Let’s explore how you can grill baby back ribs on an electric grill. Why do people prefer baby back ribs for grilling? Baby back ribs feature a small size that is easy to handle, and each bone holds tender meat with less fat. Baby back ribs are also called Canadian back ribs or loin. They are referred to as “baby ribs” because of their size. They feature about 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and are curved. Usually, they are from parts of the ribs connected to the backbone under the loin muscle. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.Baby back ribs are specific cuts of pork. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, GQ, Southern Living,, Bon and elsewhere. Jim Shahin writes the Smoke Signals barbecue and grilling column for the Washington Post.

Which means the traveling chowhounds and patio pitmasters can rest a little, too. Allowing the meat to rest provides flexibility for barbecue-trail pilgrims and home pitmen alike. 'In my own limited experience,' says meat scientist Savell, 'when we prepare barbecue for these camps or in my own backyard, longer resting times always results in a better eating experience.'Īnd there's one more benefit. The technique simulates an actual warming oven and works wonders for home-smoked meats. A rack of pork ribs also benefits from some time off the grill, but only about a half-hour to an hour of resting. Big meats, such as beef brisket and pork shoulder, improve with a long hold.

Shut the lid and leave the meat alone for a couple of hours, depending on size.

Swaddle a few old towels around the wrapped meat and place the whole shebang in the ice chest.

Better yet, use unwaxed butcher paper to allow a little air flow, which will help maintain the crusty exterior.

Pull the fully cooked meat from the grill.

All it takes is a cooler, some tinfoil and a few towels: The good news is that a backyard chef needn't invest in some high-dollar gadget to get the same result. In other words, don't fear the hold, embrace it. Whether it's a brisket, ribs or a pork shoulder, the idea is the same: Allowing a big piece of meat to rest for a long period of time improves its texture and the overall eating experience. This cooler may be the most important part of perfecting your barbecue. 'Our holding technique adds about eight points to our quality index, a whole letter grade.' 'It took our quality index from a low A to a high A,' he says. He now holds his restaurant briskets from two to four hours in a Cambro. 'Better than what we were serving in the restaurant.' 'What I was finding was that briskets coming out four hours later were fabulous,' he says. Mueller has since changed from the plastic wrap to unwaxed butcher paper because it breathes better and it's cheaper. He then wrapped the meat in plastic wrap, which acted as an insulator, and set it in a Cambro warmer for an even heat that did not further cook the meat but let it gently rest. He pulled the meats off just before they were fully cooked, at about 98 percent, which he says is more a matter of feel than of temperature. For years, once a beef brisket was sliced, the pitman used to put it on a pit and it would be held around 150-160 degrees F.īut about five years ago, he made changes based on what he noticed when he catered. Wayne Mueller, the third-generation pitmaster at the legendary Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas, says he improved an already fabled brisket a few years ago when he changed the holding method his family had employed for decades. 'You're trying to regulate every aspect, including how quickly it's going to cool down.' 'Barbecue is such a variable,' he tells The Salt. 'When the meat is cut, the moisture does not rush out,' Savell says, 'and will remain somewhat bound back to the proteins, resulting in the product we all desire.'īut Franklin came to believe that the meats could benefit better from something more akin to convection heat.

Resting, or holding, allows the moisture to regroup around the proteins. Raw meat, he explains, is 70 percent water. Savell points to the distribution of moisture as the key to successful holding. 'Obviously, the larger the cut, the longer the holding period.' 'All cooked meat benefits from holding,' says Savell. The solution: Don't serve the barbecue fresh from the smoker or grill. It's hard to know how best to time the meats. slicing, only to deal with guests who don't arrive until hours later. The home chef can stay up all night, coddling a brisket, feeding the fire every two hours to assure it runs low-and-slow, and getting the meat just perfect for a 4 p.m. The challenge of keeping barbecue at its peak also bedevils the backyard host. The Salt The Texas Road Food Takeover: Smoked, Fried And Tex-Mex

Baby back ribs rest time