I’ve never soaked my wood.    … I use chunks of pecan from fallen limbs … abt 2″ diam by 6″ long  … add more if needed.

Hey Jim,  There is a new chain in Sherman that has a lot of locations in other states, but mostly Oklahoma.

It’s called Rib Crib.  You have to wait to get in to this place.  The food is outstanding. 

The owners know how to do chain food right.

http://ribcrib.com http://ribcrib.com/

I’ve never had dry rubbed ribs that were done as well as those I got there.  If you drive up there you might give it a hey know how to promote, decorate, please, cook and barbecue. 

I don’t see this one closing anytime soon.

Sadly, Sam’s which had the BEST fried shrimp I’ve ever eaten did not know any of the above.  They opened, didn’t change a thing inside of an existing restaurant, did not promote and expected floods of people to flock (mixed metaphors) to them.

Some times it’s location that wins, sometimes it’s the food and sometimes it’s luck in spite of everything else.

Thank goodness that I’m not far from great ribs anywhere I travel in Texas.

Rod, that makes sense. Thanks

Well here’s what I recommend, and teach.  First to know is the wood chips you buy retail are way drier than optimal for smoking meats.  Why do they dry them so much then….if they left them with more moisture they tend to mold over time and effect the shelf life, so they over dry them.  Its best to buy your wood from a local guy if possible thats been air dried naturally on a wood pile.  Secondly its not necessarily bad to soak these dry chips.  You can use three stages to help keep a longer smoke cycle in your grill without opening it a bunch of times.  Take the amount of chips you want to use and divide them in thirds, soak one third of the chips.  Using foil or a small metal pan place both the dry and soaked 2/3 rds in the pan on the coals, and throw the other third directly on the coals.  This way you will get a more timed or metered smoke.  The ones on the coals will start first, second the dry in the pan after a time, and third the soaked ones in the pan.  The soaking only slows down the time it takes for the moisture to steam off, not a lot, but enough to give you a slower longer smoke.  So yes soaking is fine, but soaking all the chips just slows down the time for smoke to start.  

And I suppose when you take off your glasses you don’t turn into the man of steel either.

Don’t burst my bubble Jim.

I remember a Good Eats episode where Alton Brown said that they should come off the bones easily and cleanly, but if they are falling off they are over cooked.

If I recall judging criteria correctly the meat should come off the bone cleanly, but not fall off.

I remember a Good Eats episode where Alton Brown said that they should come off the bones easily and cleanly, but if they are falling off they are over cooked.

I like my ribs to have a little bite.  Should still let you know they’re meaty, you work at it a bit.  Not tough, but certainly not falling apart, falling off the bone.

Amazingribs.com is hands down my go-to BBQ info site.  Wealth of info there.

I insist that my ribs fall off the bone to be #1 priority. .and shouldn’t be (as stated in website ) “chewy like a tender juicy steak”. (Tho I love a tender juicy steak, ribs shld be much softer than any steak, and again – come off the bone Very easily, if not falling off.) In fact .’chewy and ribs’ should not be mentioned in the same sentence.

I agree with Michael & JRP.

I’ve been a KCBS judge for almost 10 years and I can tell you that anyone that serves up ‘fall off the bone’ ribs at a competition will get a very low score on ‘Texture’. They may not be boiled but certainly overcooked. The advice on amazingribs.com is first rate. I’m a paying supporter. I also have been making my own BBQ for years.

thefoodguy,

If they fall off the bone they’ll lose at any barbeque competition.

tfg – I won't touch mushy ribs. Nasty. You can have them all to yourself. Enjoy.

Interesting website.
Lots of tips it seems.

I’ve never smoked my own so I don’t have an opinion bout soaking.

I WILL disagree with the statement about “if they fall of the bone, they’re probably boiled”.
I have cooked ribs many times (which I always thought was a difficult task btw) and they do come right off bone. No boiling involved.

I insist that my ribs fall off the bone to be #1 priority. .and shouldn’t be (as stated in website ) “chewy like a tender juicy steak”. (Tho I love a tender juicy steak, ribs shld be much softer than any steak, and again – come off the bone Very easily, if not falling off.) In fact .’chewy and ribs’ should not be mentioned in the same sentence.

Well with maybe the exception of Han solo saying ” hey chewy, do you want more of these awesome fall off the bone ribs that I made?”

T