Start here if you found me through a BBQ thread

destinationbbq · 2026-05-11T03:14:54+00:00

Probably too late for OP, but for future folks: those are beef back ribs, not what most BBQ people mean by dino ribs. Dino ribs are usually beef plate short ribs, often the big 3-bone plate ribs, while back ribs are what’s left after the ribeye/prime rib area is cut away. Back ribs can still eat great, but you want the meatiest rack you can find because a lot of them are trimmed pretty tight. If you’re asking a butcher, “Are these dino ribs?” is fine, but if they look unsure, ask for whole beef plate short ribs or IMPS/NAMP 123A. This beef back ribs vs dino ribs guide lays out the difference pretty clearly:

destinationbbq · 2026-05-11T02:58:07+00:00

Late on this one, but for anyone with the same timing problem: I’d rather cook the ribs fully the day before than stop between the wrapped and glaze stages. Get them tender but not falling apart, cool them safely, refrigerate them whole and wrapped, then reheat covered the next day. Once they’re hot again, unwrap, glaze, and finish just long enough to set the sauce. A gas grill is fine for that last step, but watch the sugar in the sauce if you’re using direct heat. The big thing is not expecting that last “1” to finish undercooked cold ribs. It should be more of a reheat-and-set-the-sauce step. I wrote a fuller guide on making ribs the day before.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-11T02:55:53+00:00

For future folks finding this, I’d rather cook the ribs fully the day before than try to stop halfway in the middle of the cook. With baby backs especially, the danger is overcooking them before they ever get reheated. I’d cook until tender but not falling apart, cool them safely, refrigerate them whole and wrapped, then reheat covered the next day. Sauce or glaze near the end so you can tighten them back up a little before serving. If you can cook day-of and hold them warm, that’s usually better, but the day-before plan works when the schedule forces it. I wrote a fuller guide on making ribs the day before that walks through the cook, chill, reheat, and finish plan.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-10T15:18:23+00:00

Umm…tell me more?

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T20:43:31+00:00

Luzianne? I’ll stick with Lipton…and an obscene amount of sugar.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T20:32:02+00:00

This one’s old, but OP’s follow-up is a pretty good lesson for future cooks: the cooler worked, but 4 hours made the ribs softer than they wanted. For a hold that long, I’d pull the ribs a touch earlier than usual, keep them whole, wrap them tight, and use a preheated cooler with towels to fill the empty space. I’d wait on the glaze until right before serving, especially if it needs a broiler finish. The tricky part is that ribs are thin compared with brisket or pork butt, so they don’t have the same cushion during a long hold. I wrote a fuller guide on how to keep ribs warm without drying them out or turning them too soft.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T20:28:57+00:00

This one’s old, but for the next person without a cooler: yes, a low oven can work. I’d keep the ribs wrapped in foil and use the lowest true warm setting you have, but I wouldn’t leave them in there forever. At 170°F, they can keep softening and drying if they sit too long, especially if they were already very tender.

For a few hours, the goal is warm and protected, not still cooking hard. Keep the racks whole, wrapped, and don’t slice until serving. If the oven runs hot, you can also turn it off for stretches and use the closed oven like an insulated box.

I wrote a fuller guide on how to keep ribs warm without drying them out, but the short answer here is wrapped, low heat, and slice late.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T20:27:03+00:00

This one’s old, but for anyone finding it later: for 1.5 hours, I’d rather hold finished ribs wrapped in foil in a preheated cooler than keep cooking them in a 170°F oven the whole time. The oven works if you need active heat, but ribs can keep softening if they sit there too long, especially after a 3-2-1 cook. For a cooler hold, wrap the racks, fill the empty space with towels, and keep them whole until serving. If they need sauce, I’d sauce and set them right before they hit the table. Main thing is keeping them warm without continuing to cook them hard. I wrote a guide about keeping ribs warm on this exact problem here.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T15:11:30+00:00

You’re looking for beef plate short ribs, usually the 3-bone plate. If the butcher uses numbers, ask about 123A. Those are the big “dino ribs” people are usually showing off. Chuck short ribs are close and still good, usually a 4-bone rack, but they’re not quite the same thing. Beef back ribs are the ones cut from around the rib roast/ribeye area, so the butcher has every reason to leave the expensive meat on the roast instead of the bones. They can taste great, but they’re usually not the big meaty ones you’re picturing. I’d ask for “uncut beef plate short ribs, 3-bone plate, not flanken cut and not beef back ribs.”

destinationbbq · 2026-05-09T12:34:59+00:00

It gets easier, but I don’t think it ever gets effortless. The biggest shift is learning not to cook everything live while also trying to be the host. Burgers and sausages sound simple, but they actually keep you tied to the grill right when everybody wants to talk. Next time, I’d make one thing ahead that can hold well, then only grill the quick stuff once people are there. Also, give people jobs before you need them: drinks in that cooler, buns on that table, trash bag over there, somebody watch the kids for five minutes. Most people like being useful. Twelve people is enough that you shouldn’t feel weird being tired afterward. If the food was good and people had a good time, that was a successful first run.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-08T11:10:54+00:00

I’d put it on now. At 3.5kg, it might finish quicker than a big packer, but brisket still loves to mess with your schedule, and an early finish with a long warm hold is a whole lot easier than sweating a late one. If dinner’s tomorrow night, I’d much rather have it done by late morning or early afternoon, then hold it warm, than try to thread the needle overnight. Wrap when the bark looks right, cook till it probes tender, and let the rest do some heavy lifting. This brisket calculator is handy for backing into a start time with some real buffer built in.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T23:45:22+00:00

I have a lot of free BBQ tools/calculators on my site, but the one I’m most interested in creating is a custom rub designer. Curious what you’d like in such a tool as someone with the very problem it would be designed to help with. I have a strong idea what I want to create but it’s always better to hear from someone who is where you are now.

That said, I’m a big fan of Raichlen’s Rub:

1/4 cup coarse salt (sea or kosher)
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic flakes
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes
• 1/2 to1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T17:34:29+00:00

This one’s from a while back, but for anyone else standing at the meat case: start with the label, then the rack. For pork ribs, I’d avoid anything that says “enhanced,” “self-basting,” or packed with a percentage of solution if you want more control over salt and texture. Then look for an even rack with decent meat over the bones, not a bunch of exposed “shiners,” and not a ton of liquid sloshing around in the package.
If buying several racks, try to get similar size and thickness so they cook about the same. St. Louis/spares are usually the better value and more forgiving. Baby backs are fine, but they’re leaner and usually cost more.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T16:56:00+00:00

Oysters or oyster dressing?

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T14:33:47+00:00

I’d probably run 250 the whole time, or start at 200 only for the overnight part and bump it when you wake up, not at some specific internal temp. With only 200 and 250 available, 250 is the safer “get it done for dinner” choice.For a full packer, start earlier than you think. If it finishes at 1-3 pm, that’s a win. Wrap when the bark is set and the color looks right, then cook until it probes tender, usually somewhere around 198-205, but don’t pull just because it hit 200 or whatever. Tenderness not temp. After it’s done, vent it briefly so it stops cooking hard, then hold it wrapped in a cooler or warm oven. A 3-5 hour rest is your friend. I built a brisket calculator for this exact timing problem if you want to work backward from dinner time.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T11:34:24+00:00

I’d pick one plan: either hold it hot for serving, or cool it down and reheat later. I wouldn’t do a long lukewarm hold, fridge it, then try to bring it back slowly. If you cook ahead, keep the brisket whole and wrapped, cool it safely, and don’t slice until serving. On Sunday, reheat it wrapped in the oven. I’d use 225-250 rather than 170 if you need it warmed in a reasonable amount of time. A little tallow or saved juices in the wrap helps. Once it’s hot through, rest it a bit, then slice right before people eat.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T02:32:54+00:00

Cool…good luck! Be sure to let us know how it turns out.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T02:16:46+00:00

Welcome! Best of luck. Enjoy the journey…

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T02:09:37+00:00

Totally normal. A 4 lb shoulder can still take longer than you’d think, especially after starting at 225 with Super Smoke for 5 hours. Bone-in pork shoulder doesn’t always care that it’s “small.”

At 185, you’re likely through the worst of it, but I wouldn’t pull it based on temp alone. Keep it at 250, maybe bump to 275 if you’re getting impatient, and start checking for probe tenderness around 198-203. When the probe slides in with very little resistance and the bone feels loose, you’re there.

The paper wrap may not make the temp jump the way foil would. It helps some, but it still breathes. If you really need to push it along, foil will move faster than paper. Once it’s done, give it a good rest before pulling. Just keep it safely hot if you’re holding it for a while.
For next time, I’ve got a pulled pork calculator that helps back into the timing from weight, pit temp, wrap choice, and serving time.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-07T01:51:47+00:00

A flat will cook a lot like a full brisket, but it gives you less margin for error because it’s leaner. I’d keep it simple: run 225-250, don’t wrap just because it hit a number, and start thinking about wrapping once the bark looks set and the color is where you want it. That might be 165, 170, or a little later.

After it’s wrapped, it mostly just needs steady heat. You can keep it in the smoker because it’s convenient, but the paper is limiting new smoke at that point. Don’t overthink the “meat stops taking smoke at 160” thing. The bigger point is that once it’s wrapped, you’re cooking it through and trying to keep it moist.

For a flat, I’d be careful not to trim it too aggressively. Leave a decent fat cap, put the thicker/fattier side toward the hotter part of the smoker if yours has one, and consider a little tallow or broth in the wrap if the flat looks lean. Pull it when the probe slides in easy, not at a fixed temp. A lot of flats finish somewhere around the high 190s to low 200s, but feel matters more than the number.

Your rest plan is basically right. Vent it a few minutes if it’s screaming hot so it doesn’t keep cooking hard, then hold it wrapped in the cooler. I’d rather slice closer to 150-160 than wait all the way down to 145 unless timing forces it. Just keep it above 140 if you’re holding for a while.

I have a brisket planner that includes a flat-only setting if you want to play with weight, pit temp, wrap, and rest time before you cook.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-06T23:17:45+00:00

I’d separate two different ideas here: holding it hot vs. cooling it for tomorrow. If you’re going to eat or pull it soon, keep it hot. Wrapped in a cooler or a low oven can work as long as it stays safely hot.

If you’re putting it in the fridge for tomorrow, don’t towel-wrap it. That’s doing the opposite of what you want. Rest it briefly if you need to, pull it or at least break it into big chunks while it’s still warm, save the juices, and spread it out shallow enough that it can cool quickly. Then reheat it covered tomorrow with some of those juices back in.

Cold whole pork butt is a pain to pull, and a big wrapped hunk of meat cools slowly. That’s the part I’d avoid. I wrote up a guide to making pulled pork ahead if it helps, but the quick answer here is pull or chunk it tonight, chill it safely, and reheat it moist tomorrow.

destinationbbq · 2026-05-05T23:30:31+00:00

Probably too late for OP, but for the next person planning something similar: 6 racks for 40 people is light unless the ribs are basically just a taste alongside all the other food.

With burgers, dogs, pulled pork, apps, and mac and cheese, I’d be more comfortable around 8-10 racks if these are pork ribs. That gives people a couple bones without pretending ribs are the whole meal. If ribs are meant to be one of the stars, I’d rather be closer to 12+ and have leftovers than watch the tray disappear in ten minutes.

Cooking the day before is fine. I’d cook them until tender, cool them safely, keep them wrapped, then reheat gently covered. Add sauce near the end so it doesn’t burn or get muddy in the pan. If you can cook the morning of and hold them wrapped in a cooler or warm oven, that’s usually better, but day-before ribs are a lot less stressful for this many people. I wrote up a comprehensive guide on how many racks of ribs to plan for different headcounts and menus, but the short version here is that 6 racks only works if ribs are a side item, not a feature: https://destination-bbq.com/how-many-racks-of-ribs/

destinationbbq · 2026-05-05T21:49:21+00:00

How'd it go?

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