Foil, or not to Foil...that is the question?

Can I have the honor of being first????

I have lots to say but will keep it short.

1). I learned my rib technique while hanging around the MIM circuit. As you know, many of the most successful cooks on that circuit, foil...Boggy Pond BBQ Brigade, Jack's Old South, The Dixie Boys to name a few....consistently win and are still the best ribs I have ever tasted.

So, much of my philosophy is reflected in my learning and training. That is also why I tend to be anal about keeping my smoker at 225�..it's simply how I learned the trade.

2). The general public, our neighbors and families, are constantly looking for that falling-off-the-bone-tenderness. The traditionalists may think that is overdone, but can you imagine telling someone that those ribs are too tender? They will simply laugh as they inhale them.

So, I give them what they want! I will NOT try to educate the public on how a rib should taste...they speak, I listen. Who am I to tell someone what they should enjoy?

The best technique I have found to accomplish this tenderness is to foil and I have cooked ribs about every way possible. Besides, I can still foil and the ribs will never be mushy nor will they literally fall of the bone. This takes practice and knowing your smoker.

3). I think the ribbons I have won validate this technique. Obviously, unwrapped ribs also win so there is really no clear cut "best technique".

Smokin', in the end, the BEST ribs are what YOU think are the best ribs. So cook them in the manner that pleases YOU.

Peace Brother!!!!

It's not a right thing or wrong thing..just want to get some thoughts on it and I just KNEW you'd come in with great points --- as always!

Well, I guess I'm the same as Stogie when it comes to the way I do my ribs...foil.....thats the way it was done in the recipe I found in my search and the ribs came out "falling-off"
Although, the three baby backs I smoked a few days ago were very greasy, I'm sure it was because I bought the ribs that are injected with a solution.(not sure if that was the cause)..
I look forward to seeing some responses to this post, and I think my next time out with ribs I will leave the foil off just to see what turns out.....you never know.

cookin-n-arkansas

Actually the grease may have come from foiling... if you cook them foiled the whole time the dont get a chance to render(fat cook off)if you dont let them render first alot of times they will be greasy and mushy.
My foiling habits are as follows....cook ribs till done sauce them up then foil and put in a cooler for an hour before serving and it works pretty darn good. As stogie said i learned the foil thing at mim contests up till then i had never foiled

We also have done very with ribs, had our share of wins cooking spares and a few cooking BB and we never foil until there done and they are going into the dry cooler.
I guess it shows, as Smokin says, no right or wrong way to get the job done.
Pick a technique and perfect it.
Jim

Like KRE and Jim, I cook til done, then sauce and foil in the cooler for a while... If you foil while still cooking... you might as well put em back in the oven in the house! Then again, I guess I am still cooking when I foil... though I'm no longer adding heat. That slow loss of heat in the cooler really gets to that desired tenderness, without any mushy problems.

I have never tried the foiling biz while still in the smoker either. Just after the fact in the cooler. I might try it to see what some of you are talking about....my thoughts are, why fix it when it ain't broke? Great topic again.........

I don't foil til there done to keep them from drying out I made a mistake once and kept cooking them after foiling and they were mush. They taste just fine right out of the smoker with out foil but they have to be done.

Foil.

I use and and I don't. How's that for wishy-washy. There was a reason why I threw this out.

Is foiling the answer for a beginner, when they're starting out and having bad rib results?

One reason I threw the question out was that all to frequently we say the answer to someone's problems is just to foil it. I don't think, from my perspective, that answers the question since I try to educate where possible about the cause/effect.

Why are the ribs drying out? When foil is just thrown on because of that, I think we don't understand what is going on, BUT foiling will help.

Usually, when ribs dry out the causes are:

Basic ribs problems
1. Temp. Tooooo hot and dries them out
2. Time. Tooo long and dries them out
3. Ribs themselves. They are injected or the meat is rather thin on the edges and dries out.

Truly to find the perfect combination of the above is magic and when it works we're ALL really thrilled.

If you sauce your ribs, Stogie gives a super example of how to do this. Many, many competitors win with that.

If you prefer your ribs dry, then I think foil may not be best. Naked ribs are great when the rub has a chance to form a bark with the ribs. Put them in foil has an effect and tends to steam them some what. Mushy is a term some use, but that's from overcooking them in foil.

Just my 3cents

Appreciate all the responses. Everyone is right, nobody is wrong. Not trying to say that. As long as you have success, GREAT. And helping others achieve that success, after all, is the purpose behind this forum.

THANKS FOR ALL THE INPUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use a water-smoker and have always smoked my ribs for 6 hours at about 230 deg. without foiling.

When meat temp reaches 190 I pull them out, foil them, and place in cooler for 30 min to 1 hour.

They have always come out very tender, almost falling off the bone. Excellent bark, and good smoke ring. Everyone seems to love them, and my wife says they taste even better the next day.

Have yet to have a bad batch...but all this talk about foiling them the last couple of hours... makes me wanna try it just for comparison. It's always nice to experiment.

Ken

Mornin',all.

I'm late gettin' into this,but couldn't help but add my two cents.

Most of the fine cooks above seem to emphasize knowing your smoker,work till you get consistent with that product,and then make an adjustment- just when you need to.

These teams that are mentioned can adjust for wind,outside temperature,pouring rain,poor meat,cooking on a strange cooker, and standing with one foot in the air.


Luckily,IMHO,we aren't faced with that in a CS-most of the time.

We might consider sticking with our basics, till it won't work,and then try some of these other techniques.

Since Smokin's reference was to ribs & brisket,I can agree with Stogie that about 3/4 of the overall winners,brisket and ribs did foil at the FBA Nationals this weekend.

And Stogie,if you weren't aware,the head cook for the GC s is Chip[one of the original Dixie Boys].

Buster was the only one of your mentioned group that wasn't there.
His and the Dixie Boys kids were fourth overall,so the techniques must filter down.

Trial and error thats the best way to learn and thanks to CS even the mistakes aren't unedible.It seems even the Pros have there own ideas on the subject.When time is running out and it doesn't seem to be getting done foiling can help specialy for a new comer.

Tom.....

You are correct about passing things down! Buster and a few others used to cook with Myron so they have picked up on Jack's Old South techniques and experimented with it.

I saw where Blackwater BBQ did well...that is Buster's boy and Joby's daughter. I had no idea Chip had formed a team...nice to see him around.

I am willing to bet that all of these folks are foiling.

I haven't talked to Joby in ages and don't see the Dixie Boys name much. Does he still cook? Or, is he just not doing well lately? He was pretty hot a couple years ago!

Anyway, that's it...glad you enjoyed the weekend!

Hey,Stogie.

Jobie is still winning.His daughter has another on the way,so they are doing family things.
He is cooking only FBA,since he is building the organization.

Of course, he is still infamous for those mason jars of cherry bombs.


Ocala Bill has spun off from the Dixie Boys and formed Bill and the Dixie Chicks.

As you know Bill has won well at both organizations.Second in ribs,I think,at the MIM Big Pig Jig with foiled ribs.BTW he doesn't foil at KCBS cookoffs.

Chip,Buster,and Joby have given up whole hog and let the young turks from Blackwater Boys assume the mantle.

Well I went and did it. I foiled for the first time. This is also the first time I had fall off the bone spares. That is the way I like them. Foiled at the 4hr mark and left them in for another 3hrs. The bark was not chrisp enough to suit me but the fall off was great. It took 7hrs with an ambient temp of about 18deg.(STL spares 3.5lb.)Next time I want to try the same without the foil and see if the fall off was because the foil or the 7 hrs. (I usually eat at 6hrs.) Tender but not fall off at 6hrs.