For what it's worth, here's my theory. The naked ribs taste more smokey from spending the entire cook time bathed in smoke. They actually reached the highest temperature, more fully breaking down the connective tissue and making them more tender. Too much smoke exposure masked the rub/sauce combo applied somewhat. The paper-wrapped ribs were less tender because they reached a lower temp due to evaporative cooling. This would happen until the paper becomes saturated with grease/moisture (as it appears to when Franklin does his beef ribs). The seasonings also are washed off and/or dissolve into the juices; then get wicked away by the paper, leading to a less flavorful rib. The foil ribs are slightly less tender because they reached a slightly lower temp due to radiant heat reflecting off of the foil and having to heat the retained juices in the foil packet. Slowly cooking in those flavorful juices; however, helped infuse more rub flavor into the meat - kind of like a hot wet marinade (food porn?). This, combined with being isolated from the smoke for a period of time, made the flavors you can most easily control, rub and sauce, shine. This may be the best method on an offset because you control amount of smoke the meat receives and accentuate the flavor profile that you choose (with rub and sauce) while minimizing the chance of burning or drying out the meat. Have a great Easter, Justin and family.
I think you are spot on.. wish they took a temp reading.. But it looks to me the foil method is best with a lil more cooking time than the naked. You hit the same temp on the unfoil ribs your good. Hit the temp of the parchment paper a little longer, your good.. I like the foil for a little quicker.. but hey.....
Corresponds with my thinking, too. Paper draws moisture and foil retains moisture. I would also like to see another comparison next time with naked, foil, and paper wrapped with no bark on the wood and each rack removed at the same temperature. I predict that bitterness will not be evident and that all racks removed at the same temperature (and likely different cook times) will result in more similar tenderness. Further, the naked and foil will win again for flavor over the paper wrapped rack and naked taking the grand prize.
So you're saying high temperature breaks down the connective tissue better vs. low and slow? Boy, you just busted the whole "stall" theory to bits. I'm going to start cooking my Q at 500F from now on...maybe 600F. That oughta make them tenderer and smokierer. Yeah buddy.
You should soak butcher paper with your spray before you wrap it. One this help make the paper more payable. Two it keeps the meat moist and stops it from drying out like it did with you. Took me years to master using butcher paper. But when you do. It's amazing. I don't believe one method is better than another, but rather just different.
Great test!! Thanks for doing this but I wish you guys had taken a temp reading. My conclusion is that if you cooked the foil ribs to the same temp of the naked ribs or the paper, results would be different. Still proves that unwrapped gets there faster but foil may take a few longer but faster than parchment.
I like the thought of trimming the ends of the slabs of ribs. I've never done that before but I imagine it gives it a much better presentation. Those end pieces always get over done. Now I can just cook the trimmings on their own.
I have been smoking bbq pretty seriously for about 7-8 years.... One thing I can say, with absolute certainty is... bbq is NEVER the same twice... EVER
The way I figure it, you get these three guys together and their "least favorite ribs" are probably still awesome. Great video, guys. I only wish I could participate in the taste testing!
Honestly, looking back that was probably the case. The third rack was totally edible it just didn't compare to the other 2.. and I would have been totally happy with the second place even though it was a little over smoked. It was the comparison with the foil that made it seem less good compared to the foiled ribs.
Very interesting experiment. I plan to pick up ribs at Costco tomorrow and they always come with three rib racks per package. Since I'm using the Traeger Silverton, I'm going to do two of the racks wrapped in foil and one naked. Since these are for a Super Bowl party I know some of my guest love that sweet brown sugar/butter/honey wrapped in foil style. But for me, I'm doing the third naked like I've done for years when I lived in Texas. Should be interesting to see how they turn out.
Not surprised by the results i use paper alot. Paperis great for keeping your bark and color and it doesnt sweat the meat like foil does which is a cheat. After i wrap wth paper i like to run from 250 to 275 280 range paper is thicker than foil an not as heat conductive so i found for me atleast u can get great results with it.
I've been thinking about doing this experiment myself. As you said vvery surprising about the foil one not being as tender as the naked one.Cheers man!
I think the test MIGHT have been more valid if one rack of ribs was cut into three sections and each one treated differently. Meat tenderness can vary from animal to animal, the unwrapped ribs being more tender may have just been a factor of the particular animal. I've found that foil wrapping in general makes the meat more tender but more dry, (oddly enough). It's almost as though the foil causes the moisture to steam out. I quit wrapping my briskets in foil because of that.
The Trifecta! Jason, Bob and Travis! Fantastic video guys! I would absolutely love to be able to hang out with the three of you one of these days. Bucket List stuff! Great experiment! Cheers
I'm sure I can speak for Bob or Travis when I say we would would love to cook with you sometime. Hopefully we can work that out. Thanks for watching, "Craig."
Dang. They all look delicious. Hold the sauce on mine...the wrapping would have to have some effect on the time needed on the smoker. Interesting on the flavor with the foil ribs, it must kinda steam the ribs. Paper soaked up the juices. Think i will try naked until the last 30 minutes then wrap in foil. Were they pulled off smoker at same time?
OMG I can’t believe you responded back. Thanks soooo much. Love your channel and you are so the reason I’m getting at big joe III next year when I come back from my 365 day deployment. “No flippy fippy”
You all had me until i saw the bbq sauce being slapped on. bbq sauce can be quite tasty but in my opinion you need respect the number of hours you tended to smoking the meat and eat that delicious bbq as it was intended. Put faith in your rub and your smoker.
I appreciate what you are saying and agree with you for backyard cooking, but that's not how it works in competition bbq when it's all about appearances and standing out with one bite of maximum flavor. Thanks for watching.
@Voxized Agree, small dab of bbq sauce for color and flavor. My next experiment is with sauces and glazes. I want something not over whelming in sugar or vinegar and balanced viscosity although if u get a chance to order everrette and jones bbq sauce - medium heat option. Amazing. Oakland, CA joint 40 years. Perfect viscosity. They cut ribs dry and then poor the sauce heated over the ribs. It seems to tenderize ribs even further. Its amazing.
Let's not forget...Rapping ribs is to speed up cook time...I never wrap...After getting the color I want...I stop adding wood and only use lump or charcoal for heat...I find 250 from start to finish works best...Ribs will be ready when they are Ready...Always very close to 5 hour cook...Remember what Wood you use...Burns at a different rate temp...!!!
Hey ..... the “internal temp” is the only way to make sure that your playing on a level playing field ... let the differences in wrapping go any time and make your temperature the control in he experiment .... paper may come to life for more time and naked may need less heat but longer or the exact opposite.... please change your constant to temp / and do this again ...
Everything was on a level playing field except the variable we were testing. The temp thing would be an interesting video but it doesn't level the playing field as much as you'd think. Every pig is different and the thermodynamics are different when you wrap vs unwrap.
@@TheMcdred About 200, but the tooth pick test works well. Center rib, Poke and pull out slowly. If the meat lifts even slightly as you pull out tpick, needs a bit more time. Usually withing 20-45.
Man I love watching you guys cook outs , I think next time you guys should do the comparison on the big joe . That way the heat source is directly under the meat.
I love it! I'm almost 50 years old and never really grilled until a couple of months ago due to COVID-19 concerns. Historically, I have been guilty of overcooking or charring meat that nobody wanted. Since then I purchased a good offset smoker , have my big gas grill, bought heavy duty gloves, chimney, shredding claws, wireless probe and grill temp device, utensils for the job, giant bags for marinading meat and bought spices I've never heard of before now to make homemade sauces. I grill and smoke meat almost every weekend, and as a result, I have a huge family that loves coming over who keep telling me I should open a restaurant. I probably won't, but should I say, I love doing it for the sport of it... so much fun!!!! AND... it's THANKS TO WATCHING GUYS LIKE YOU WHO TEACH ME! THANK YOU!
Thanks to those of you who let me know the thinks weren't working. Here is the updated list of stuff we used. 🔴🔴 Butcher paper 18" roll amzn.to/2MquHg6 * ✅✅ Butcher Paper 24" roll amzn.to/2IwwuPB ✅✅ Mango habanero Rib Candy- amzn.to/2M00169 ✅✅ A better meat thermometer tinyurl.com/tyo8x5r ✅✅ Best Instant read thermometer tinyurl.com/tyo8x5r ✅✅ Slicing knife amzn.to/33eKgy8
Great video Justin. You 3 guys put on a great video. That was an interesting test and results. However, it is still a personal preference e.g. I don't like a lot of smoke, so #1 is out for me. Like someone else said, if you leave in foil too long (like some do butts) they can get like mush. I just did some in butcher paper a few weeks back and they were great. All the others I've done were in foil and were great. So, the key to great ribs is don't do side by side, and they will always be great. (That was a joke) I loved it, and as always fun was involved. Tell Troy I would have used the 5 sec rule too.
Yeah I don't think the Takeaway is "don't use butcher paper" We did a similar cook with brisket and decided that the butcher paper was Best. Could've been the bigger thicker meat... or the longer cook...For the different cooker. Who knows? I just like doing the experiments and eating them afterwards. LOL
Hey BBM. Just wanted to tell you about a tip that you put out in one of your videos...last year maybe? Anyway, on the weber kettle, you suggested making marks underneath for the vents...1/4 open, 1/2 open, 3/4 open etc. I don't know why weber doesn't do that already, but let me tell you, what an awesome tip!!! Can you put up a smoking ribs for dummies video? It would be helpful if you said, hey, if you're using an egg, do it this way, if you're on a kettle, do it this way etc. Thanks BBM!
Well i cook ribs all the time i like foil but have a buddy that doesn't wrap at all i think it comes down to how much you pay attention to the ribs and how you like your ribs to taste.
Yes I think that is exactly right. You have to pay attention and know why you're doing certain things. Not just blindly do it. Thanks for watching and thanks for your insight.
appreciate this greatly, I think, and I could be wrong, but I would maybe do the foil wrap and leave it in longer, or add another hour before I wrap it with foil, but other than that, I haven't ever wrapped yet, but will try it too. thank you for this video and the products you shared as well. thank you again!
I wrap mine in foil from the the get go.very tight. Cook at 250 for 2 hours seasoned to taste. Once you smell the seasoning it's ready to unwrap. Cool to room temp. About 30 minutes. Make grill start smoking again. Sauce them up and put on grill for char and sauce like crazy or whatever you want. About 10 minutes per side. In winer time do first 2 hrs in the oven. I promise you'll think it's summer 🤔
Another great video as I sit here smoking 3 ribs myself, I usually do not wrap, but I think I will do foil today. Wish I could share a photo with you !
Awesome comparison from the Mt. Rushmore’s of BBQ . Next y’all should do a side by side on whether to spritz or not. You said “you can never spritz enough” but chef Tom (ATBBQ) and Meathead (amazingribs) say never spritz, it makes the bark soggy and slows down the cook. Let’s find out, which is it???
I see the reasoning behind that. OTOH, I would think the spritz also helps build up the bark and smoke. Maybe do a 3-way: no spritz, can't spritz too much, stop spritzing at some appropriate point?
I love that idea. I usually spritz mine if I have something on the smoker or the spit. I feel like it cools off the surface but doesn't affect the interior so much. Plus I like the added flavor.
Jack, that may have been the problem. On my last cook, for the first time, I used butcher paper without any spritzing. Personally, I thought the cook was better than when I used foil. Either way, I liked the video ! Good stuff ! !
IMO a mixed approach is maybe best...I feel like spritzing early on would help to build up the bark a little vs. not spritzing at all, so perhaps spritz every half hour for say, the first 2 hours, then just let the smoke and heat do its thing and not spritz after that so as not to make it soggy as Meathead mentions. In any case, all three of those looked pretty great and I bet even the "worst" ones of the three were still pretty goddamn tasty. Cool experiment though, nice to see all three methods done at the same time and note the differences.
Great video guys! I use butcher paper exclusively for my brisket, have always wondered how it would work for ribs, sounds like I have my answer. Strange that it works so well on brisket, but not ribs.
Hey Brett, I'd still try this experiment some day. I think it's one of those things that you learn to use the tools you use. For example, we purposely didn't add anything to wrap to isolate the difference the wraps themselves make...but had we added liquid it may have changed the outcome.
I just got into cooking a while back and just subcribed to him today nd have already watched half his videos lmao i feel like im ready to go to a cook off right now! Lol
I think you should try it again just to confirm your findings... I mean I know it isn't about the feasting at the end or anything (in fact I'm not even sure you really like ribs), but all to help out society and sacrificing yourself for the greater good right.?
Great job guys I like trimming the thin meat off ends leaving the ends on, Let the ends absorb the heat leaving the center ribs more tender......Just Subscribed
Looks like a great time y'all had Justin, and really enjoyed the comparison. I also think that little variables can give you a whole different outcome. I personally have grown very fond of naked ribs all the way. It is puzzling however about the foil wrapped not being as tender as the naked. Normally if your not careful, foiled ribs will turn to mush. Interesting stuff!
I wonder that too. My only theory is in this case, maybe the foil acted like a radiant barrier when it was over the hot side of the offset. That's all I can come up with.
Smoky Ribs BBQ & Southern Cuisine I thought the same. I figured the foil ones would be too tender but that the paper wrapped would be the happy middle. Surprised at their results.
Smoky Ribs BBQ & Southern Cuisine I normally wrap the foil tight and seal the ribs completely and like you said, mush. Maybe folding the foil around the ribs made a difference.
Foil has a two purpose sides. Shiny side and dull side. If you want to retain heat, put shiny side on the inside. If you want to keep cool, shiny side out to reflect heat. That is why I think you didn't get the foil wrapped result you expected. You put shiny side out which reflected the heat.
Next time we'll have to plan for that. By plan I mean come up with an argument that will convince the better half she needs to handle the kids all by herself for multiple days while "I galavant across the globe having fun" which is loosely translated from a recent conversation. lol
Lol. New strategy. Begin negotiations with Grandmom and try to cut the legs out from under the "watch the kids" argument. (*see also "Remember how often I used to travel before this?" argument.)
Was thinking about getting a T-Shirt however I see you are always wearing those Red Shorts, I think they are shorts. Do they come together as a set, the Shirt and Skorts? Nevertheless still trying to determine if you wear those on purpose or perhaps lost a Bet. I would be run out of my neighborhood on a Rail if I wore those even for Halloween. Thanks for you time.
it does... some of these guys will do parkay squeeze butter and a bed of brown sugar with a dab of apple juice.. Supposedly that's "competition style".
I always cook my ribs in foil. Dry rub, wet rub, then double wrapped in thick foil. Cooked at 350 for half an hour and then 275 for 4 hours. Let cool slightly and then finish in the oven or on the grill with some sauce. They turn out perfect every time! ;oP
I totally agree. For this one we were trying to isolate the difference just the wrap made to see how much it mattered on it's own. Obviously there are a lot of other variables you can play with outside of that and liquid is one of the big ones.
When these get trimmed this heavily, are they not just at Louie at that point? Is there a benefit to buying spare and trimming down as opposed to just buying the St. Louis? Thickness? They look so amazing I’m thinking I’ll never buy at Louis again, but then again they pretty much became at Louis after the trim 😂😂😂
I love when you three get together and try things like this. It reminds me of Tory, Grant & Kari on Mythbusters. I like how you go into detail about what you're doing and then give the results in the end. Great video as usual! 👍👍
Yeah, but it depends on the set up and how close you are to the heat source. I've also found vertical cookers with the heat below to cook a little faster than when the heat is on the side.
LOL. I mean who knows? Maybe it was just today Or something about this cookware this worked out better. It still blows my mind that things turned out the way they did
So would you say butcher paper leached some of the flavor & moisture from the rib? And the use of butcher paper is dependent on the type of meat you are smoking?
If you were referring to "Medicinal herbs" not at all. If you're referring to standing next to an offset so long that My body probably has it's own smoke ring, Very much so. LOL I Have a great weekend. thanks for watching
Newbie here ( uh oh! ) I feel you created the largest variable of them all by pulling all three off at the same time rather than at the same internal end temp. Thanks for your awesome content Justin.
Great video Jason! I find the more I cook, the more I find the easiest way is usually the best way. The simpler you keep ribs the better they turn out in my experience. Remember to hold your pinky out during the rib toast!
Yes I definitely need to practice my "rib toast." Those guys have a lot more practice than me. lol I agree with you about the simplest being the best most of the time. For along time I never did anything to my ribs but rub and sauce. They were aways great.
Not sure that cooking them all the exact same way gave an honest result. Few more minutes naked, a few less minutes naked, each style requires a slightly different cook to get the best of the style. Also, the quality of the rack you start with has more to do with the pullback than the cooking style. Still a great video, just not a good rack in the paper this time. All three methods can give stellar results with very subtle differences but used properly, the paper usually offers the best of both worlds.
Thanks Rob, I had about 20 racks to choose from at the store and I spent about 15 minutes trying to find three that were the most alike in size, shape, and marbling. No 3 racks are exactly alike but these were as similar as any three racks will be. The point was to isolate the wrap itself...and in order to do that, you have to eliminate as many other variables as possible. There are hundreds of videos on youtube that talk about how to cook ribs in paper...or foil...or unwrapped but almost none that actually compare the effects of JUST the type of wrap used (or not). If I had added liquid to the wraps and not the unwrapped or spend more time on one verses the other or done a hundred different things to maximize the opportunities of each wrapping situation, people would have rightfully called foul that way too. My goal was to JUST look at that one factor and isolate it as much as 3 middle aged dudes hanging out on a pretty spring day could. lol. This was a very specific experiment and I admit the results surprised me but it was what it was. Now we can take that information and do other cooks where we add variables into the equation as you suggested...but that wasn't the goal of this particular video.
Really nice comparison Justin. As always very nice seeing you three hang out. You always have a laugh and just enjoy eachothers company. Its what its all about. Great video as always too.
Here's what i don't understand about people that BBQ. Why do you put some much time into the meat just to put sauce on it? BBQ is about the meat first. People put sauce on he meat to hide they didn't put in the time on the meat. Sauce should be served on the side. IMO. How many times have you gotten BBQ that has sauce on it and the meat is terrible ?
All the time. But that wasn't the case here. It's a little like frosting on the cake. My wife loves to bake and she will only eat the cake and cut off the frosting for the same reasons you just said. That said in this particular case, these were competition style ribs which means you dictate what you want the judge to taste for that one bite...because that's all you get.
Maybe next time try in a vertical smoker? I would think a vertical smoker with a large enough rack to fit all 3 slabs would allow for even cooking between all 3.
Looks like paper acts as a draw or poultice and sucks out some of the natural “juice”. The theory here is that foil absorbs and distributes the heat and keeps a majority of the smoke out yet traps in what does sneak in. Where as the naked developed a crust and keeps grabbing the smoke affecting the bark but preserving the natural fat flavor. Where as the paper “breathes” a bit and dry out the meat by alloying just enough smoke in and out while also wicking up the meats flavor fat juice. Although rotation inside the grill should have some effect as well. Next time go rotisserie style
You'd have to change your name to "I can no longer find a fire escape except for downtown where nobody lives" Griller. It's not quite as pithy but at least the weather is a little warmer this time of year. (You'll move back this summer.) lol
What's not to understand. He never said butcher paper is better. It's what he uses because it's less expensive than foil and he wants to keep his operating costs down. He uses a ton of wrapping stuff per day. His ribs are good. I would use the least expensive option too.
Yeah, It’s not really an issue of fat rendering as much as moisture. When you cook hotter and faster you get a moister end product internally but at the expense of bark so finding that balancing act is key. Play around with it and see what works for you. Thanks for watching!
So now you need ribs wrapped or unwrapped at all 3 zone positions..... as closer or further away from fire box has it's affect.... Hmmmm? Seems the foil is the middle ground of tenderness and flavor....
I don't understand how you cook them for that long and still get the right texture. I cook mine for a total of 3-4 hours and sometimes when I go to cut them it's like pulled pork - too tender. Maybe I'm running too hot?
It's could be. Or it could be that cooker moving air faster or the size of the ribs. I've never had spareribs turn into mush after three or four hours without being wrapped At 250 degrees though.
Pulled pork was probably too strong of a description. But the frustrating thing is when I flip them upside down to cut into them, I sometimes don't get nice clean cuts like you guys do. It's like a get meat "splintering" on the top side even though I use a very sharp knife. I guess I correlated that with being a little too tender, but maybe it's the quality of the rib or something else.
Thank you so much for this video. I was about to Oder some butcher paper but I figured I would do a little more research first. I’m glad I found this video of yours saved me $29 lol
Thanks for the feedback, Larry. It really wouldn't have mattered because we got by texture and not temp because temps are pretty arbitrary. With that said, we should have explained that.
Y’all are the best Texas trio since ZZ Top! Surprised the paper was the worst as paper seems to be a fad now. If this video gets out the fad will be over. I generally like my ribs naked rather than foil, but I cook with charcoal. I wonder if you minimized the variable of the wood, by using a charcoal fueled smoker such as a WSM, UDS, or Kettle with S-n-S and a just a few pieces of a mold wood like apple, If the naked ones would still come in second place? Good video Justin I know y’all had fun.
Yeah, in my opinion the texture of the first ones that we're unwrapped was actually best but It was the overpowering smoke that Made it coming second. The interesting thing is I'm almost positive that that would not be the case on my kamados. There's something about that offset…
I'm going to take a guess, and say the butcher's paper ones weren't as juicy is because the paper is absorbing too much of the fats and oils from the meat.
If cooking meat side up maybe so. If meat side down, paper will be more tender, but not as much as foil. Many ppl like the paper to have a little pull still.
Thanks Guys, I cooked 3 racks of Ribs yesterday for a party using a Weber Grill, My offset was at a different location as this cook came up all the sudden and didn't have time to retrieve it, I cooked the Ribs at 275 for 2 hours using Apple Wood and a 50% Apple Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar Spray a Franklin Rub, ie Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Chili Power, Onion Powder, At the 2 hour mark I had great mahogany color so I wrapped in Foil sprayed the Ribs and added a little sauce in the Wrap, continued cooking at 250 to 275 for another 2 hours, Everyone loved the ribs, however I did not, because they were overdone falling off the bone unable to carve, I believe my mistake was cooking to long in the wrap and not taking in to account how close I was to the heat cooking in a Weber Grill and aslo maintaining a temp of 250 to 275 for two hours, I should have pulled them at the 1 hour mark and checked their doneness, Lesson learned.
Just bought a roll of butcher paper, too. How about making a pork shoulder comparison of the three techniques? Great video, BTW. You can sense the easy camaraderie.
If you are not in a competition don't waste all that meat. Yes trim the fat but no need to throw the ends away. they are tasty if you smoke them right.
![Competition brisket Hot and Fast [3 WAYS!] | Wrapped vs unwrapped foil vs butcher paper best recipe?](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wYwKhMuvUHU/mqdefault.jpg)
3 great cooks all at once! It's almost like watching BBQ Pit Masters! Love these guys videos
I know this is an old video but man did I learn alot. Thanks for doing the comparison!
For what it's worth, here's my theory. The naked ribs taste more smokey from spending the entire cook time bathed in smoke. They actually reached the highest temperature, more fully breaking down the connective tissue and making them more tender. Too much smoke exposure masked the rub/sauce combo applied somewhat.
The paper-wrapped ribs were less tender because they reached a lower temp due to evaporative cooling. This would happen until the paper becomes saturated with grease/moisture (as it appears to when Franklin does his beef ribs). The seasonings also are washed off and/or dissolve into the juices; then get wicked away by the paper, leading to a less flavorful rib.
The foil ribs are slightly less tender because they reached a slightly lower temp due to radiant heat reflecting off of the foil and having to heat the retained juices in the foil packet. Slowly cooking in those flavorful juices; however, helped infuse more rub flavor into the meat - kind of like a hot wet marinade (food porn?). This, combined with being isolated from the smoke for a period of time, made the flavors you can most easily control, rub and sauce, shine. This may be the best method on an offset because you control amount of smoke the meat receives and accentuate the flavor profile that you choose (with rub and sauce) while minimizing the chance of burning or drying out the meat. Have a great Easter, Justin and family.
Happy Easter man. You are a smart dude.
handcannon awesome breakdown
I think you are spot on.. wish they took a temp reading.. But it looks to me the foil method is best with a lil more cooking time than the naked. You hit the same temp on the unfoil ribs your good. Hit the temp of the parchment paper a little longer, your good.. I like the foil for a little quicker.. but hey.....
Corresponds with my thinking, too. Paper draws moisture and foil retains moisture. I would also like to see another comparison next time with naked, foil, and paper wrapped with no bark on the wood and each rack removed at the same temperature. I predict that bitterness will not be evident and that all racks removed at the same temperature (and likely different cook times) will result in more similar tenderness. Further, the naked and foil will win again for flavor over the paper wrapped rack and naked taking the grand prize.
So you're saying high temperature breaks down the connective tissue better vs. low and slow? Boy, you just busted the whole "stall" theory to bits. I'm going to start cooking my Q at 500F from now on...maybe 600F. That oughta make them tenderer and smokierer. Yeah buddy.
You should soak butcher paper with your spray before you wrap it. One this help make the paper more payable. Two it keeps the meat moist and stops it from drying out like it did with you. Took me years to master using butcher paper. But when you do. It's amazing. I don't believe one method is better than another, but rather just different.
Great test!! Thanks for doing this but I wish you guys had taken a temp reading. My conclusion is that if you cooked the foil ribs to the same temp of the naked ribs or the paper, results would be different. Still proves that unwrapped gets there faster but foil may take a few longer but faster than parchment.
I like the thought of trimming the ends of the slabs of ribs. I've never done that before but I imagine it gives it a much better presentation. Those end pieces always get over done. Now I can just cook the trimmings on their own.
I have been smoking bbq pretty seriously for about 7-8 years.... One thing I can say, with absolute certainty is... bbq is NEVER the same twice... EVER
Eric Fogg RT
Totally agree, Eric!
That's because nonpiece of wood is the same. No piece of meat is the same.
Yeah for real
I am slowly... slowly ...coming to that same conclusion. Which really adds to the challenge !!! Haha
Just started to smoke ribs and this help a lot my family really enjoyed my ribs thanks a lot
Which one u do? U like better?
The way I figure it, you get these three guys together and their "least favorite ribs" are probably still awesome. Great video, guys. I only wish I could participate in the taste testing!
Honestly, looking back that was probably the case. The third rack was totally edible it just didn't compare to the other 2.. and I would have been totally happy with the second place even though it was a little over smoked. It was the comparison with the foil that made it seem less good compared to the foiled ribs.
Very interesting experiment. I plan to pick up ribs at Costco tomorrow and they always come with three rib racks per package. Since I'm using the Traeger Silverton, I'm going to do two of the racks wrapped in foil and one naked. Since these are for a Super Bowl party I know some of my guest love that sweet brown sugar/butter/honey wrapped in foil style. But for me, I'm doing the third naked like I've done for years when I lived in Texas. Should be interesting to see how they turn out.
Sorry I'm just now seeing this (I've been sick and fell behind on comments.) How did they turn out?
Not surprised by the results i use paper alot. Paperis great for keeping your bark and color and it doesnt sweat the meat like foil does which is a cheat. After i wrap wth paper i like to run from 250 to 275 280 range paper is thicker than foil an not as heat conductive so i found for me atleast u can get great results with it.
Jermaine Lewis Great comment. Thanks for taking the time. I’ll try higher temps next time.
I've been thinking about doing this experiment myself. As you said vvery surprising about the foil one not being as tender as the naked one.Cheers man!
Thanks for watching, Jaxx.
I think the test MIGHT have been more valid if one rack of ribs was cut into three sections and each one treated differently. Meat tenderness can vary from animal to animal, the unwrapped ribs being more tender may have just been a factor of the particular animal. I've found that foil wrapping in general makes the meat more tender but more dry, (oddly enough). It's almost as though the foil causes the moisture to steam out. I quit wrapping my briskets in foil because of that.
I'm a no warp person. If it has a bitter taste it means you aren't running the smoker right.
The end rib is my favorite
The Trifecta! Jason, Bob and Travis! Fantastic video guys! I would absolutely love to be able to hang out with the three of you one of these days. Bucket List stuff! Great experiment! Cheers
I'm sure I can speak for Bob or Travis when I say we would would love to cook with you sometime. Hopefully we can work that out. Thanks for watching, "Craig."
please make that happen. you 4 are my heroes
You ever trying Spritz with Beer ?
🗣Dream team of cooks. Let’s do BBQ Chicken and Red Beans 🍚 and cornbread next
thanks guys looked really tasty i knew at the start that the foiled was the best all ribs and steaks one hour before the end of cooking is the best.
looked like a great time w great bbq!!!
It was a blast man. Looking forward to hanging out with you and Troy soon.
Now you 3 Guys are great. Loved the video and details about the cook. Nice thorough explanation. Overall excellent 👍🏼💪🏼
3:42 ** The infamous finger snap to get your dog to "go on and git". Great looking ribs btw
lol
I think they all look great....
Dang. They all look delicious. Hold the sauce on mine...the wrapping would have to have some effect on the time needed on the smoker. Interesting on the flavor with the foil ribs, it must kinda steam the ribs. Paper soaked up the juices. Think i will try naked until the last 30 minutes then wrap in foil. Were they pulled off smoker at same time?
Yes. Thanks for asking
Oh y’all are killin’ me! Killin’ me!!! Thanks so much for sharing this!! But you’re killin’ me!!
T-Roy I love the 5 sec rule lol.
OMG I can’t believe you responded back. Thanks soooo much. Love your channel and you are so the reason I’m getting at big joe III next year when I come back from my 365 day deployment. “No flippy fippy”
Hells yeah, it was all good, he blew it off......
Excellent video guys, hell I even thought the one in paper would be the best.
Thanks man
You all had me until i saw the bbq sauce being slapped on. bbq sauce can be quite tasty but in my opinion you need respect the number of hours you tended to smoking the meat and eat that delicious bbq as it was intended. Put faith in your rub and your smoker.
I appreciate what you are saying and agree with you for backyard cooking, but that's not how it works in competition bbq when it's all about appearances and standing out with one bite of maximum flavor. Thanks for watching.
@Voxized Agree, small dab of bbq sauce for color and flavor. My next experiment is with sauces and glazes. I want something not over whelming in sugar or vinegar and balanced viscosity although if u get a chance to order everrette and jones bbq sauce - medium heat option. Amazing. Oakland, CA joint 40 years. Perfect viscosity. They cut ribs dry and then poor the sauce heated over the ribs. It seems to tenderize ribs even further. Its amazing.
Thanks for the video!
If I ever find foil near my pit somebody's getting cussed out! Lol Absolutely no foil or wrapping of any kind. Good vid tho guys!
So glad you asked about the ring ! Great vid bud !
Yeah that was a genuine laugh out loud for me. LOL it was for ribs!
Let's not forget...Rapping ribs is to speed up cook time...I never wrap...After getting the color I want...I stop adding wood and only use lump or charcoal for heat...I find 250 from start to finish works best...Ribs will be ready when they are Ready...Always very close to 5 hour cook...Remember what Wood you use...Burns at a different rate temp...!!!
Thanks for the tips, Orlando. Appreciate you watching!
i find the wrap makes the ribs too slimy, im with you, im going to start cooking lower and longer... thanks for the heads up...
Great shots of the ribs from all angles!
Hey ..... the “internal temp” is the only way to make sure that your playing on a level playing field ... let the differences in wrapping go any time and make your temperature the control in he experiment .... paper may come to life for more time and naked may need less heat but longer or the exact opposite.... please change your constant to temp / and do this again ...
Everything was on a level playing field except the variable we were testing.
The temp thing would be an interesting video but it doesn't level the playing field as much as you'd think. Every pig is different and the thermodynamics are different when you wrap vs unwrap.
On that note, what temp should you cook to, pre and post wrap?
@@TheMcdred About 200, but the tooth pick test works well. Center rib, Poke and pull out slowly. If the meat lifts even slightly as you pull out tpick, needs a bit more time. Usually withing 20-45.
Man I love watching you guys cook outs , I think next time you guys should do the comparison on the big joe . That way the heat source is directly under the meat.
That’s a good idea.
I love it! I'm almost 50 years old and never really grilled until a couple of months ago due to COVID-19 concerns. Historically, I have been guilty of overcooking or charring meat that nobody wanted. Since then I purchased a good offset smoker , have my big gas grill, bought heavy duty gloves, chimney, shredding claws, wireless probe and grill temp device, utensils for the job, giant bags for marinading meat and bought spices I've never heard of before now to make homemade sauces. I grill and smoke meat almost every weekend, and as a result, I have a huge family that loves coming over who keep telling me I should open a restaurant. I probably won't, but should I say, I love doing it for the sport of it... so much fun!!!! AND... it's THANKS TO WATCHING GUYS LIKE YOU WHO TEACH ME! THANK YOU!
Thanks to those of you who let me know the thinks weren't working. Here is the updated list of stuff we used.
🔴🔴 Butcher paper 18" roll amzn.to/2MquHg6 *
✅✅ Butcher Paper 24" roll amzn.to/2IwwuPB
✅✅ Mango habanero Rib Candy- amzn.to/2M00169
✅✅ A better meat thermometer tinyurl.com/tyo8x5r
✅✅ Best Instant read thermometer tinyurl.com/tyo8x5r
✅✅ Slicing knife amzn.to/33eKgy8
Great video Justin. You 3 guys put on a great video. That was an interesting test and results. However, it is still a personal preference e.g. I don't like a lot of smoke, so #1 is out for me. Like someone else said, if you leave in foil too long (like some do butts) they can get like mush. I just did some in butcher paper a few weeks back and they were great. All the others I've done were in foil and were great. So, the key to great ribs is don't do side by side, and they will always be great. (That was a joke) I loved it, and as always fun was involved.
Tell Troy I would have used the 5 sec rule too.
Yeah I don't think the Takeaway is "don't use butcher paper" We did a similar cook with brisket and decided that the butcher paper was Best. Could've been the bigger thicker meat... or the longer cook...For the different cooker. Who knows? I just like doing the experiments and eating them afterwards. LOL
Baby Back Maniac
LOL 👍👍
Hey BBM. Just wanted to tell you about a tip that you put out in one of your videos...last year maybe? Anyway, on the weber kettle, you suggested making marks underneath for the vents...1/4 open, 1/2 open, 3/4 open etc. I don't know why weber doesn't do that already, but let me tell you, what an awesome tip!!! Can you put up a smoking ribs for dummies video? It would be helpful if you said, hey, if you're using an egg, do it this way, if you're on a kettle, do it this way etc. Thanks BBM!
I've thought about doing that before I just have not had a chance to make it happen yet. Same thing with steak. Thanks for the suggestion.
I think the foil and paper wrapped just needed more cooking time than the naked ribs.
They got the same amount of time as the others.
This is the best BBQ video I've ever seen.
Great info... But I'm old enough to remember "The Three Stooges"
Lots of work and time involved in this production. I appreciate the effort. Thanks.
Thanks, Captain. It is a lot a work but I enjoy it. Thanks for noticing and saying something.
Well i cook ribs all the time i like foil but have a buddy that doesn't wrap at all i think it comes down to how much you pay attention to the ribs and how you like your ribs to taste.
Yes I think that is exactly right. You have to pay attention and know why you're doing certain things. Not just blindly do it. Thanks for watching and thanks for your insight.
appreciate this greatly, I think, and I could be wrong, but I would maybe do the foil wrap and leave it in longer, or add another hour before I wrap it with foil, but other than that, I haven't ever wrapped yet, but will try it too. thank you for this video and the products you shared as well. thank you again!
My pleasure. Yeah you could definitely change more variables and get different results
I wrap mine in foil from the the get go.very tight. Cook at 250 for 2 hours seasoned to taste. Once you smell the seasoning it's ready to unwrap. Cool to room temp. About 30 minutes. Make grill start smoking again. Sauce them up and put on grill for char and sauce like crazy or whatever you want. About 10 minutes per side. In winer time do first 2 hrs in the oven. I promise you'll think it's summer 🤔
Derron Davis how long does the rib takes in all of that process
@@karonjohnson8372 for me it's nothing less than 4 to 5 hours. 10 hours the most
Another great video as I sit here smoking 3 ribs myself, I usually do not wrap, but I think I will do foil today.
Wish I could share a photo with you !
I wish I could see it. How did they turn out?
Came out awesome !
awesome!
I just sent it to you on your FB page, thanks again for another great video!
Awesome comparison from the Mt. Rushmore’s of BBQ . Next y’all should do a side by side on whether to spritz or not. You said “you can never spritz enough” but chef Tom (ATBBQ) and Meathead (amazingribs) say never spritz, it makes the bark soggy and slows down the cook. Let’s find out, which is it???
Great idea, Jack! Thanks for the suggestion!
I see the reasoning behind that. OTOH, I would think the spritz also helps build up the bark and smoke. Maybe do a 3-way: no spritz, can't spritz too much, stop spritzing at some appropriate point?
I love that idea. I usually spritz mine if I have something on the smoker or the spit. I feel like it cools off the surface but doesn't affect the interior so much. Plus I like the added flavor.
Jack, that may have been the problem. On my last cook, for the first time, I used butcher paper without any spritzing. Personally, I thought the cook was better than when I used foil. Either way, I liked the video ! Good stuff ! !
IMO a mixed approach is maybe best...I feel like spritzing early on would help to build up the bark a little vs. not spritzing at all, so perhaps spritz every half hour for say, the first 2 hours, then just let the smoke and heat do its thing and not spritz after that so as not to make it soggy as Meathead mentions. In any case, all three of those looked pretty great and I bet even the "worst" ones of the three were still pretty goddamn tasty. Cool experiment though, nice to see all three methods done at the same time and note the differences.
Great video guys! I use butcher paper exclusively for my brisket, have always wondered how it would work for ribs, sounds like I have my answer. Strange that it works so well on brisket, but not ribs.
Hey Brett,
I'd still try this experiment some day. I think it's one of those things that you learn to use the tools you use. For example, we purposely didn't add anything to wrap to isolate the difference the wraps themselves make...but had we added liquid it may have changed the outcome.
Does anyone else click the like button before you watch Justin's video because you know it is gonna be awesome?
Thanks buddy. I miss your uploads.
Baby Back Maniac Thanks brother, I got some stuff in the works, should be out soon.
Looking forward to it!
I just got into cooking a while back and just subcribed to him today nd have already watched half his videos lmao i feel like im ready to go to a cook off right now! Lol
I clicked it as I watch just because I liked what was going on.
لااله الاالله محمد رسول الله
Great comparison. I have never used butchers paper on ribs but after this i probably won't.haha.. Great cook and fun to watch.
LOL. Yeah, I'm still going to pay around with it. I feel like we did something wrong.
I think you should try it again just to confirm your findings... I mean I know it isn't about the feasting at the end or anything (in fact I'm not even sure you really like ribs), but all to help out society and sacrificing yourself for the greater good right.?
Yeah...sure...it's "for society and the greater good." I feel like such a great person now. I'm on it. lol
Not sure of paper. Maybe it acts like a filter and absorbs all the flavors and moisture inside.
Try not spritzing the ribs when using paper.
Great job guys I like trimming the thin meat off ends leaving the ends on, Let the ends absorb the heat leaving the center ribs more tender......Just Subscribed
Looks like a great time y'all had Justin, and really enjoyed the comparison. I also think that little variables can give you a whole different outcome. I personally have grown very fond of naked ribs all the way. It is puzzling however about the foil wrapped not being as tender as the naked. Normally if your not careful, foiled ribs will turn to mush. Interesting stuff!
I wonder that too. My only theory is in this case, maybe the foil acted like a radiant barrier when it was over the hot side of the offset. That's all I can come up with.
Smoky Ribs BBQ & Southern Cuisine I thought the same. I figured the foil ones would be too tender but that the paper wrapped would be the happy middle. Surprised at their results.
Smoky Ribs BBQ & Southern Cuisine I normally wrap the foil tight and seal the ribs completely and like you said, mush. Maybe folding the foil around the ribs made a difference.
Foil has a two purpose sides. Shiny side and dull side. If you want to retain heat, put shiny side on the inside. If you want to keep cool, shiny side out to reflect heat. That is why I think you didn't get the foil wrapped result you expected. You put shiny side out which reflected the heat.
@@BabyBackManiac about to watch now, but any chance the foil ones went "over" temp top quick or anything?
Great video you three!!
Thank you Rob. Appreciate watching
Great video, had fun hanging out with you guys and hope to do it again soon!
Glad you could make it, Dave. Wish you could have stayed longer.
Next time we'll have to plan for that. By plan I mean come up with an argument that will convince the better half she needs to handle the kids all by herself for multiple days while "I galavant across the globe having fun" which is loosely translated from a recent conversation. lol
Lol. New strategy. Begin negotiations with Grandmom and try to cut the legs out from under the "watch the kids" argument. (*see also "Remember how often I used to travel before this?" argument.)
What about bark with lichen on it? Does the lichen need to be removed?
Looks like the Dallas Cowboy's offensive line! Great video. I've been wanting to try the butcher paper, but not now.
LOL. Those guys are scrawny. Thanks for watching.
Was thinking about getting a T-Shirt however I see you are always wearing those Red Shorts, I think they are shorts. Do they come together as a set, the Shirt and Skorts? Nevertheless still trying to determine if you wear those on purpose or perhaps lost a Bet. I would be run out of my neighborhood on a Rail if I wore those even for Halloween. Thanks for you time.
Thanks for doing this vid. I’m sticking w. my foil method.
Yeah me too. I'll probably still play around with foil but I haven't experienced anything to convince me to switch with ribs at least.
I noticed you didn't add anything when wrapping. I wonder if some watered down bbq sauce or the apple juice would help.
it does... some of these guys will do parkay squeeze butter and a bed of brown sugar with a dab of apple juice.. Supposedly that's "competition style".
I always cook my ribs in foil. Dry rub, wet rub, then double wrapped in thick foil. Cooked at 350 for half an hour and then 275 for 4 hours. Let cool slightly and then finish in the oven or on the grill with some sauce. They turn out perfect every time! ;oP
Sounds very good!
Hard pass
Are you cooking meat side down or up? Thx!
For tender wrapped ribs you need to add some liquid to the foil. It will be much more tender.
I totally agree. For this one we were trying to isolate the difference just the wrap made to see how much it mattered on it's own. Obviously there are a lot of other variables you can play with outside of that and liquid is one of the big ones.
Another great video justin, really awesome job on the editing and shots. I love seeing this from all sides, I watched both James and troys videos too.
Thanks man. I'm glad you enjoyed that. I thought it Would be fun to see how they look from the side.
Great video
Thank you, John. I really appreciate you watching.
We KNOW that this is being videod at T-Roy's home with all those wind chimes going off! Nice beard T-Roy!
LOL. For real!
When these get trimmed this heavily, are they not just at Louie at that point?
Is there a benefit to buying spare and trimming down as opposed to just buying the St. Louis?
Thickness?
They look so amazing I’m thinking I’ll never buy at Louis again, but then again they pretty much became at Louis after the trim
😂😂😂
I love when you three get together and try things like this. It reminds me of Tory, Grant & Kari on Mythbusters. I like how you go into detail about what you're doing and then give the results in the end. Great video as usual! 👍👍
Thanks Tom,I do my best to make Keep folks up to speed as best as I can. I just think that kind of thing makes the video more enjoyable to watch.
Did you guys use a water pan in the first 4 hrs?
No I don't think we did.
Great video and experiment !!!
The results surprised me too , but you never know till you try it !!!
Keep up the great work!
GOD Bless
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Yup. I even tried it again in the same thing happened at my house. Kind of shocked me
New subscriber here man those ribs looked great with very interesting results thanks for the vid
Awesome man. Welcome on board. I'm really glad you subscribed.
For a second there, I thought that was a Super Bowl Ring.
Lol
What is that ring tho
Were the ribs wrapped in foil as good or better then the ribs off of the PBC?
We didn't make ribs on the PBC. You'd have to ask Troy or James because I wasn't there the day they did that.
Thats a nice experiment. I'm a little surprised by the results. I'm late to the butcher paper bandwagon. I have it, just haven't used it
Yeah, I haven't used mine either. I bought the 18 inch version and Troy has the 24 so we keep using his.
It's all I use for brisket, never have tried it with ribs, but sounds like it doesn't work as well for some reason.
Does the cook times apply to charcoal grills as well?
Yeah, but it depends on the set up and how close you are to the heat source. I've also found vertical cookers with the heat below to cook a little faster than when the heat is on the side.
Less & less interested in finding pink butcher paper. 😀
LOL. I mean who knows? Maybe it was just today Or something about this cookware this worked out better. It still blows my mind that things turned out the way they did
I highly recommend butcher paper for brisket, haven't tried it for ribs.
Ribs wrapped in butcher paper will need more time than foil wrapped ribs. Butcher paper is porous and foil is not...
So would you say butcher paper leached some of the flavor & moisture from the rib? And the use of butcher paper is dependent on the type of meat you are smoking?
I think that's entirely possible. Or at least it pulled moisture that had already come put away from the ribs.
How smoked were you guys? 😂
If you were referring to "Medicinal herbs" not at all. If you're referring to standing next to an offset so long that My body probably has it's own smoke ring, Very much so. LOL
I Have a great weekend. thanks for watching
Newbie here ( uh oh! ) I feel you created the largest variable of them all by pulling all three off at the same time rather than at the same internal end temp. Thanks for your awesome content Justin.
Great video Jason! I find the more I cook, the more I find the easiest way is usually the best way. The simpler you keep ribs the better they turn out in my experience.
Remember to hold your pinky out during the rib toast!
Yes I definitely need to practice my "rib toast." Those guys have a lot more practice than me. lol
I agree with you about the simplest being the best most of the time. For along time I never did anything to my ribs but rub and sauce. They were aways great.
Not sure that cooking them all the exact same way gave an honest result.
Few more minutes naked, a few less minutes naked, each style requires a slightly different cook to get the best of the style. Also, the quality of the rack you start with has more to do with the pullback than the cooking style.
Still a great video, just not a good rack in the paper this time. All three methods can give stellar results with very subtle differences but used properly, the paper usually offers the best of both worlds.
Thanks Rob,
I had about 20 racks to choose from at the store and I spent about 15 minutes trying to find three that were the most alike in size, shape, and marbling. No 3 racks are exactly alike but these were as similar as any three racks will be. The point was to isolate the wrap itself...and in order to do that, you have to eliminate as many other variables as possible.
There are hundreds of videos on youtube that talk about how to cook ribs in paper...or foil...or unwrapped but almost none that actually compare the effects of JUST the type of wrap used (or not). If I had added liquid to the wraps and not the unwrapped or spend more time on one verses the other or done a hundred different things to maximize the opportunities of each wrapping situation, people would have rightfully called foul that way too. My goal was to JUST look at that one factor and isolate it as much as 3 middle aged dudes hanging out on a pretty spring day could. lol.
This was a very specific experiment and I admit the results surprised me but it was what it was. Now we can take that information and do other cooks where we add variables into the equation as you suggested...but that wasn't the goal of this particular video.
Really nice comparison Justin.
As always very nice seeing you three hang out. You always have a laugh and just enjoy eachothers company. Its what its all about.
Great video as always too.
At the end of the day, that is what it's all about right?
Thanks for watching, buddy. Have a great weekend.
Baby Back Maniac yes Sir. It is :) Likewise!
Some people say you're supposed to take that back layer of fat off baby back ribs. I never do and they seem to be great. Should you or not?
I guess you saw the other video by now. Thanks for watching.
"I'm using Tim Buck's barbecue sauce."
"How much does it cost?"
"Ten bucks."
No wonder he only puts a splash in that bowl each time!
How long were they in the smoker?
Wondering if testing the the temp of each and bringing them all out at the same temp would make any deference?
Here's what i don't understand about people that BBQ. Why do you put some much time into the meat just to put sauce on it? BBQ is about the meat first. People put sauce on he meat to hide they didn't put in the time on the meat. Sauce should be served on the side. IMO. How many times have you gotten BBQ that has sauce on it and the meat is terrible ?
All the time. But that wasn't the case here. It's a little like frosting on the cake. My wife loves to bake and she will only eat the cake and cut off the frosting for the same reasons you just said. That said in this particular case, these were competition style ribs which means you dictate what you want the judge to taste for that one bite...because that's all you get.
Maybe next time try in a vertical smoker? I would think a vertical smoker with a large enough rack to fit all 3 slabs would allow for even cooking between all 3.
Yeah, that's true. Every cooker is different.
Looks like paper acts as a draw or poultice and sucks out some of the natural “juice”. The theory here is that foil absorbs and distributes the heat and keeps a majority of the smoke out yet traps in what does sneak in. Where as the naked developed a crust and keeps grabbing the smoke affecting the bark but preserving the natural fat flavor. Where as the paper “breathes” a bit and dry out the meat by alloying just enough smoke in and out while also wicking up the meats flavor fat juice. Although rotation inside the grill should have some effect as well. Next time go rotisserie style
I love rotisserie!
I need to move to Texas
You'd have to change your name to "I can no longer find a fire escape except for downtown where nobody lives" Griller.
It's not quite as pithy but at least the weather is a little warmer this time of year. (You'll move back this summer.) lol
Great video
Thanks fish. Appreciate your time. Have a great weekend
Baby Back Maniac the family is looking forward into more videos. I kind of wanna do a request on pork belly!!! That would be awesome!!!
Thanks man. It's on my list.
But but but... Aaron Franklin said...
LOL.
Aaron franklin wraps with butcher paper because its cheaper than foil. That's the only reason.
What's not to understand. He never said butcher paper is better. It's what he uses because it's less expensive than foil and he wants to keep his operating costs down. He uses a ton of wrapping stuff per day. His ribs are good. I would use the least expensive option too.
I think Franklin only wraps brisket in paper and uses foil on ribs. Either way, he's famous for his brisket, not his ribs...
No, he uses butcher paper because it leaves a better bark, he has done comparisons
have you ever tried to smoke them at 275 so the fat will render down more
Yeah, It’s not really an issue of fat rendering as much as moisture. When you cook hotter and faster you get a moister end product internally but at the expense of bark so finding that balancing act is key. Play around with it and see what works for you. Thanks for watching!
So now you need ribs wrapped or unwrapped at all 3 zone positions..... as closer or further away from fire box has it's affect.... Hmmmm? Seems the foil is the middle ground of tenderness and flavor....
Thank you for the suggestion! And thanks for watching
Great video! What seasons are being used?
I don't understand how you cook them for that long and still get the right texture. I cook mine for a total of 3-4 hours and sometimes when I go to cut them it's like pulled pork - too tender. Maybe I'm running too hot?
It's could be. Or it could be that cooker moving air faster or the size of the ribs. I've never had spareribs turn into mush after three or four hours without being wrapped At 250 degrees though.
Pulled pork was probably too strong of a description. But the frustrating thing is when I flip them upside down to cut into them, I sometimes don't get nice clean cuts like you guys do. It's like a get meat "splintering" on the top side even though I use a very sharp knife. I guess I correlated that with being a little too tender, but maybe it's the quality of the rib or something else.
Also, James may have some sort of trick for cutting them. He does this all the time.
Thank you so much for this video. I was about to Oder some butcher paper but I figured I would do a little more research first. I’m glad I found this video of yours saved me $29 lol
What Temps did you cook to at the end of time? You should have stuck all three to see the variance in the finish temps...?
Thanks for the feedback, Larry. It really wouldn't have mattered because we got by texture and not temp because temps are pretty arbitrary. With that said, we should have explained that.
Y’all are the best Texas trio since ZZ Top! Surprised the paper was the worst as paper seems to be a fad now. If this video gets out the fad will be over. I generally like my ribs naked rather than foil, but I cook with charcoal. I wonder if you minimized the variable of the wood, by using a charcoal fueled smoker such as a WSM, UDS, or Kettle with S-n-S and a just a few pieces of a mold wood like apple, If the naked ones would still come in second place?
Good video Justin I know y’all had fun.
Yeah, in my opinion the texture of the first ones that we're unwrapped was actually best but It was the overpowering smoke that Made it coming second. The interesting thing is I'm almost positive that that would not be the case on my kamados. There's something about that offset…
I'm going to take a guess, and say the butcher's paper ones weren't as juicy is because the paper is absorbing too much of the fats and oils from the meat.
It's a common theory. Makes sense to me.
If cooking meat side up maybe so. If meat side down, paper will be more tender, but not as much as foil. Many ppl like the paper to have a little pull still.
Thanks Guys, I cooked 3 racks of Ribs yesterday for a party using a Weber Grill, My offset was at a different location as this cook came up all the sudden and didn't have time to retrieve it, I cooked the Ribs at 275 for 2 hours using Apple Wood and a 50% Apple Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar Spray a Franklin Rub, ie Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Chili Power, Onion Powder, At the 2 hour mark I had great mahogany color so I wrapped in Foil sprayed the Ribs and added a little sauce in the Wrap, continued cooking at 250 to 275 for another 2 hours, Everyone loved the ribs, however I did not, because they were overdone falling off the bone unable to carve, I believe my mistake was cooking to long in the wrap and not taking in to account how close I was to the heat cooking in a Weber Grill and aslo maintaining a temp of 250 to 275 for two hours, I should have pulled them at the 1 hour mark and checked their doneness, Lesson learned.
Aluminum foil is bad for you when heated
Just bought a roll of butcher paper, too. How about making a pork shoulder comparison of the three techniques? Great video, BTW. You can sense the easy camaraderie.
Great idea!
I was just so happy to see t- roy..lol HUGE..FAN. been following him for quite sometime he's awesome!!!!!!! Great video keep em coming..💯💯💯
Yeah, that guy is the best. LOL. Thanks for your time.
If you are not in a competition don't waste all that meat. Yes trim the fat but no need to throw the ends away. they are tasty if you smoke them right.
My favorite part too