# Help me not screw up my ribs this time. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306 "2013-07-12T13:23:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/1 "2013-07-12T13:23:25Z")
The last two times I tried ribs it did not turn out the way I wanted. We still ate them but it just wasn’t what I was looking for. What I want to do is start them in the oven and then finish them off on the char coal grill. My problem’s with the oven cooking/temp time. The last two times I tried, I wound up cooking them too long, so when I went to put them on the grill, they just sort of fell apart, leaving me with a mess. I like my ribs tender but not _falling off the bone just from picking up the rib up tender._ The meat should stay on the bone until I take a bite out of it dangit! Anyway, any of you guys have any fool proof methods from oven to grill? I’m cooking St. Louis style spare ribs. Thanks. ETA: Dangit! Wrong forum! Reported. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/2 "2013-07-12T13:25:22Z")
How hot/long did you cook them the first time? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/3 "2013-07-12T13:28:09Z")
Hmm, don’t really remember. I think three hours @ 275? Can’t say for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/4 "2013-07-12T13:32:59Z")
Were they wrapped in foil, or cooked dry? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/5 "2013-07-12T13:35:02Z")
If I’m remembering right, I do an hour and half or 45 minutes at 300, in foil. Then finish on the grill. You can err on the side of less done as long as you make a direct and indirect side of your grill. Edit: I used to do it a lot cooler and longer…like maybe 225 for 4 hours. But, I decided the results weren’t significantly different enough to justify the extra time. Reall BBQ-ers will probably appear and disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/6 "2013-07-12T14:55:28Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Were they wrapped in foil, or cooked dry? I wrapped them. I think that may be part of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/7 "2013-07-12T15:07:44Z")
Alton Brown has a good recipe for ribs started in the oven in foil. However, do some digiing and see if you can find a recipe for ribs cooked slow, unwrapped, at about 225 for about 5 hours. Like smoking them, but without the smoke. They are very tender that way, but not falling off the bone. I’ll see what I can dig up. ETA: Here’s a [recipe](http://www.instructables.com/id/Oven-Cooked-Ribs-with-Dry-Rub/), though at a higher temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/8 "2013-07-12T15:08:18Z")
I used to bake them, but now I boil them. In a big stockpot, with a little vinegar. That way I can check them regularly and take them out right when they get tender but not too. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/9 "2013-07-12T18:00:10Z")
Can’t you just poke 'em every now and then and take them off when they are to your liking? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/10 "2013-07-12T18:27:36Z")
The rule I have heard is 2/2/1: 2 hours at about 225F; cover in foil and cook 2 hours more, remove foil and cook 1 hour more, adding sauce during this period. The grilling session will probably be pretty short, just enough time to get a little char on them. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/11 "2013-07-12T18:31:02Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > ETA: Dangit! Wrong forum! Reported. Since no moderators have been by to move to CS yet, I reported as well. Seeing this OP in MPSIMS, I was wondering how you got such a bad injury to the rib part of your body in the first place, and why you’d try the same activity again. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/12 "2013-07-12T19:20:23Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/13 "2013-07-12T20:40:11Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > The rule I have heard is 2/2/1: 2 hours at about 225F; cover in foil and cook 2 hours more, remove foil and cook 1 hour more, adding sauce during this period. The grilling session will probably be pretty short, just enough time to get a little char on them. I did ribs in a smoker a couple times, and they turned out a little tougher than I liked, no matter how low and slow I tried to cook them. Then I heard of this method, and they turned out perfect, nice and tender and smoky. I did 3-2-1: 3 hours smoking, 2 hours in foil, and one hour uncovered again to get a nice crust, adding sauce only in the last 1/2 hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/14 "2013-07-13T03:19:56Z")
**Shakes** , I learned this method from a woman who knew what she was talkin’ about: No need for an oven. Parboil the ribs in a large pan on top of the stove. Watch them closely and remove them when they are no longer pink. Keep the water they were cooking in. On to the grill. Since they are pretty much already cooked, your goal here is to get your char on; they don’t need a lot more cooking. Anyway, while they are on the grill, spray them frequently from a spray bottled filled with the cooking water that you had reserved. Brush your sauce on, if desired, and cook to your preferred level of crispness. mmm ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-not-screw-up-my-ribs-this-time/663306/15 "2013-07-13T04:44:33Z")
Please don’t take the following comments too seriously, even though this is what I think. Tastes are different, and the great thing about cooking food yourself is you can tailor it to how you like it: Ok, my philosophy? If you think of ribs just as a vehicle for barbecue sauce, go ahead and boil them. Otherwise, boiling just sucks all the flavor out of the meat and puts it in the pork stock you got going there. Foiling is not my preferred method, but it does the job if you want tender fall-off-the-bone ribs. For some reason, many people think this is difficult to do and consider it an accomplishment when they get fall-off-the-bone ribs. In actual fact, it’s pretty easy. Just foil or boil and wait, and you’ll eventually get fall-off-the-bone ribs. For what you’re trying to do, I would actually not foil them, and simply oven roast them at about 225-275F, or possibly foil them for just part of the time. The trick is figuring out when it’s almost done. Don’t go by time or temperature. Use your senses. Has the meat pulled back from the bone? If you pick a rack up in the middle with a pair of tongs does it bend, but not quite tear? Then they’re about done. You can pick 'em up and grill 'em at this point. Even if you do foil them, the only problem is you’re cooking them for too long. You have to check and use your judgment. There is no magic time where all ribs will be cooked exactly right.