I've struggled to smoke ribs I'm happy with. I've always wrapped my ribs mid cook cause I've not been able to get the internal temps high enough with the stall (so I thought). I've tried tin foil, and I've tried butcher paper. I've tried short wrap and longer wrap. They always seem to come out either mushy or dry, or somehow both.
Yesterday about the time I was going to wrap them again (was gonna try just an hour wrapped in butcher paper), I noticed the internal temp was higher. With the time left till dinner I decided to try the no wrap method and just leave them for the last hour and a half or so on the grill. I didn't think they were hot enough (anywhere from 165-185 when I probed) but I did the bend test a half hour before dinnertime and they seemed ready. So ignored the probe and sauced them up lightly and served them after being on the grill for about 6.75hrs. I'd also been spritzing them with apple juice every hour as well.
Definitely not fall off the bone, much firmer meat but significantly better than I've done in the past. Seemed to be a big hit with everyone. I don't think I'll go back to wrapping and just work on improving this method.
by withoutevasion
30 Comments
No wrap for the win!!! Those look excellent… nicely done 😋🔥
Turns out steamed meat doesn’t taste as good huh.
What temp did you do these at?
Were they moist still?
I usually wrap in foil after 2-2.5 hours but after seeing so many people post about no-wrap I think I need to give it a shot.
I personally don’t like fall off the bone. They’re too mushy for my taste. (My wife likes them that way, sadly)
I usually end up pulling them when they get a good bend, and she usually doesn’t complain.
Looks great l, now try without the spritz.
I run 265ish +/- 10°. No wrap. Spritz ever 45 mins. Usually they take 5 or 6 hours to get done. Typically no sauce as I prefer Memphis style but have added some while omitting the last spritz to get em sticky. 3-2-1 method is the most overrated in smoking.
Raw dog those ribs.
Yup. I wrapped for years, and then one day I didn’t, and never went back. I think for people who like fall-off-the-bone, (not my style) wrapping is the way to go. But for more classic, clean bite ribs — unwrapped, with just spritzing/mopping produces a fantastic rib!
Yep no wrap is so easy and good. I do 4-5hrs at around 225-250. Always turn out nice and bendy 👍
Nice work. No wrap dry rub is the best imo! Tender inside and nice firm bite outside.
My only issue with no wrap is I feel like the underside always gets burnt to a crisp. I go at 225 for 4-5hr for baby back and 5-7 for spare.
I still do them that way and prefer it, just wish I could figure out why they are getting so crisp on the bottom.
I’ve done most methods, just let em run.
No wrap, spritz, boats, or anything
I always smile when I see posts like this.
The “fall off the bone” debate is amusing.
Because almost every time someone steps away from 321 and actually cooks ribs to perfection without crutches, you don’t ever want to go back.
When people say “but some people like fall off the bone”, I say “they haven’t had properly cooked ribs to compare”.
When I first started to BBQ, most of my guests were accustomed to the mushy steamed ribs. But now they have come to appreciate unwrapped ribs.
It amazes me that people are still temping their ribs. If you are smoking them anything over 4/4.5 hrs, they will be up to temp. The real question is what are you looking for. You want them to fall off or do you want a firm bite. The bend test is the only thing that matters to me when smoking ribs
Once you go nude on ribs, you never go back
Yeah, I don’t ever wrap. Just let them cook until they’re ready.
Hard to tell but it looks like St. Louis and baby back?
I prefer the St. Louis, trim the little guys off and smoke separate and eat as a snack or throw into another dish. I smoke at 250 till 200 degrees I turn them 180 degrees about 3.5-4 hours in. Then take em out at 200 and set up my charcoal grill while they rest 20 min, then sauce and sear for some sticky char. Simple and easy
It looks like you’re cooking on a grill. IMO, you’ll get a better result on an actual smoker.
Where do you live ‘cuz I need to mug your fridge for leftovers.
Dang! Those look good!
You are using a probe thermometer on ribs?
Done ribs a lot of different ways, and no wrap consistently makes the best tasting ribs for me
This is the way. I’ve always sauced and grilled on indirect heat at about 400 the last hour.
They look great! You’ve inspired me! I’m gonna try no wrap next time.
Always.
I wrapped in foil for the first few years. They came out tasty and tender, but I never liked what wrapping did to the color and texture of the bark. I tried no wrap, and never looked back. Congratulations!
There ain’t a stall with ribs, you shouldn’t have to temp them. The ol flop test is all you need…check that bend.
I did no-wrap on some baby backs last week, mostly because I didn’t have time to wrap due to the small matter of having one of my splits ignite while I was warming it on the chamber and then having it fall off and setting some shit on fire and then dealing with the fire department showing up to make sure it was out and half of them wanting to shoot the shit with me about smoking and grilling and methods…wait, where was I?
Oh yeah. Ribs turned out great. Never going back.
Wrapping ribs? Wrapping is for big cuts of meat like shoulder or brisket. There’s no big stall with ribs. But even with big cuts, don’t wrap. That is the silliest thing ever and no real barbeque pros wrap. Wrap your ding dong. Don’t wrap your barbeque. 🙂
Good job, they look great! No wrap is best wrap!
We always no wrap on our stick burner.
5.5 hrs at 250 to 275
Pull, glaze, foil wraps, rest 1 hr, and serve
This is the way