Par Boiling Ribs

[deangold]

Am I alone in thinking that it was unnecessary to take the leftovers to a butcher? Seems to me his reasons for not enjoying the ribs were sufficient, and the butcher "evaluation" was just piling on.

I worry that the competition to be noticed as a critic is pushing things in an ugly direction.

In my experiences in the world of BBQ, cutting off the rib tips is considered a crime just short of par boiling the ribs before cooking them!

Can't comment on anything about Jacks, not having eaten there.

[southdenverhoo]

In my experiences in the world of BBQ, cutting off the rib tips is considered a crime just short of par boiling the ribs before cooking them!

Maybe, but that's "St. Louis Style" as it's been explained to me, also as set forth here. (hope I did that right! If not, google "rib tips chine bone" and one of the first results is a chowhound page on the topic )

Perhaps the reason I'm reading a board like this today is that roughly 35 years ago as a young whippersnapper I read a Calvin Trillin piece in Playboy entitled, IIRC, simply "NO!" (as it was a response to an article immediately preceding it by Ray Andries DeGroot whose title wondered if Monsieur DeGroot had discovered the greatest retaurant in the world.) Mr. Trillin's piece transformed me at age 18 into what I believe he calls a "serious eater"-- if not a particularly educated one.

Mr Trillin's nominee for that title, Arthur Bryant's, at that time gave away the "burnt ends" that were the result of slow smoking the trimmngs (chine bone and flap) that comprise the rib tips, and that largesse was one of the reasons he declared Bryant's to be the greatest restaurant extant...but I'm pretty sure they're not free anymore.

[Barbara]

WELCOME, WELCOME, Southdenverhoo, to DonRockwell.com. Anybody who can quote Calvin Trillin from that far back is an OK person in my book.

[Dental_FlossTycoon]

Sheepishly par boils his ribs, but I use a dry rub!

[Sthitch]

Sheepishly par boils his ribs, but I use a dry rub!

Do you boil them because of time or convenience? If it is for convenience, try putting the rub on them, and roast them at 250 for 3 hours (bone side down, and no need to turn). While it will lack the smoke of a really good BBQ rib, it is a much better method than boiling.

[zoramargolis]

If you boil the ribs after you rub them, doesn't the rub get washed off into the cooking liquid? Or do you leave the rub on for hours/days prior to cooking, in hopes that the flavor of the rub will penetrate the meat?

[xcanuck]

The best ribs I make always start with the a braise in the oven, are moved to the smoker for about 30-60 mins, and finished on the grill. But I don't always have the time for this lengthy process, and I've parboiled St Louis ribs when in a hurry.

I agree that the dry rub would wash off, but the ribs might pick up some add'l flavour as they boil in the spiced water. Instead of doing that, I've boiled mine in a combination of beer, spices, and cider vinegar before finishing on the grill. But it's definitely a last resort when time is limited and the ribs aren't of high quality. If you drink enough before dinner, you don't really notice the difference