Need assist with restaurant ribs

[Ted]

Hello from Ted. I'm working with a local restaurant hoping to add pork ribs as an appetizer and/or entree portion to their menu. Their equipment is limited: mesquite charcoal grill (v. hot but variable) and a 160 degree holding oven (not variable). Their approach is "quick" food with the mesquite grill as the flavor focus, all is served on paper in baskets. Full bar. No time or kitchen expertise here for slow cooked or smoking. I am looking for ideas on precooking by the portion or (God forbid) a good precooked product that could be finished on the grill. I know they are out there. But without quality its a no-go. Thanks. Ted

[StPeteBBQ]

Ted,

I don't know of any quick ways with ribs. I generally smoke my ribs with my Weber Smoky Mountain smoker. It takes a good 4.5 - 5 hours to do them right. That's for baby backs, which I'm assuming you are refering to. Spares take a bit longer.

Even doing them on a grill takes a bit of time. Nothing like slow cooking them though, IMHO.

Have you thought about doing them ahead of time, with a good rub and spritzing with apple juice, and then saucing them and reheating just prior to serving. Reheated ribs are pretty good. And if you don't sauce them until you reheat, you won't risk burning the glaze.

If you're interested, I can post a pretty good rib recipe that has taken a first in several BBQ competitions. Nick-named B.R.I.T.U. (Best ribs in the universe) It isn't an original recipe of mine, but it's posted on the 'net, so it's in the public domain.

[SeanB]

When my Dad was looking to start doing ribs at his place he sampled quite a few pre-cooked style ribs and they did not find any that where very good. Some where satisfactory, but there was most definatly not anything spectacular. What he does is smoke a whole load of ribs once or twice a week, then they finish them off in the oven before serving. I am pretty sure that you can pick up a small electric smoker with self timers for a couple of grand, even less if you can find one used. These are really easy to use so the time it would take is the time to prep the ribs, then you can hold them in the smoker till they are served or warm them up on the grill.

Oh yeah...this is what my Dad cooks his in...

http://www.southern-pride.com/images/pits/SPK-SLT_lg.jpg

[sharky]

I cook my ribs on a gas grill all the time.
I've done it on charcoal grills in the past. The key to great ribs on the grill is your rub/marinade and wait time. The longer the better.

I generally like to clean my ribs and put a nice rub on them about 48-72 hours ahead of time.I cook them on Medium heat on the grill for about 45 minutes, then flip them for another 45-60 minutes (moving around the grill if needed to prevent flare-ups).

After they are done, wrap them in foil and put in your holding oven to keep them warm. I like the nice caramel color on my ribs, so If I do store them for a while, I always throw them on a hot grill for a minute or 2 on each side to brown em up again.

I imagine this can be replicated rather easily in a restaurant. You can add some homemade BBQ sauce to top off the flavor and make it your own!


BTW - Welcome to the board Ted!!

[sharky]

Ted,

I don't know of any quick ways with ribs. I generally smoke my ribs with my Weber Smoky Mountain smoker. It takes a good 4.5 - 5 hours to do them right. That's for baby backs, which I'm assuming you are refering to. Spares take a bit longer.

Even doing them on a grill takes a bit of time. Nothing like slow cooking them though, IMHO.

Have you thought about doing them ahead of time, with a good rub and spritzing with apple juice, and then saucing them and reheating just prior to serving. Reheated ribs are pretty good. And if you don't sauce them until you reheat, you won't risk burning the glaze.

If you're interested, I can post a pretty good rib recipe that has taken a first in several BBQ competitions. Nick-named B.R.I.T.U. (Best ribs in the universe) It isn't an original recipe of mine, but it's posted on the 'net, so it's in the public domain.


Please post the recipe!

:-)

[Ted]

Thanks StPeteBBQ
I would love to see your BRITU recipe. Lots of us want to try it - until then its just PBRITU!
Regarding my restaurant project, yes, precooking is the answer. But in this case - how to precook, whats your best advice?

[Ted]

Thanks Sean;
This may be part of the answer. But I cant ask this guy to invest a grand right now. Could I smoke the slabs on the side of his mesquit grill?

[Ted]

Thanks for your encouraging words.
So, I could slow cook them for about an hour plus with only the rub over the cool side of the mesquite fire. Then foil wrap and hold.
How long do you think we could hold them?
Or chill them then reheat in holding oven later?

[StPeteBBQ]

BRITU Recipe is in the Recipe Forum.

Disclaimer: The recipe is for ribs cooked on a water smoker. You'll have to adapt the cooking procedure for a grill. Keep it low and slow, however.

[sharky]

Thanks for your encouraging words.
So, I could slow cook them for about an hour plus with only the rub over the cool side of the mesquite fire. Then foil wrap and hold.
How long do you think we could hold them?
Or chill them then reheat in holding oven later?


Ted,

I don't have much experience with holding my ribs longer than a day, they never make it that far.

However I would assume you can chill them overnight and place them in the warmer to bring them up to temp, and then throw on the gril to finish em off.

Now, keep in mind that over a cool/medium flame, the ribs will not cook in an hour. I'd try it first over your particular setup, but on my grill it takes almost 2 hours total.. and the ribs are perfect!

:-)

[sharky]

Another thing I recommend is getting the Book called "How to Grill" by Steve Reichlan. He has a direct grilling method that outlines in more detail the specifics of how to check the ribs for doneness, etc. I use a lot of his techniques as a base in my grilling, and alter to my liking:-)

[Unregistered]

If you are looking for a pre-cooked rib package that actually tastes good try Rocke's Meating Haus brand. They are the best I have found. They are good quality and for people like me who do not have the time to slow cook ribs, they are perfect.

[Grillmstr]

If you are looking for a pre-cooked rib package that actually tastes good try Rocke's Meating Haus brand. They are the best I have found. They are good quality and for people like me who do not have the time to slow cook ribs, they are perfect.

One thing you can do to speed up the process is what we call "par-boil" them. Put he ribs in hot water and boil them for like 10-15 minutes, that may be too long, and then put them on the grill. This will tenderize them as well as speed up the cooking process.
Hope this helps,
Grill

[Deuce]

Grillmstr,

When par boiling how do you retain the flavor of the meat? The problem I have with local restaurants is that there is no flavor of the meat, just the sauce and I attribute that to par boiling. I hate ordering a sampler plate and everything tastes the same.

[Grillmstr]

Grillmstr,

When par boiling how do you retain the flavor of the meat? The problem I have with local restaurants is that there is no flavor of the meat, just the sauce and I attribute that to par boiling. I hate ordering a sampler plate and everything tastes the same.

Deuce,
Not that I practice this alot, which I don't, but if I did I would put alot of seasoning in the water. Another out is to pressure cook them. I'm just offering suggestions to Ted, I too prefer the natural way of cooking on the grill :D

Grill
PS: you and Sharky should be receiving your seasoning tomorrow or Thursday!

[sharky]

Whoa! Par-boiling?!?!?! You are talking crazy now! Whioe that would only take 15 minutes, I think you would be better off baking them for an hour or two and finish them on the grill. Boiling does seem to remove the flavor out of them. That's how my Dad cooked them while growing up. It tasted fine, until I tasted them without. The difference is AMAZING!

Thanks Grillmstr! I look forward to testing it out! I am having some friends over on Friday and expect to try it out then!

[Ryan]

Hey Ted,
Did you have any luck getting the pork ribs added to the menu?
If so, how did you end up cooking them?