Ribs are too pink

[Cave Man]

Baby backs I cooked today turned out very red or dark pink. The wife said that that they look raw. They turn out light pink with a good smok ring and normal cooked pork color on the inside, but this time they look dark pink threw and threw. Any ideas on why. I ran them for 4 hrs at about 225 to 250.

[Rodcrafter]

I know that smoke ring can trick some folks, but it may have been a bit short on cooking time. I use 225 temp and cook the 3-2-1 (smoked 3,wrapped in foin 2, unwrapped 1) method or 3-3 (smoked 3,wrapped 3) if the people I'm cooking for would rather the meat fall off the bone. The way I do it could be considered over cooked by some, but I'm into cooking the way the people I'm cooking for likes it. I would say keep trying adjustings things as you go, you will find what works best for you and yours. Send pics or it never happened! lol

[The Czar]

I'm the Czar....and I'm just saying.....

[TuscaloosaQ]

[Frank_Cox]

4 hours at 225 seems like the internal temp would have been safe by then. The best thing is to always have a calibrated meat thermometer on hand and check the internal temp before you serve or throw away just to make sure. If you use the 3-2-1 method like RodCrafter recommends you can't go wrong!

[Gizmo]

An instant read or shirt-pocket thermometer is real handy for ribs. If you're at 165 core temp then you are safe - beyond that is preference.
I have always cooked babyback ribs and always at 250.
I go 2 hours meat side up on the grate to set the bark - 1 hour meat side down inside foil with a little liquid to get the steam going - then check for doneness and stay in foil until the bones really show. Then back on the grate meat side up until they are done. That last part is when I glaze if needed and probe it to see where it's at. Haven't had a bad batch of ribs in years.

[SOILhunter]

I've not done many ribs as I'm still a rookie...but I have been doing mine closer to 275, meat side up until I have about 1/4" of bone showing. I don't have a time as they have all been different but close to 2 hrs. Then into the foil meat side down with AJ, close to 1.5 hrs here also but I check by pulling two bones apart, when they are as tender as I want they come back out to the grate meat side up just to harden the bark up a little. Generally 45 mins to an hour but sometimes I just can't take it and have to pull early. Note this is for my spares so times and temps could vary, but my method would be the same.

[Cave Man]

The internal temp was on the coolest set of ribs was at 193. I dont wrap them at all. I know they are done and when I attempt to cut them apart they fall apart and off the bone. I didnt take pictures but will when I heat up the left overs. It may be that I needed to let them cook longet but the temps were at or better that 195 and when you bend them they start to fall apart.

[Gizmo]

My opinion on about ribs... (soapbox please)

The rack should bend if you pick them up with tongs when hot - but the rack should not break under it's own weight.

They should not fall off the bone when you go to cut them apart - but they should be easy to bite cleanly from the rib bone and leave a "jaw-shaped" impression exactly where you bit into it.

Ribs are fingerfood so if they fall off the bone it's like a scoop of ice cream falling off your cone - good way to ruin your Sunday afternoon.
I.E. there's a happy "doneness spot" in there that can be tricky to hit. For what it's worth, I think it's easier to hit that spot with beef short ribs or babybacks than it is with spare ribs.

The national restaurant chains would have us think that "falling off the bone" ribs are some kind of wonderful thing ... MULE MUFFINS!
My hat is off to them - they serving thousands everyday - with that kind of mass production they just can't hit that "doneness spot" reliably every time so they just over cook all their ribs and declare them delicious.

Okay I'm done ...

[Cave Man]

Nice soap box. I too like ribs that pull off the bone easy! I did use a different rub and wood (hickory not oak) for this smoke. Nobody got sick and the temps were well done. Thanks for the insight.

[maccas66]

Is there supposed to be meat on Ribs!, the stuff we get sold down here has very little meat on them, the bones are easily visable from the top, I`ll get a pic of ours and show you what I mean!, talk about ripped off!

[Rodcrafter]

Nice soap box.

I like that!

With those temps, it was more than likely just the smoke coloring that was confusing.

[alleyrat58]

Different rubs will change your coloring. The amount of time you allow the rub to set on the ribs will change your coloring also. The smoke ring has less to do with smoke and more to do with a chemical reaction between the meat, the rub, and the heat. If the rub had a lot of time to sit on the ribs then your meat could have changed color a little bit.

4 hours at 225 - 250 would certainly have them safe to eat, tenderness would be the only question, but it sounds like they were okay. Underdone ribs would be very tough.

[SoloQue]

Is it possible that at 225 it is taking so long to reach the 140 mark that your smoke ring is able to go deeper than say if you were cooking at 250 or higher. I don't know about the darker red color but you can get some serious deep smoke rings when you slow smoke at 225 and you have some decent moisture as well. Any chance you used more mustard (or wet rub in general) on this batch than usual? Not much but that's all I can offer.


Sorry, I didn't see the 2nd page of comments. Looks like I just repeated what Alleyrat basically already said so ...

[Tom_Heath]

ya all are working way to hard here.

Just pop those suckers in the crock pot when ya leave for work and set it on low,

When you get home dump a bottle of sauce in the pot, have a beer, serve and wa laa ur done, I seldom even us a therm when I do um this way,


LOL :oopssign: told my comp secret

[Smokeone]

So, thats how you get so much sleep at comps.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[The Czar]

That and all that diet coke he drinks!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Rodcrafter]

Just pop those suckers in the crock pot when ya leave for work and set it on low,

ST that is wrong in so many ways. hehe

[Cave Man]

Thanks for all the responses. No wet rub at all. They were very tender and moist so I'm thinking it was the dry rub I let sit for about 2 hrs before I put them on? Not sure but they didn't make us sick and they had a great flavor so guess it is just the way it is.

And Tom I have a buddy who does the "hot tub" ribs on his Big Green Egg and loves them. I just like to play in the fire and smell the smoke from the smoker too much I guess.

[alleyrat58]

Just pop those suckers in the crock pot when ya leave for work and set it on low,

Boiled ribs are soup. Just sayin...

[Gizmo]

True that alleyrat!

DAM GOOD soup but still ... NOT fingerfood ...

[Tom_Heath]

Well guys.......I dont make a habbit of makin soup ribs.

Just Sayin.!!!!

[HARRY BARKER]

if they were "enhanced" ribs like hormel they are pumped up and will come out red/pink for some reason...kinda like ham...they suck too.

[Cave Man]

Well those were from a new place. Got back to what I know and they were much better. Thanks for all the pointers.