Quote:
Originally Posted by tooge
The only time I wrap is if I'm pressed for space. Then I will stack them all up to cook the last hour or so. I think wrapping them gives a "steamed" quality that I'm not real fond of. Sort of like a really tender brisket that's done in the oven, covered with onions and wrapped in foil. Super moist, but the natural fats in between the muscle fibers tends to steam out, and leave the meat more "wet" than juicy. That probably doesn't make sense.
I guess the best way I can describe it is this: So, imagine you have an overdone steak. You want it to be more juicy. So, you dip it in warm water. Yummmm, NOT! That is how wrapped ribs compare, IMO, to unwrapped ribs. Those natural fats just don't seem to escape as well without the steam.
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I agree; it's a bit different. I think the natural cheweyness of spare ribs tends to offset it a little and if you get that good hour over high heat it undoes some of the issues you're talking about, but I agree there is a difference there.
I've just never found the unwrapped versions so demonstrably better that I'm willing to deal with the time/effort involved in doing it that way.