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Do you have any suggestions for making barbecued
ribs? Every time I’ve tried, they end up tough, dry, or both. —
Ted
It’s all too easy to end up with dry, tough
ribs. A couple of cooking principles, however, can make the difference
between succulent, mouthwatering ribs and ones that are so chewy, you can
gnaw on them forever but still need a sip of beer or other liquid to wash
them down. Brining — Brining
is placing meat in a salt solution for a period of time. Sugar and other
flavorings are often added as well. Brining is used most often with meats
such as chicken, turkey, and pork that easily become dry when cooked.
I’m a huge fan of brining. Since I started using the technique, I
almost never cook poultry or pork without brining it first. Done properly,
it doesn’t make the meat any saltier than if it were normally
sprinkled with salt before cooking, just juicier and tastier.
Though you might think that soaking something in
salted water would draw moisture out, exactly the opposite happens. The
reason involves two laws of chemistry, diffusion and osmosis, which deal
with the need for the concentration of a substance to be the same on both
sides of a semipermeable membrane. When meat is placed in brine, the
concentration of salt is greater outside the meat than inside its cells.
According to the law of diffusion, the salt will naturally flow from the
brine into the meat. Osmosis acts similarly to bring water from the brine
into the meat. Additionally, once the salt is inside the cells, it causes
their proteins to unravel, or denature. When the individual proteins
unravel, they interact with each other, forming a sticky matrix that
captures and holds moisture. When the matrix is exposed to heat, it jells, forming a barrier that keeps
moisture from leaking out as the meat cooks.
Low and slow is the way to go — One of the things that makes ribs — as well as
other cuts of meat such as beef chuck and pork shoulder roasts — so
delicious is the amount of connective tissue, which contains lots of
natural gelatin. When these substances are subjected to intense high heat,
however, they seize up and tighten, making the meat tough and sometimes
inedibly chewy. If, instead, these cuts are cooked for a long time at a
relatively low temperature, the connective tissues and collagens relax and
the gelatin flows into the meat, making it succulent and adding additional
flavor. Barbecue master Steven Raichlen recommends indirect
heat for ribs. If you’re interested in learning more about barbecuing
and grilling, you couldn’t do better than to watch Raichlen’s
public-television show Barbecue University (it usually turns up seasonally on local PBS channels) or
buy his grilling/barbecuing cookbooks. Indirect heat is great for ribs. It
involves building a charcoal fire on one side of a grill and placing the
meat on the other or, alternatively, lighting just one side of a gas grill.
As always, grilling with real charcoal gives the best flavor, but sometimes
the convenience of gas is hard to beat — and unless you’re an
expert it can be easier to regulate the heat. Place the ribs on the
unlit/off side of the barbecue and add the smoking wood of your choice to
the coals. If your smoker/grill has a thermometer, try for a temperature of
200 to 250 degrees. The cooking time varies, depending on the temperature,
but the bones should pull easily away from the meat. Plan on at least two
hours and possibly more.
There’s a third way to ensure great ribs, but
I’m a bit hesitant to suggest it, because it’s regarded as
absolute heresy — cheating, actually — by barbecue enthusiasts.
Yes, it might be fudging things somewhat, but it’s foolproof, and I
especially like to use it when I’m feeding a crowd. Smoke the ribs
— still over very low indirect heat — intensely (adding smoking
chips/wood to keep the smoke constant) for 30 to 45 minutes, then place
them in a single layer in a large pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil,
place it in a 150-degree oven, and bake for two or more hours or until the
meat is tender. Brush the ribs with sauce and return then to the grill,
cooking until the sauce and meat are just slightly browned and caramelized.
Do you have a question about food, cooking, an
ingredient, recipe, or restaurant; or something you’d like to share?
Send questions and comments to Julianne Glatz at realcuisine.jg@gmail.com.
HOW TO BRINE
Though regular table salt can be used, kosher salt is
best for brining — in fact, the process of brining is also known as
koshering. Kosher salt is preferred because it doesn’t contain iodine
or anti-caking ingredients. Because kosher salt is flaked instead of
ground, it varies in weight and so must be adjusted appropriately to the
brining formula. Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the “gold star”
of kosher salts, is preferred by many chefs. The proportion used for
brining is 1 cup per gallon of water. Morton kosher salt is the brand most
widely available locally; 3/4 cup per gallon water should be used. Regular
table salt is twice as salty as Diamond Crystal; use just 1/2 cup per
gallon. Sugar provides some sweetness and, more important,
browning and seasoning properties. Use 1/2 cup per gallon of water.
A wide variety of aromatics — herbs and spices
— can be used to infuse the meat with flavor. Garlic, onions, herbs,
and spices can be geared to coordinate with the rest of the meal and any
sauce to be brushed on the meat. Just be sure not to use anything that
contains additional salt. To bring out their flavor, cover the herbs and
spices with water, bring them to a boil, and then cool them to room
temperature before adding them to the brine.
How much brine to use depends on the amount of ribs
involved, but they should be submerged in it. A large nonreactive pot works
well, but I like to use large resealable plastic bags. Any amount of time
that the ribs spend in the brine will be beneficial, but the ideal is four
hours to overnight. Any longer, and the ribs will start to have a
“cured” flavor and texture, like ham — still good but
different from traditional ribs. Liquids other than water can be used to
give the brine extra flavor; I use pineapple, orange, or apple juice or,
especially with pork or fried chicken, buttermilk.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2008.
