Pork ribs (either St. Louis-style spares or baby back ribs) are easy to cook, but unless you’re a very experienced pit master, it can be difficult to know when they’re ready to come off the grill or smoker.
After reading this blog to the end, you’ll know definitively when your pork ribs are done.
There are several ways to determine when pork ribs are ready, but conflicting information might leave you wondering which method is the most effective way to determine when they’re ready to eat.
Which method can you trust? Which one actually works? Do you just go by what your buddy at work swears by after cooking a whopping total of 3 racks of ribs — declaring themselves a pitmaster?
Do you ruin a few racks yourself trying to figure it out? Embarrassingly, I may “know someone” who learned that way and it was an expensive lesson. There’s no need for any of that, I promise.
The accepted finished temperature of pork is 145°F, however, this has not given the collagen inside your ribs time to become gelatin for that perfect bite. That begins to happen when temperatures inside the meat reach 165°F. Continue cooking ribs until they reach around 195°F to 203°F for maximum render.
What Traditional Techniques Miss: Internal Temperature
The problem with all of these methods is twofold. First, if you are an inexperienced cook, you may not know exactly how deep a crack should be or just how easily the probe should slide in and out, etc. Further, while a good indication, bones sticking out from the meat doesn’t always happen.
Second, and more important, these methods are never 100% accurate. They’re fine as general guidelines, but with 100% accuracy possible through technology, why risk wasting a great rack of ribs and six hours of your time?
At What Temperature Are Pork Ribs Done?
The USDA recommends cooking pork ribs to an internal temperature of 145° F for safety reasons. However, at this temperature the meat is rubbery and tough. Pork internal temp and pork done temp are clearly not the same thing.
Pork ribs aren’t ready to be served until their internal temperature reaches 195° F to 203° F. At this temperature, fat and collagen throughout the meat has broken down and flavored the ribs.
This contributes to the overall taste and texture of the ribs. If the bones peek out and they probe easily at 195° F, I pull them off the grill. If the probe is still tight or no bones are peaking out, I let them go to 203° F and then pull them off.
Finally, the meat should keep its shape after biting into it. You may have heard that ribs are perfectly cooked when they “fall off the bone.” That is actually not true. If the meat falls off the bone, it’s overcooked and has a mushy texture—not ideal for any occasion. Moral of the story: Rely on the precision of a thermometer (like the Thermoworks Signals or the ThermoWorks Smoke X2 RF) for juicy ribs that everyone will come back for!
Are ribs done at 165?
FAQ
Can I eat ribs at 165 degrees?
Are ribs tender at 170?
What temperature are ribs done?
How long to cook ribs at 165 degrees?
Can you eat ribs at 145 degrees?
However, for ribs in particular, if you go by the guidelines of when they are “done” as in safe to eat (around 145° internal temperature) – this will result in chewy, tough meat, bordering on inedible. These higher temperatures cause the collagen in the connective tissue to break down into gelatin and also melts the fat, for tender, succulent meat.
When should ribs be cooked?
As Chris Lilly, a competitive barbecue pitmaster and author, advises, “The ribs are done when the probe slides in with just a little resistance.” BBQ expert Meathead Goldwyn recommends using a meat thermometer as well, noting that ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 190-205°F.
How do I know if my ribs are ready for grilling?
The bend test You may also hear this referred to as the “bounce test”. To check if your ribs are ready using the bend test, you’ll need to pick them up with your grill tongs at the center of your slab. Slightly bounce them and look carefully to see if the meat starts to crack on the surface.
Are ribs ready to eat?
When we talk about ribs being “done”, we mean “ ready to eat ”. Ready to eat as in, tasty, tender, and succulent . However, for ribs in particular, if you go by the guidelines of when they are “done” as in safe to eat (around 145° internal temperature) – this will result in chewy, tough meat, bordering on inedible.