I foil my babybacks maybe 10-15% of the time I make them. This is typically done when I’m preparing them for sharing with others like my folks. I prefer dry rubbed BBRs and dry spares better still but some people expect a softer, saucier rib and I’ll happily eat those, too. Please don’t tell my hardcore bbq friends. The 3-2-1 method is well known: 3 hours smoked dry, two hours foiled and the last hour back on the smoker unfoiled. I don’t go for the times but the sequence it typical and the technique well documented.
Anyhow, I’ve stopped simply wrapping the racks in foil since the pointy bones inevitably poke through the foil and the acid in the sauce and heat in the smoker react with the Al in an unpleasant fashion. I once tried plastic wrapping then foiling the ribs for a more inert sauce barrier and some puncture resistance but found plastic melted to the meat. It was easy to pull off but it won’t happen again. Maybe there are different temperature ratings among the cling wrap manufacturers but I’m still calling it a failed experiment.
Instead, I’ve taken to cutting the racks in half and putting them into a pyrex bread loaf pan. Then, I put a second loaf pan over the top and foil the two pans together to loosely seal the package. This also makes cleanup a little easier too as all the ‘juice’ stays in a loaf pan.
I personally would not use plastic because I don’t trust that it is safe as well as there are better options as some of you have so deliciously noted. I’d feel horrible if someone sensitve to plastic got ill and then you open up the whole liability issue if the method is not an accepted industry standard. No matter what your spicing recipe is, I would recommend using a pressure cooker like I do. It’s quick and permeates the flavor completely through the meat. They come out very tender and flavorful. Then you can finish them off on grill or bake in the oven. Happy bbqing!
Correction: robert put a dry run on his bbb ribs , wrapped them in plasctic wrap (which he said does not melt until 400 degrees) , cooked on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for 2 hrs 30 minutes, let them rest in the plasctic wrap for for 20 muns, then coast with the bbq sauce and put under a broiler or toaster oven for just a minute to carmelize them. I can’t wait to try them!
When I make lasagna , I put plasic wrap on then foil for the first 30 minutes or so. Then finish uncovered. I find it helps steam the noodles then I brown out the cheese at the end. Been doing this for over twenty years, since I worked in restaurants. Granted we don’t eat lasagna every day…
