Ribs

[ronpolk]

I have a family gathering to attend tomorrow, so I decided to throw some baby backs on the kettle today.

I have tried spare ribs several times and I’m just a bigger fan of baby backs. I’m sure that is against the law for some of you (especially the Texas folks) but anyone else here prefer baby backs?

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I enjoy baby backs from Chili’s after downing 23 White Russians

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I enjoy baby backs from Chili’s after downing 23 White Russians

But I enjoy them, not my preference but I’m happy with them when I get them

 

[Dawgbite]

Well ****! I bought a full brisket about two weeks ago. I put it in the freezer because I wasn’t cooking it until the fourth. I just realized that tomorrow is the fourth and the brisket is still in the freezer.

 

[ronpolk]

Well ****! I bought a full brisket about two weeks ago. I put it in the freezer because I wasn’t cooking it until the fourth. I just realized that tomorrow is the fourth and the brisket is still in the freezer.

Better make a run to the store right now!

 

[Augustus McCrae]

I like both. If I had to pick one over the other I’d probably pick baby back. I use the 221 method for baby backs and the 321 method for spareribs.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Forgive me for I know this is sacrilegious. I've smoke baby backs and grilled them but if you're ever too busy (or lazy) to do all that. Just cut the rack in half, de-membrane it and rub generously with your favorite dry rub. Put it in a large metal baking pan(meat side up), cover it with foil and put it in the oven for 3-3.5 hrs at 250 degrees. Take the cover off and brush it with your favorite sauce and broil it til the sauce bubbles and starts to caramelize. Take it out and let it cool awhile.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Just pulled two racks of baby backs off my grill after six hours. I love them.

 

[Jack Klompus.sixpack]

I too prefer baby back ribs, although I don’t discriminate, I like spare ribs too. Basically anything smoked is good in my opinion.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

My friend that moved here from California prefers baby backs... So that's the boat you are floating in pal.**

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Had some baby backs yesterday, they were buy one get one free at Kroger. 3 hours in the oven with some basic rub and mustard, then some BBQ sauce and upped the temp for 20 minutes. Put them on a gas grill for 2 minutes per side on high heat to sear. They were incredible. And incredibly easy.

I used to be the guy that felt I needed to smoke everything perfectly. Not anymore. Practicality has won out.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

I’m a baby back guy. Just like the flavor more. I’m doing two slabs in the morning. Pretty straightforward. Mustard, light coat of garlic jalapeño, then my rub on top. Smoke with hickory at 250. I’ll spritz after about two and a half hours. I’ll glaze them at the end and wrap them in foil to hold in a cooler when they are done. Never fails.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Made baby backs yesterday. Still one of my favorites. I do like good spares though.

 

[The Peeper]

Baby backs are about all I do, hard to mess them up and they don't take as long

 

[Eleven Bravo]

I prefer the St. Louis style pork ribs-a little thicker and more meat that the baby backs from my experience. I admit that I do cheat when cooking them at home. About 2 hours in the oven on a cookie sheet with whatever you want to use as a rub-I do use yellow mustard as a binder. Take them out of the oven and put them on the Kamado and let them smoke for a bit-usually about an hour to get the smoke flavor. I use hickory myself. Just before I take them off I put a very thin layer or BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays for me) and take them off and let them rest for a while. I don’t wrap in peach paper or aluminum foil because I want them to have a little “bite” to them instead of falling apart. They usually turn out pretty good like that…

 

[PapaDawg]

Baby backs with SBR’s BBQ sauce for me. I smoke or use the gas grill. Just depends on the amount of time I have.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Do any good BBQ joints sell baby backs? I can't recall ever seeing them anywhere in TX, KC, or Memphis over the years. My understanding was they are naturally more tender, but lack the flavor of spares. Kinda like filet vs ribeye.

I rarely find anything but St Louis cut or baby back up here. I usually end up with St Louis cut, but full spares are the best to me when available. The rib tips are possibly the best part of a pig. Last time I had full spares I used my rib tip trimmings in place of brisket for Texas Twinkies and everyone destroyed them. My wife is actually mad I don't make them that way all the time.

 

[ronpolk]

Do any good BBQ joints sell baby backs? I can't recall ever seeing them anywhere in TX, KC, or Memphis over the years. My understanding was they are naturally more tender, but lack the flavor of spares. Kinda like filet vs ribeye.

I rarely find anything but St Louis cut or baby back up here. I usually end up with St Louis cut, but full spares are the best to me when available. The rib tips are possibly the best part of a pig. Last time I had full spares I used my rib tip trimmings in place of brisket for Texas Twinkies and everyone destroyed them. My wife is actually mad I don't make them that way all the time.

Probably not. Even though I like baby backs better, if I had a BBQ place I’d do spares. Just more meat (and cheaper) that allows you to do more. Rib tips as an appetizer is pretty common at a lot of bbq places.

I think I’m just not a huge fan of the belly meat unless it’s bacon. I’ve had pork belly burnt ends several times and just not a fan of that much fat. But with that said, I don’t hate spares by any means. I get them at bbq places.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

Forgive me for I know this is sacrilegious. I've smoke baby backs and grilled them but if you're ever too busy (or lazy) to do all that. Just cut the rack in half, de-membrane it and rub generously with your favorite dry rub. Put it in a large metal baking pan(meat side up), cover it with foil and put it in the oven for 3-3.5 hrs at 250 degrees. Take the cover off and brush it with your favorite sauce and broil it til the sauce bubbles and starts to caramelize. Take it out and let it cool awhile.

Back when I was in high school, a buddy of mine's Dad did them like that at least twice a month. We loved them.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I must've been insane to pick July 5 for my colonoscopy, so I am spending the Fourth of July doing the prep.

dumass

 

[NWADawg]

I have a family gathering to attend tomorrow, so I decided to throw some baby backs on the kettle today.

I have tried spare ribs several times and I’m just a bigger fan of baby backs. I’m sure that is against the law for some of you (especially the Texas folks) but anyone else here prefer baby backs?

It's baby back or no ribs at all with my family. I prefer them myself but I like all the ribs.

 

[Dawgbite]

I've always thought that baby back have the most meat on them. Spare ribs and St Louis are the same piece of meat. St Louis just means the tips have been removed and it's trimmed to a uniform rectangle shape.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

I must've been insane to pick July 5 for my colonoscopy, so I am spending the Fourth of July doing the prep.

dumass

That is one of the biggest mistakes I've seen in a while.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I've always thought baby backs are the best but are more difficult to get right on the grill and easier to 17 up and come out dry. Since I never liked sweet schit poured on my food, never cared much for ribs till I experienced dry ribs at the Rendezvous.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I've always thought baby backs are the best but are more difficult to get right on the grill and easier to 17 up and come out dry. Since I never liked sweet schit poured on my food, never cared much for ribs till I experienced dry ribs at the Rendezvous.

Cook them like I said above except don't put any sauce on them. When you uncover them (good time to sprinkle a little extra rub) put your oven on broil and broil them about 10 minutes then take them out.

 

[biodawg]

I was at my uncle’s house a few weeks ago and he cooked ribs. Rubbed and into the oven until they weren’t quite done. Next day, he cut them up into individual ribs, put them in a big aluminum pan with a small amount of bbq sauce and finished them on his smoker for a couple hours. They were very good and very easy with plenty of smoke on them.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Cook them like I said above except don't put any sauce on them. When you uncover them (good time to sprinkle a little extra rub) put your oven on broil and broil them about 10 minutes then take them out.

But with baby backs does the temp probe work? Or do you just go by the temp your smoker is displaying? My baby backs always sucked till I started finishing them off in aluminum foil. Doesn't the Rendezvous do the same? I like what you said about bigger chunks of pork with the probe. I've never used a probe but will based on what you said earlier but not understanding how a probe would work on a rack of ribs. Thanks again for sharing your expertise BTW.

 

[thatsbaseball]

But with baby backs does the temp probe work? Or do you just go by the temp your smoker is displaying? My baby backs always sucked till I started finishing them off in aluminum foil. Doesn't the Rendezvous do the same? I like what you said about bigger chunks of pork with the probe. I've never used a probe but will based on what you said earlier but not understanding how a probe would work on a rack of ribs. Thanks again for sharing your expertise BTW.

I use a probe sometime but 3 1/2 hours at 250 (covered) will cook baby backs just about perfect every time. I always use a probe on bigger chunks of meat mainly to keep from over cooking.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

I use a probe sometime but 3 1/2 hours at 250 (covered) will cook baby backs just about perfect every time. I always use a probe on bigger chunks of meat mainly to keep from over cooking.

This seems to be telling me I've just been simply using too much heat. Less heat with more time & patience will be my plan going forward.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

That is one of the biggest mistakes I've seen in a while.

Didn't have a lot of choices. My wife's a nurse on 2nd shift with rotating days. At least it doesn't happen very often. Check your messages.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Didn't have a lot of choices. My wife's a nurse on 2nd shift with rotating days. At least it doesn't happen very often. Check your messages.

Yea, when they set a date you're pretty much stuck unless you wanna wait another 4 months or longer. That's just the way things are these days.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Didn't have a lot of choices. My wife's a nurse on 2nd shift with rotating days. At least it doesn't happen very often. Check your messages.

Let me know if I successfully replied on msg.

 

[ronpolk]

But with baby backs does the temp probe work? Or do you just go by the temp your smoker is displaying? My baby backs always sucked till I started finishing them off in aluminum foil. Doesn't the Rendezvous do the same? I like what you said about bigger chunks of pork with the probe. I've never used a probe but will based on what you said earlier but not understanding how a probe would work on a rack of ribs. Thanks again for sharing your expertise BTW.

I really don’t cook them any differently than spares. Spares may take longer than baby backs. I also don’t keep a probe in them the whole time but I rarely do with anything. Sometimes if I’m cooking a pork tenderloin or turkey or chicken breast. Something that is truly going to suffer badly if I over cook, I may keep a probe in.

I generally cook around 275. It’ll sometimes creep up around 300. I cook for 2 hours then will typically put start to mop the ribs. I like a tangy vinegar based mop sauce. After about hour 3, I’ll decide if im going to wrap based on the color of the rib. If it’s starting to get darker than I want, I’ll wrap. But there have been several times I’ve cooked the whole time unwrapped. I generally use butcher paper to wrap because I like to have a good bark. I do like to wrap in foil if I’m going for more of a sweet rib. I’ll foil wrap with butter, brown sugar and honey. My wife tends to like they better and I tend to like the vinegar flavor more.

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

But with baby backs does the temp probe work? Or do you just go by the temp your smoker is displaying? My baby backs always sucked till I started finishing them off in aluminum foil. Doesn't the Rendezvous do the same? I like what you said about bigger chunks of pork with the probe. I've never used a probe but will based on what you said earlier but not understanding how a probe would work on a rack of ribs. Thanks again for sharing your expertise BTW.

Rendevous does not wrap in foil.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Rendevous does not wrap in foil.

Why are they served in foil on the paper plates?

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

It’s serving foil - it has a paper liner on the other side.
They put everything on those foils.
If You’ve ever been to Rendezvous you can see the open pit and watch them take the ribs right off the pit and onto the plastic baskets lined with the serving foil.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Do any good BBQ joints sell baby backs? I can't recall ever seeing them anywhere in TX, KC, or Memphis over the years. My understanding was they are naturally more tender, but lack the flavor of spares. Kinda like filet vs ribeye.

I rarely find anything but St Louis cut or baby back up here. I usually end up with St Louis cut, but full spares are the best to me when available. The rib tips are possibly the best part of a pig. Last time I had full spares I used my rib tip trimmings in place of brisket for Texas Twinkies and everyone destroyed them. My wife is actually mad I don't make them that way all the time.

Memphis BBQ in Southaven does babyback and spare ribs. Wife gets babybacks and I change it up.