Help with Beef ribs please

Smokingpoppa

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Hi,

Have purchased and used the Traeger Pro 575 a few months ago and used with various success. Anywhere from awesome to inedible and everywhere in between. The biggest issue I seem to be having is with beef short ribs. The first time I tried them they came out great (followed the Traeger app pretty much step by step but cooked about 10-20 deg C lower).
Then I thought I’d experiment a bit and followed the Aaron Franklin method (no wrap) and they were terrible. (Overcooked and chewy). I put it down to a failed experiment so went back to the Traeger app method and they were again disappointing. The internal temp was spot on but the meat tasted chewy as if it hadn’t broken down the collagen although the flavour was Ok.
I don’t mind spending 7 hours cooking and prep if they come out great but if not then it seems like a massive waste of time and money.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
SP
 
It would be helpful, if you told us what you did.....
When you say you cooked 10 to 20 C degrees lower, do yo mean IT or grill temp?
What temp did you cook at?
When did you wrap?
What was your IT?
Are you relying on the Traeger meat probe, and or the Traeger ambient probe?
You say it was overcooked and chewy...I usually think of chewy as being undercooked.
 
Hi,
I mean the ambient temp, ie I cooked them at around 100-110 dec C (grill temp) until Traeger meat probe temp indicated 70 deg C internal (approx 4 hours). I then removed and wrapped and put them back at a similar temp of 110-130 deg C until internal temp indicated 95 deg C. I then removed and rested for 45 minutes.
I agree that chewy will often mean undercooked but if I keep them cooking past 95 deg C internal won’t that overcook them?
 
What were you using as a meat probe?

We’re you using anything to verify ambient temp?
 
Sorry, I just reread your message...
The Traeger meat probe is notoriously inaccurate, even after it has been calibrated.
Get a good meat probe such as the FireBoard 2, or the Thermoworks Signals.
Also, a good instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks MK 4.
 
Ok, thanks James.

ive got a Weber stamdalone Bluetooth thermometer that I’ll use as a back up to the meat probe. How is the reliability of the grill thermometer? Can that be trusted or is it shonky like the meat one?
Do you know if the meat probe generally under or over reads? Or is it all over the shop?

thanks again,

poppa
 
The ambient probe is usually inaccurate as well. That’s why I recommend the Thermoworks or FireBoard which can be used for both ambient and meat at the same time. Those inexpensive probes are usually not very accurate.. At the very least, get a Thermapen MK 4 instant read, to test for doneness in several places...They are pricey, but you won’t be disappointed..
Those thermometers will definitely up your game.....
 
Sorry, I just reread your message...
The Traeger meat probe is notoriously inaccurate, even after it has been calibrated.
Get a good meat probe such as the FireBoard 2, or the Thermoworks Signals.
Also, a good instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks MK 4.

I have to agree with James here... this forum is now contaminated with bad cooks because the Traeger "meat probe" was relied on, and even the Traeger main ambient probe only was relied on....
The meat probe that came with your 575 (mine was never even taken out of the bag) is :poop:
and your pit temp should be monitored with a second reliable probe you can compare to...
YES, you can cook at any pit temp you want till the meat reaches it's goal IT, but if you are using Celsius (which is plus and minus 4° F) and a Traeger Meat Probe (which can be off by + or- 'ruined meat') Then you'll be cooking beef ribs till the cows come home!!!!

Did you spend a lot of $$$ on your grill??? YES, we all did. Should you have a reliable meat probe??? yeah sure.... but you DON'T.
Traeger is a GRILL, not a computer machined oven, you are still the cook and the grill still needs to be OPERATED correctly or you have BAD MEAT. Unfortunately this means you need good TOOLS to help you master the Traeger grill...
 
Thanks James B for the tips, am going to try again tomorrow with new thermometer. Just figuring out a way to hide the new purchase from the missus :]
P.S. Do you mount the ambient probe near the original Traeger probe position or find somewhere closer to the rack height to mount the new probe?
 
This is what I did on my Pro 780
20201011_174937.jpg
 
Some users here do mount it next to the Traeger, but I just mount an ambient probe next to whatever I’m cooking, set the Traeger temp to get me in the ballpark, and then check the FireBoard ambient temp, and adjust the Traeger as needed to obtain the temp I want.
 
but I just mount an ambient probe next to whatever I’m cooking, set the Traeger temp to get me in the ballpark, and then check the FireBoard ambient temp, and adjust the Traeger as needed to obtain the temp I want.
I do this on my Bronson 20. It doesn't have its own meat probe.
 
IMO, the pit temp isn’t as critical (as long as it’s reasonably close). But the meat probe needs to be spot on. And then you need to double check with the Thermapen, because your meat probe might not be in the perfect spot
 
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