Why Cooking Ribs Ahead Of Time Is A Big Mistake

Beef and pork ribs are quite flavorful cuts of meat, especially when you take the effort to slow cook either at home. You might want to save time and cook the ribs ahead of time for your next cookout, or you might want to meal prep with the decadent meat. However, it's typically not advised to cook ribs too far ahead of time, or that flavor and texture you might want won't be found in each bite. To find out why, Tasting Table turned to Aaron Franklin, a pit master extraordinaire and owner of Franklin BBQ, who is part of Smoke and Fire, a master class event held in Mendoza, Argentina.

"Sadly, neither of these cuts reheat well," Franklin says. "I always try to have meat off the cooker a few hours before it's time to eat. This allows for proper carry-over and resting time." However, not all hope is totally lost if you plan ahead and follow the right technique. "You can always keep [it] warm after the meat has rested," Franklin explains.

There is a fatty difference between beef and pork ribs, but that flavor might get lost if you try to reheat them incorrectly, like in the microwave (gasp!). The ideal route is to cook within a proper time frame, so start up the smoker about four to five hours before you plan to serve. However, there are ways to keep it warm if you must, like Aaron Franklin suggests. One option is to keep it in the oven on a warm setting, but don't turn up the temperature or the ribs might dry out. You can also wrap the tray of ribs in aluminum foil, but this is more of a short-term solution that will work for around 30 minutes or so. Lastly, if you have one, use a heat lamp like restaurants and smokehouses do.

Sometimes, you just can't help but have leftover ribs, so here's the best way to reheat the meat if you absolutely must. Allow the ribs to reach room temperature first to quickly reheat and not dry out the leftovers. Then, cover the ribs in aluminum foil and reheat them in an oven set at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until they reach your desired temperature. Alternatively, other ways you should to reheat leftover ribs include the toaster oven or air fryer.