat but won't dry the ribs out as long as you keep an eye on them. I'm with Smokin about 3-2-1. Too much fuss and you only need to spill the juice all over your patio once to skip the foil. Starting at 3 hours I spritz with apple juice/cider vinegar 3:1 mix. Like MaxQ said, I rest in foil with sauce and then carmalize on a grill (if they last long enough).
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by iowahawks77:
Did the 3 2 1 method, used the parkay honey and brown sugar,



Okay, not to pick on you, but pick on those that love the 3-2-1 method. Read their posts again. I've NEVER seen one that mentions the weight of the ribs. Well, saw one, but he updated it after I mentioned it.

Here's the issue, both the 3-2-1 and 2-2-1 method lead you to believe this recipe is a failsafe and perfect way to cook ribs.

It's a shortcut at best. But I hear more complaints about overcooking than anything.

For you, you probably didn't know, of they didn't tell you but the 3-2-1 won't work for baby backs because of their size. That's why you'll see a 2-2-1 method (still too long for me).

The generalizations make for some bad ribs so I never recommend that method without a lot of instruction.

1. Know the different between spare ribs, St. Louis Ribs, Loin back and Baby Back

2. If you cook in foil EVER, know that your times will not be consistent unless you're using the same rib and the same weight (even then it can vary because of not all ribs come from the same pig)

3. Shortcuts. They can work, the problem is newbies don't know why they work, why they don't work.

4. Foil. Ah, the Texas Crutch. It works, it does things, but it's like the Wizard of Oz. You can't see what's going on behind the foil, so how do you know when they are done.

My suggestion is to practice and practice a lot. Keep good notes.

Stick to one style of rib, get you temp/time/method down until you're happy and then move on to the next.
C cookoneMember
quote:
Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
quote:
Originally posted by iowahawks77:
Did the 3 2 1 method, used the parkay honey and brown sugar,



Okay, not to pick on you, but pick on those that love the 3-2-1 method. Read their posts again. I've NEVER seen one that mentions the weight of the ribs. Well, saw one, but he updated it after I mentioned it.

Here's the issue, both the 3-2-1 and 2-2-1 method lead you to believe this recipe is a failsafe and perfect way to cook ribs.

It's a shortcut at best. But I hear more complaints about overcooking than anything.

For you, you probably didn't know, of they didn't tell you but the 3-2-1 won't work for baby backs because of their size. That's why you'll see a 2-2-1 method (still too long for me).

The generalizations make for some bad ribs so I never recommend that method without a lot of instruction.

1. Know the different between spare ribs, St. Louis Ribs, Loin back and Baby Back

2. If you cook in foil EVER, know that your times will not be consistent unless you're using the same rib and the same weight (even then it can vary because of not all ribs come from the same pig)

3. Shortcuts. They can work, the problem is newbies don't know why they work, why they don't work.

4. Foil. Ah, the Texas Crutch. It works, it does things, but it's like the Wizard of Oz. You can't see what's going on behind the foil, so how do you know when they are done.

My suggestion is to practice and practice a lot. Keep good notes.

Stick to one style of rib, get you temp/time/method down until you're happy and then move on to the next.


Amen!
I iowahawks77Member
Great tips,, THANK YOU

quote:
Originally posted by MaxQ:
Iowa...a few tips.

Learn the basics. Start with whatever cut of rib you prefer, and stick to the same weight range. Whether they be loinbacks or spares, look for ribs that have some fat striation running across the top. Stay away from ribs that show the tops of the bones, or "shiners".

Apply rub and wrap 1-2 hrs before smoking. A salty rub applied hours in advance will draw out moisture.

Stick with one type of wood for starters. A 2-3 oz piece of Hickory (or whatever) is plenty for the AQ.

Forget foiling, for now anyways. Perfect your doneness before adding in a new variable.

I would suggest a 240-250 set temp for the AQ. Once the ribs are in the smoker, leave the door shut for at least 2 hrs...3 is better. You don't need to mop or spritz them...the AQ holds more than enough moisture.

Assuming you're using loinbacks or spares in the 2.5 lb + weight range, at the 3 hr. mark stab them top to bottom with a toothpick, inbetween the bones, towards the center of the rack. The toothpick should enter and exit with minimal resistance. When you hit that point, you can pull and foil them...with or without sauce, glaze, etc. Let them rest 15 minutes in foil before slicing/serving.

Here's the thing, an underdone rack will look dry and be tough. An overdone rack will look dry and be tough. A properly cooked rack will develop some moisture over the top when it's done. If you look at th underside, 1 or 2 of the longer bones will be breaking through the skin. Probe 'em with a toothpick at that point and you'll know what to look/see/feel for.

Once you get the doneness down correctly, you can start to experiment with foiling (3-2-1) techniques.

My .02 cents.

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