Q: Hello Dr. BBQ:
I cater and cook at bluegrass festivals. We serve rib chops and pulled pork. I would like to serve spareribs but they always are too tough to serve and sell. What can I do to tenderize these to where I could offer this on our menu? Do I marinate and if so what in and how long?
Smokin Bob
A. Hi Smokin Bob,
The bottom line is ribs that are not tender are just not cooked long enough. You could learn to cook them long and slow for a great product, but in the real world of vending this isn”t always possible. A shortcut that will probably work for you is to wrap them in foil for an hour or two during the cooking process. Maybe 2 hours in the smoke and two hours in foil. You”ll have to get the timing worked out on your cooker. No matter what you do, cooking spare ribs will still take a minimum of about 4 hours to get them tasty and tender. You”ll also need to peel the membrane off the bone side of the ribs. That”s a must no matter which way you choose to go.
Dr. BBQ