[IveofIone]

With the recent purchase of a new travel trailer there has been an interest in buying some pre packaged foods that would be fast and easy to prepare while camping. Ribs seemed like a natural because they could be done in the oven, microwave or on the grill. A few packages were tried and so far the project is a whiff. The first package I tried (I can't remember the brand but I'll never forget the label!) were so bad that just one rib was all that was needed to get the rest in the landfill. The sauce had so much sugar in it along with artificial smoke that they were simply not edible.

The next batch was Curley's and was recommended to me. A bad recommendation indeed as the ribs left a bad aftertaste that couldn't even be washed away with good ale. I ate 3 of these before discarding the rest. Clearly, this is an expensive way to test for good ribs at $10-$13 a pop.

Now I have a rack of Tony Roma's in the fridge but am a little skeptical about those also. I'll give them a try but at this point have little confidence in finding something decent. In addition the selection over here on the far east side is not that great either. Are there any brands of these things that you have tried-especially for camping-that were actually good enough to try more than once?

Ive

 

[River Is Polluted]

I like the pre-cooked ribs from Costco. Nice n meaty with a nice bbq sauce. I have had them numerous times and shared with friends and no complaints at all. Tony Roma's are meatless and sauce is way to sugary for me.

 

[joellirot]

Make your own and vacuum pack. From your other posts - I'm guessing you're up for the challenge. Just make sure to post up your recipes.

 

[troutpocket]

+1 for Costco. Also Egger's Meats in Spokane used to offer smoked ribs on Thursdays. I would call in the morning to reserve a rack and pick them up on my way home in the evening. Outstanding!

 

[IveofIone]

Another whiff!! I tried the Tony Roma's this evening since I still hadn't eaten anything today. They smelled weird coming out of the package and didn't smell like ribs at all while cooking. Coming out of the oven they were even worse and after cutting them the meat was dark gray instead of pink. They had rotted at some point. Needless to say I didn't put any of that crap in my mouth. So 3 tries and 3 total failures. I'll probably have to take Joellriot's advice and make them up myself. I really wanted something that took a helluva lot less than 5 hours to cook though.

I haven't seen the ribs at Costco on North Division but can certainly vouch for their hot roasted chickens. They cook them right in the store and at $4.99 are one of the great food bargains around. Most stores sell the same thing for $6.99 to $7.99. I'll look for the ribs on Thurs and also look into Egger's, I have heard good things about their meat.

One other thing-the Tony Roma ribs were so small that they must have been cut from pygmy pigs.

 

[IveofIone]

....so the short answer to my original question is: "No"

 

[junkie]

Meh. No such thing as "good ribs", pre-cooked or otherwise. I don't like paying that much money for bones, fat and gristle. I'll drop serious money on prime steaks, but I'll never spend a penny on bones.

 

[Alex MacDonald]

Yeah, pretty much looks that way, Ive. Her Ladyship makes some great oven-cooked shortribs, but I do enjoy good beef ribs. Fortunately, we have a Traeger, so I can put those together.

 

[napawino (Roger Craft)]

No.

We premake them at home, with just seasoning and no sauce. Cooked to what I'd say is 99%. Then when camping, we finish them over the fire, and slather on our favorite sauce.

I've even just finished them at home, and when camping, just put them in foil with more sauce, and reheated them over the fire. Way better than any store bought.

 

[Guest]

A decade ago at Rendezvous in Memphis, I learned that ribs should have no sauce.

 

[napawino (Roger Craft)]

A decade ago at Rendezvous in Memphis, I learned that ribs should have no sauce.

Fuck that. Ribs MUST have sauce. How else can you drip sauce on your shirt?

 

[hbmcc]

Another whiff!!

I haven't seen the ribs at Costco on North Division but can certainly vouch for their hot roasted chickens. They cook them right in the store and at $4.99 are one of the great food bargains around. Most stores sell the same thing for $6.99 to $7.99. I'll look for the ribs on Thurs and also look into Egger's, I have heard good things about their meat.

One other thing-the Tony Roma ribs were so small that they must have been cut from pygmy pigs.

I think the "no sauce meat" BBQ was an old method. Pres. Johnson had his boiled, then flavored at the very end, about when you grabbed to eat. I don't think any pork can be eaten fresh off the bone. It needs flavor. The more the better.

Egger's!!! ..... Mmmmm! I miss their potato sausage. Need to be careful. Each Egger's store is separately owned/managed, and prepared foods can be different. We got it at the North side shop. Wall?

The "new" way whole chicken and turkey is processed makes me go into a gag reflex when I open a package, and only gets worse. The smell is really repulsive. I did the turkey for my immediate family for years, but had to quit about 4, 5 years ago. Costco and other rotisserie stores birds do the same. Afterwards, I read somewhere that floor sweepings and natural juices are recovered and pumped back into the flesh. Counts as real meat. The aversion might hark back to my pre-school life when we did our own chickens. Boiling flesh, blood and feathers were not attractive.

 

[hbmcc]

As @Alex MacDonald noted, baked short ribs can be very good. It's about the only way I will eat called ribs, since they aren't "ribs". My wife bakes them all day, but I am sure they will be more flavorful and tender baked "normally". I refuse to be around if they are boiled first.

However, like anything good pork done properly is not healthy. So it better be good!

 

[napawino (Roger Craft)]

An old acquaintance of mine used to cook ribs in a pressure cooker. Then he would take them out and put them under the broiler for a few minutes, then add sauce. They weren't bad.

 

[junkie]

A decade ago at Rendezvous in Memphis, I learned that ribs should have no sauce.

Exactly! The only BBQ sauce on meat should be carmelized onto the meat and crispy. Meat dripping sauce is the sure sign of a rank amateur.

 

[hbmcc]

An old acquaintance of mine used to cook ribs in a pressure cooker. Then he would take them out and put them under the broiler for a few minutes, then add sauce. They weren't bad.

Oh .... BARF!! Yah, I grew up in CO. Sunday roast came from the pressure cooker. Everything came from the cooker on Sunday.

 

[napawino (Roger Craft)]

I did corned beef in a pressure cooker once. It sort of imploded.

 

[Guest]

I think the "no sauce meat" BBQ was an old method. Pres. Johnson had his boiled, then flavored at the very end, about when you grabbed to eat. I don't think any pork can be eaten fresh off the bone. It needs flavor. The more the better.

Egger's!!! ..... Mmmmm! I miss their potato sausage. Need to be careful. Each Egger's store is separately owned/managed, and prepared foods can be different. We got it at the North side shop. Wall?

The "new" way whole chicken and turkey is processed makes me go into a gag reflex when I open a package, and only gets worse. The smell is really repulsive. I did the turkey for my immediate family for years, but had to quit about 4, 5 years ago. Costco and other rotisserie stores birds do the same. Afterwards, I read somewhere that floor sweepings and natural juices are recovered and pumped back into the flesh. Counts as real meat. The aversion might hark back to my pre-school life when we did our own chickens. Boiling flesh, blood and feathers were not attractive.

Nobody said anything about no added flavor. Rendezvous is a very famous bbq spot that specializes in dry-rub ribs. I think they started over 70yrs ago. Some of their wait staff have worked there for over fifty years.