{"id":9300,"date":"2022-12-15T14:25:28","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T14:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/?p=9300"},"modified":"2023-09-22T09:53:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T09:53:41","slug":"ribs-bone-up-or-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/ribs-bone-up-or-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Ribs Bone Up or Down: Setting the Record Straight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When smoking ribs<\/a>, place the bone side towards the heat source of your oven, grill, or smoker. This prevents them from drying out and will produce ultra-tender, finger-licking ribs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ribs are my Achilles\u2019 heel. I\u2019ve been known to take down an entire slab in one sitting. I\u2019ve cooked more ribs than I can count, and I\u2019ve played around with how I place the bones in pursuit of rib perfection. I\u2019m here to teach you everything I learned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, I\u2019ll show you how to position the ribs and give you some tips on how to make show-stopping ribs! Grab your wet naps – let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Ribs<\/figure>\n\n\n

Do You Cook Ribs Bone Up or Bone Down?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Place the ribs with the bone side facing the heat source. The bone side has little meat, and it will take the brunt of the fire\u2019s heat. This leaves the top, meaty part cooked beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rib meat is quite tough. You have to cook it low and slow over a long period of time to break down those connective tissues. Low and slow (225\u00b0F to 250\u00b0F) temperatures will make the meat melt off the bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Grill Ribs Meat Side Up?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It depends on where the heat in the grill is coming from. Please note the only type of rib<\/a> that I would recommend grilling (instead of smoking) are baby backs. Country-style ribs can also be grilled, but they\u2019re not actually ribs – they\u2019re pork chops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spares, St.Louis cut ribs, rib tips, and short ribs (from a cow) are all best smoked, braised, or cooked at lower temperatures. (I\u2019ll get to that!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heat from Kamado, bullet smokers, gas grills, pellet grills, and charcoal grills comes from the bottom. Place the ribs bone side down. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heat from an offset smoker comes from the side. Place the ribs on a rib rack with the bones facing the firebox.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are using an oven to cook your ribs, then most of the heat comes from the bottom of the oven. So, you would place the ribs meat side up<\/strong>. If your oven is a convection oven, it has a fan that moves the air, so the heat comes from every direction. This is also how a pellet grill functions. I\u2019d still keep the ribs bone side down in a convection oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Smoke Ribs Bone Side Up or Down?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The same rule goes for smoking ribs: place the rib bones toward the heat source<\/strong>. Let me note: ribs are a pretty forgiving meat to smoke, thanks to their rich marbling. They will likely still be succulent if you accidentally face the meat toward the heat source. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"ribs<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Does This Rule Apply to All Types of Ribs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, this rule applies to all types of ribs. Let me fill you in – there are four different cuts of ribs from a pig. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up, you have the most popular cut on a pig, baby back ribs. They aren\u2019t from baby pigs – they\u2019re just smaller than spare ribs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, you have spare ribs. These are larger than baby backs. (They\u2019re cheaper too!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, you have the St. Louis ribs. These are spare ribs that have been trimmed into a rectangle for a neater appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rib tips are made from the trimmings of St Louis ribs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Bone Side Up Mean for Ribs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Take a close look at one side of the racks and then flip it over. See those white things? Those are the bones. That\u2019s the bone side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You shouldn\u2019t see any bone on the meatier side. If you see a bone poking through on the meat side, it\u2019s known as a \u201cshiner.\u201d Don\u2019t buy that rack with a shiner. The meat was cut too closely to the bone – you\u2019ll get less meat, and the rib may fall off when cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Flip the Ribs While Smoking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No. You don\u2019t need to flip ribs when you smoke them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Place the Bone Side Up or Down When Wrapping Ribs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the ribs are wrapped, it doesn\u2019t really matter. I still position the bones towards the heat source, but the aluminum foil gives the ribs protection from the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most pitmasters, including me, wrap their ribs in aluminum foil<\/a> after 2 to 3 hours of cooking, and the internal temp is around 160\u00b0F. More on wrapping in a bit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, the bone direction at this point isn\u2019t too important. Don\u2019t stress it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n