Baby back ribs ????

[Green Mountain]

My son asked me to cook up 4 racks of baby back ribs for a party he is having next weekend.

I got a deal on some nice ones. I am not a great lover of ribs so I don't ever remember cooking them.

But I have been around you guys long enough to know that I have to cook them long and slow in most smoke.

My question is about the membane on the back of the ribs. I know it has to be removed. But when and how is it removed? Before, after or during cooking? What is a good way to do it without destroying any meat??

[A/C guy's chick]

I for one leave the membrane on. But I cook them slow on the gas grill with the heat turned down as low as it will go. I do cut the slab in half though. Then turn the ribs every 5 min or so. I cut the slabs in half then cut a slit between the bone. After about 15 min in the cooking , I start basting them with honey and Teq. mixed with a sqeeze of lime juice. Cheap booze is fine. Just have plenty of beer to be had when doing them It takes about 45 min. to do a slab of em. Have fun...

[Garc33]

I remove the membrane before cooking the ribs. It's fairly easy to do and once you get the hang of it you can be done fairly quickly.

The reason I pull the membrane out is to put my dry rub on both sides of the meat. I usually do the rub the day before that way it can penetrate the ribs and you can get more of the flavor. When removing the membrane I start from the smaller side of the ribs and I am able to find enough of the membrane to start pulling it. If I do it from the larger part of the meat I have a lot of trouble. Use a small pairing knife if you need some help.

If you are not planning on doing a dry rub, you are fine with leaving the membrane on.

Have fun

[barriehie]

I pull it off before cooking and then marinate overnight in salt water! 1lb. meat gets 1/2 cup salt and enough water to cover.

Barrie

[mattm]

I always remove the membrane. One tip is if you can't get a grip is to use a paper towel to grip it and once it's started it will pull right off.

I'll tell you a no fail way to grill them and they will turn out great everytime.

1. Pull the membrane off.
2. Cut each slab in 1/2.
3. Season them with your favorite rub.
4. Double wrap each one with heavy duty Wrenolds brand wrap.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.
6. Set them out about a 1/2 hour before grilling.
7. Get the grill hot then turn to medium "250º - 300º".
8. Place the ribs on the grill and forget them for about 25 minutes and then turn.
9. Forget them again for about 20 - 25 more minutes.
10. Remove them from the grill and one by one unwrap and put them back on the grill.
11. Now just grill them untill they look the way you want them and if you want them wet you can baste them with sauce at this time also.

I've been doing ribs this way for many years and have never had a bad batch.

These weres just put back on the grill and sauced up.

[razorback]

I always remove the membrane. One tip is if you can't get a grip is to use a paper towel to grip it and once it's started it will pull right off.

I'll tell you a no fail way to grill them and they will turn out great everytime.

1. Pull the membrane off.
2. Cut each slab in 1/2.
3. Season them with your favorite rub.
4. Double wrap each one with heavy duty Wrenolds brand wrap.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.
6. Set them out about a 1/2 hour before grilling.
7. Get the grill hot then turn to medium "250º - 300º".
8. Place the ribs on the grill and forget them for about 25 minutes and then turn.
9. Forget them again for about 20 - 25 more minutes.
10. Remove them from the grill and one by one unwrap and put them back on the grill.
11. Now just grill them untill they look the way you want them and if you want them wet you can baste them with sauce at this time also.

I've been doing ribs this way for many years and have never had a bad batch.

These weres just put back on the grill and sauced up.

Everything looks good except for the longhorn coffee cup

[mattm]

Everything looks good except for the longhorn coffee cup

[Green Mountain]

They look great Matt. And thanks to you other guys.

Matt if I UPS my ribs to you do you think you can Fedex them back to me by next Sat.???

[mattm]

They look great Matt. And thanks to you other guys.

Matt if I UPS my ribs to you do you think you can Fedex them back to me by next Sat.???

Sure will.

They're as easy as it sounds.

[key]

Matt: I have been doing ribs tha way for years....I put a little bit of beer in the foil to help steam and soften the meat.

[mattm]

Matt: I have been doing ribs tha way for years....I put a little bit of beer in the foil to help steam and soften the meat.

Never thought of that. Hmmm... I may have to get some ribs.

[m-cooling]

on the radio Friday they were talking about whats the difference in a baby back and just regular ribs.

Best somebody came up with is baby back ribs are from a smaller pig.

teenage pig if you will.

Is that right?

[Green Mountain]

on the radio Friday they were talking about whats the difference in a baby back and just regular ribs.

Best somebody came up with is baby back ribs are from a smaller pig.

teenage pig if you will.

Is that right?

I'm not an expert but I just got done shopping for them. The baby back ribs that I bought were about 1/3 smaller than what was labled "Ribs". There was considerable less amount of fat on the babies and had a pinker color.

Just sitting in the case the baby backs looked more appetizing then the regular ribs.

[gary_g]

on the radio Friday they were talking about whats the difference in a baby back and just regular ribs.

Best somebody came up with is baby back ribs are from a smaller pig.

teenage pig if you will.

Is that right?

Baby backs are a different cut of meat from the pig.

From Wikipedia:

"Baby back ribs

Baby back ribs, sometimes called loin ribs or simply back ribs, are taken from the top of the rib cage between the spine and the spareribs, below the loin muscle. They have meat between the bones and are shorter but meatier than spareribs. The rack is shorter at one end, due to the natural tapering of a pig's rib cage. The shortest bones are typically only about 3" (7.6 cm) and the longest is usually about 6" (15.2 cm), depending on the size of the hog. Whilst a pig has 15 ribs, a rack of baby back ribs contains a minimum of 8 ribs but can include up to 15 ribs depending on how it has been prepared by the butcher."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_ribs

[cy]

ok... this looks like a good method. just purchased a rack of ribs last night to try this out... thanks,

I always remove the membrane. One tip is if you can't get a grip is to use a paper towel to grip it and once it's started it will pull right off.

I'll tell you a no fail way to grill them and they will turn out great everytime.

1. Pull the membrane off.
2. Cut each slab in 1/2.
3. Season them with your favorite rub.
4. Double wrap each one with heavy duty Wrenolds brand wrap.
5. Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.
6. Set them out about a 1/2 hour before grilling.
7. Get the grill hot then turn to medium "250º - 300º".
8. Place the ribs on the grill and forget them for about 25 minutes and then turn.
9. Forget them again for about 20 - 25 more minutes.
10. Remove them from the grill and one by one unwrap and put them back on the grill.
11. Now just grill them untill they look the way you want them and if you want them wet you can baste them with sauce at this time also.

I've been doing ribs this way for many years and have never had a bad batch.

[gary_g]

You can also make excellent ribs in the oven (if its winter time, or you don't want to stand by the grill for several hours).

Prepare them how you like.
Place ribs in Pyrex pan.
Add a little water for steaming.
Cover in aluminum foil.
Bake on 230F for 3 hours (depending on amount of ribs).

You can "finish" them on the grill if you'd like.

I made them this way yesterday.

Ummmm.

[hvacker]

I was watching the Memphis cook off and the membrane was a big deal. The judges didn't say what was right but they asked the contestants why they took it off or why they left it on. I guess it was part of the judging.
Some called it candy.
I kinda like it.

[cy]

does anyone know how cook off contestants cook their ribs?

I was watching the Memphis cook off and the membrane was a big deal. The judges didn't say what was right but they asked the contestants why they took it off or why they left it on. I guess it was part of the judging.
Some called it candy.
I kinda like it.

[Green Mountain]

does anyone know how cook off contestants cook their ribs?

I was at a party one hunting season. The Vermont State BBQ champion was doing the cooking. He said he came in like 35 in the Nationals.

This guy was so fanatical I couldn't imagine what the winner of the Nationals are like.

They all have there secret sauces. His has maple syrup in it of course and a bunch of other things. He had his own crew (friends) who traveled with him.
He had everthing prepared the night before. He got the crew up at 5 AM and we never eat the ribs until 4 PM.

That 30 second sound bite you see on the Travel Channel doesn't tell a fraction of the story.

[hvacker]

does anyone know how cook off contestants cook their ribs?

BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen, Workman Publishing 771 pages tell a lot of secrets and methods. Lots of recipes. His Memphis rub is real good.

I watched one contest where that Morning Show weather guy entered. Only problem for me was he had this monster machine. A factory built stainless steel contraption that automatically fed some kind of pellets and swung the food around inside.
I thought this isn't right. If all it takes to win is a big expensive machine then what's the point.
He didn't win. Goody me thinks.

The most inventive cooker I saw at our 4th parade. It was made to look like a tractor. Little front wheels, big back wheels, For smoking he stoked what looked like a tractor transmission in the rear and of course he cooked the Q under the hood. Really different. Headlights and all.