St Louis Ribs Question

Anova Precision® Cooker
21

Hi,

Thanks…this is the process that I have used before and the same process that Frank has been helping me improve my technique.for better results

The best,

Ross

22

Ross, while you are at the finishing step keep in mind exactly how you want the result of your work to be.

I’m trying to prevent overdoing them. That’s the tricky part of applying sauce as part of finishing. Temperature can’t be too high, yet you want enough heat so the sauce will set up nicely on the ribs in a reasonable time. This is one time when, -“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing”. just isn’t right.

Consider going lighter than you might want to with the sauce. You can/should have warmed sauce on the table for those who want to enjoy more.

23

Hi Frank

That’s a great suggestion, I was watching a video after I read your post on Clint’s site where Meathead made the same observation.

Keep’m coming…they are very helpful

The best

Ross

24

HI Frank,

Bottom line, I give myself an A for holding temp and a B for the ribs. My guests loved them but I did not think they were juicy.

I followed Clint’s recipe. I doubled vacuum bagged three racks of St Louis Ribs. Cooked for 24 hours which brought me to about 6 PM. I removed the ribs from the bags and immediacy noticed that there was at least a cup of liquid in each bag.

I had pre-started my stove top smoker with one burner and was able to bring the temp down to 153 when I transferred the ribs to the smoker. Went for 1/2 hour and wrapped each rack in stretch wrap and then tin foil and put them in my warmed cooler.

I got down to the grill about 10 minutes before my guest arrived.and started the grill. We had some grilled baguettes and some homemade bluefish pate and some wine.

After a half hour of talking I removed the ribs from the cooler…they were warm, unwrapped seasoned again and applied a thin coating of sherry BBQ sauce (gave my quest’s a choice of two sauces…they opted for the sherry). Placed the ribs on the grill (about 200 degrees cover up) and let them sit for about 15 minutes. The ribs were at 136 degrees and the sauces was not setting up. So, I used my Searzall and carefully heated the ribs being careful not to burn them. All told they were heated for about 25 minutes. Temp on exit was 151.

Plated them with the chicken breast and served. They looked perfect, very tender, beautiful pink color and they tasted great…but they weren’t really juicy (they weren’t dry either)…they were delicate and held together and parted from the bone in bites.

They were dramatically better than any other of my rib attempts…and that is due to your guidance…thank you.

Any ideas about the juice?

The best,

Ross

25

Well Ross, your pursuit of rib-perfection isn’t going to be accomplished in just one attempt. Sharing time and temperature details from Saturday’s cook does reveal a few opportunities to improve. Details are important when seeking to improve any process. You still have some opportunity to improve with them.

I never thought you were going to achieve exceptionally juicy ribs following your planned compromises.

However, i think you did exceptionally well all things considered.
The proof is your happy guests.
Nice going.

Here’s another epistle with my thoughts:

  • First, anytime you employ multiple cooking techniques expect quality challenges, particularly during transitions from one to another. They can be minimized, but not eliminated.
    Think back;
  1. you SV cooked,
  2. you smoked,
  3. you hot held,
  4. you grilled,
  5. you torched, and then served.

  • My experience has convinced me that above all, fresh-is-best, and periods of holding can be deleterious to quality. If you want the convenience you accept the consequences. It’s a matter of judgement.

  • Applying heat to meat always results in the loss of liquids. The higher the temperature, the greater the loss. Moisture loss substantially increases when meat is heated above 150ᴼF. Duration above that temperature can also effect moisture loss. I’ll bet you found liquids in the packaging and in the insulated holding box too. It happens, alway does.

  • Did you happen to check internal temperatures after smoking?

  • Did you happen to check internal temperatures removal from the holding box? “Warm” isn’t a detail, it’s a guess that means above body temperature. I suspect they cooled down quite a lot. Temperature checks will become a habit.

  • Remember when i advised heating the grill to 225ᴼF? That was to get the ribs’ surface temperature above 212ᴼF to thicken the sauce. At the lower temperature you will get evaporation taking place, but at a much slower rate as you discovered. Plus, you are experiencing increased moisture loss in the ribs. The use of the torch added a further impact. (And by the way, when making your finishing sauce reduce it to almost jam-like consistency.)

  • It was your decision to compromise juice with smoke. Look at the list above and think where loss of juiciness might have occurred.

Have you identified and recorded any adjustments to make in future cooks? That’s a favourable habit to cultivate.
First consider what-went-right? Those are keepers.
Next, what-can-be-improved? Those are your less than ideal matters, like juiciness, and what you focus on to become ever-better.

Here’s a few potential adjustments for you:

  1. Consider brining to enhance moisture content to start.
  2. Reduce SV cooking temperature to retain moisture. Would you accept 145ᴼF?
  3. Eliminate a step. or maybe even two. Could you use your smoker on the grill?

Usually, the less you do to food the better it gets.
Simplify when possible.