![]() Tracking your cooker and meat temperatures with the right thermometers will enable you to control the outcome of your cook. Nailing the texture of the meat is important in being able to cut the ribs cleanly for the best presentation. Precisely straight-line cuts and uniform thickness are critical. Each rib should look exactly the same, even the bones. PresentationĮach rib should be able to slice cleanly for a perfectly uniform presentation. Wrap ingredients that include brown sugar and honey work very well to provide the level of sweetness appropriate for BBQ ribs, and help to finish the ribs with a glazed appearance. When we did our first competition we were stubborn, and submitted our ribs our way, and, well, we were marked down because our ribs “weren’t sweet enough.” You are cooking for the judges, not yourself.Ī little kick is ok, but hold off on the ultra-spicy ingredients for competition-style ribs. Mary Cressler of Vindulge (Ember and Vine) has this to say about their experience when they started competing in the Pacific Northwest. The palates of the judges can vary by region. A balance of sweet savory and spice needs to be achieved. …when it comes to BBQ competitions the goal is to win over the palates of 6 judges. Using a water pan and spritzing the ribs periodically during the cook will provide the humidity needed for a rich smoky flavor. A moist, tacky surface will attract and absorb more smoke than a dry surface. Keeping the ribs moist during the first part of the cook is critical for proper smoke penetration. Of course, your ribs need to have smoke flavor. ![]() Many competition teams wrap their ribs with foil towards the end of the cook to keep moisture in while still trying to preserve a good outer crust or “bark.” Brining, spritzing, and adding liquid to the foil wrap are other techniques sometimes used for finishing with moist, not dry, ribs. The meat needs hours in the temperature range of low and slow cooking for this process to occur. Liquid fat gives a rich, moist mouth feel and makes the meat silky smooth. Ample low and slow cooking time is necessary for connective tissues and fat to render. The actual water in the muscle fibers isn’t the only variable that contributes to moist ribs. They should be pleasantly moist, never a bit dry. Preserving moisture is another factor that contributes to the overall texture of competition ribs. ![]() It’s critical to be alerted as soon as the internal temperature reaches its target to avoid overcooking the ribs. The longer the meat is held at that temperature, the more connective tissue has a chance to dissolve, releasing the meat from the bone. Once the ribs’ pull temperature of 203☏ (95☌) is reached, it can maintain that temperature for some time. When you’re smoking meat at such low cooking temperatures, the meat’s internal temperature rises more gradually. For this cook, you’ll want to cook the ribs to the right internal temperature, and not a degree higher. ![]() While many competition teams go by feel rather than temperature, temperature control can be critical in achieving the texture that competition judges are looking for. It should pull off the bone cleanly and with little effort, leaving behind bare bone, but not fall off the bone. It should be tender yet still retain resistance and resilience when you bite into it, like a steak. The goal is for each bite to leave the bone clean, and have the bite marks in tact in the meat on either side.īelow the sauce, the surface of the meat should have a crusty bark, a little crunchy and a little chewy. This is often called “perfect bite” in competition circles. The meat should pull off the bone with little effort, and leave a bare bone behind. This is not true.Ĭompetition-style ribs are still slightly adhered to the bone and have a slightly chewy texture, yet they are still tender. Some think that the meat must be falling apart in order for it to be tender. Most backyard barbecue pork ribs are cooked until they fall off the bone. What sets competition-style ribs apart from something you might cook up at a backyard barbecue, and what are the judges looking for? These are the three factors expert pitmasters point out as the most important for barbecue competition judges. What Judges Look for on Competition-Style BBQ Pork Ribs Get all the tips and temperatures you need for best-ever competition-style ribs right here. The Smoke receiver allows you to enjoy your summer afternoon while keeping an eye on your cook, and the needle probe makes it easy to get a reading on the internal temperature of the meat right between the rib bones, even after you wrap. What’s the perfect summer project for your new Smoke ® with the needle probe thrown in? BBQ spare ribs, of course.
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