Should i flip my ribs

The low temperature prevents the sauce from burning as the ribs cook. Baste with BBQ sauce each time you flip. To check for doneness and tenderness, insert a sharp-knife between two ribs, it should insert without any resistance. Barbecued pork ribs. Photo, Roberto Caruso. Classic pork back ribs. Photo, John Cullen. Memphis-style pork ribs. Ribs benefit greatly from a low-and-slow cooking method. For cook times longer than two hours, most meat will benefit from being wrapped in foil.

So why are they called ribs? Because you smoke them uncovered for 2 hours, then smoke them wrapped in foil for another 2 hours, and finally finish them off uncovered for another hour.

Ribs benefit from a lengthy cook time over a low temperature, which can be tough to control on the grill, and can easily lead to burnt meat. To check, hold the rack from the end with a pair of tongs. The other end should bend towards the ground and cracks may form in the crust. Fold the top edge of the foil over the ribs. Tightly fold in both sides of the foil at an obtuse angle to you so that the meat is wrapped tightly but the sides can still be folded in once more.

If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission at not additional cost to you. Learn more. Smoking meat can be a great way to add a depth of flavor that would not otherwise exist, but it can be a bit daunting at first, especially for the new pitmaster.

Becoming a skilled pitmaster will require some amount of trial and error, but with a bit of information, you can limit mistakes while learning.

Should you flip the meat when smoking? Depending on the size of the meat and the location of the heat source, you may want to flip and rotate the meat periodically to ensure even cooking. Smoking requires slow cooking at a low temperature, and every time you open the lid, you are dropping that temperature, increasing the cooking time.

Plus the cut, quality, and size all need to be taken into account as well. This is where size matters, but now we are looking at the size of your cooking area. This can make a huge difference in cooking time , fuel used, and when you flip. If your smoker is large enough, flipping may not be sufficient to ensure an even cook; you may need to rotate your meat as well. While you will be cooking over indirect heat, there will still be areas that are warmer and areas that are cooler.

If, for example, you have a smoker where the heat box is to the right of the smoker with three racks, then you want to be aware that the right side of your smoker will consistently be the hottest part of your smoker.

So when you flip, you would not just roll it over, but make sure you move the left side of the meat to the right side of the cooker, for even doneness. At the same time, you would want to rotate the meat, moving the meat from the top to the bottom or vice versa. Although heat rises, it would still have a temperature difference between the two main areas.

Finally, smoking the ribs bone side up will cause the juices to pool in the middle of the rack. This is especially true when it comes to baby backs, which have a distinctly concave appearance. When you position the ribs bone side down, your goal is to achieve maximum smoke flavor. Should you keep them bone side down, or flip them over? Experts are divided on this subject.

Others prefer to have the meat side facing down when the rack is in the foil, because the ribs will retain more moisture that way. The wrapper will hold in the juices either way. Also, be aware that wrapping the ribs will cause the meat to steam inside the foil.