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Kent[_5_] Kent[_5_] is offline
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Default To wrap or not wrap - pork ribs


"Bob-tx" <No Spam no contact> wrote in message
. ..
>I know some of you experts, maybe most of you, don't wrap your pork ribs.
> I have been wrapping mine after smoking for about three hours. At that
> point,
> they seem to be well smoked and a good color. Then I wrap them in foil
> with
> about one fourth cup of mop, usually for about another couple hours.
>
> They come out quite good; moist, fall off the bone cleanly, and tender,
> and
> well smoked.
>
> I wonder though if they are somehow better when not wrapped, but when I
> have tried not wrapping them, they get too dark actually a bit crispy,
> neither
> of which I want.
>
> I use an offset smoker, mostly oak wood (I can usually get all the Oak I
> want
> for free), and try to keep the temp at grill level around 225 - 250, with
> chimney always wide open.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions? I have been barbecuing for nearly sixty
> years, but am no expert, and always ready to learn how to do something
> better. Thanks in advance for any advice.
>
> Bob-tx
>
>

I'm all for using foil if you need it. All it does is increase the humidity
of the cooking environment surrounding the ribs and the meat therefore
doesn't dry out as it cooks to completion. The Weber Smokey Mountain is
designed to do that. A large water pan keeps the internal temp at 225F
ongoing until the ribs are done. Wrapping in foil, I think, basically does
the same thing.

I think you always want your cooking temp to be 225F-250F. Anything higher
doesn't allow the collagen to breakdown so the meat "bites right". The very
slow breakdown of collagen is what makes the rib taste like ribs should.
This very slow cooking is the basis for "sous vide" cooking.

Kent