How to grill ribs?

[KamadoSimon]

I don't know how they did it but on an episode of Tailgate Warriors last year a team cooked a full rack of baby backs in 36 minutes and the judge Dr BBQ announced his gob had been well and truly smacked, I think he may have been more eloquant then that though...

Boiled first for the tenderness & then basted over coals?

[keith157]

No apparantly all food had to be raw at the start, from what I gathered no pre-preperation was allowed (officially)

[KamadoSimon]

I reckon you could get an ok baste in 20 minutes with maybe two coats of sauce. I normally do 3 in the last 30 minutes...

So that would give you 16 minutes to boil them from fresh at the start...

Not sure I want to try it though!

[KamadoSimon]

Ok - going to do this as a trial.... Will update this post with pictures at the end.

Method:

- currently have half a rack simmering in apple juice, salt & pepper on the stove;
- the Kamado Joe is set at around 250F with some hickory chunks on the coals & a water pan in place;
- I will simmer for 15 minutes then place on the grill to finish and apply 3 bastes of sauce.

I'll rest them for half hour or so & then taste.

Am kinda hoping that the longer method works better.....

[KamadoSimon]

Ok - some pictures:











Conclusion:
Finished with a higher heat, the outside 'might' get closer to the outside of low 'n' slow ribs, but the inside won't. The inside tasted like a pork chop - so not bad - but no where near proper ribs. Kinda glad

Looking forwards to the other half which are still on the Kamado and haven't been boiled / simmered...

[keith157]

Good theory but you saw the ribs rubbed & put on the grill no boiling vivible at all................

[KamadoSimon]

Yep - the test proved it to me. The meat fibres hadn't broken down in the same way they do in a low and slow. So how did they do it in such a short time?!

[Swindon_Ed]

You can grill ribs directly over the coals with no boiling. I was at a street festival in Barcelona last year where ribs were a common street food item. The grills they were using were basically a grill grate on a chain which they'd start with the grill quite high up away from the fire, but would move it closer to the fire to finish them off. These ribs were lovely and tender, no sauce, just the natural flavour of the meat.

[KamadoSimon]

Ah ok - that sounds like it. Whilst I am sure they taste good, I guess it is a different taste / texture to low 'n' slow ribs as the meat doesn't have time to break down in the way they do when cooked low for longer periods.

These were loads better than the boiled ones

[keith157]

I guess the only answer will come from Dr BBQ himself, should he read this