Dispelling The Myth: Fall Off The Bone Tender

Dispelling The Myth of Falling Off The Bone Tender

I hear from people all the time who want to know about the mystique of "fall off the bone tender." They tell me, "Yeah, they keep talking about this on television, and at cooking contests. How do I achieve that?"

I’m here to tell you, that this notion is patently WRONG! Whoever began proglamating this concept should be tarred and feathered!

Here’s why I believe the way I do. This concept is most often associated with barbecuing ribs. If you’re cooking them to the point where the meat literally falls off the bone, then in my learned opinion, you’ve overcooked the meat and compromised its integrity. Even the Kansas City Barbecue Society agrees with me. When you attend one of their Certified Judges classes, you learn that rib meat-if properly cooked-will come cleanly off the rib bone with a gentle tug of the teeth.

If the meat "falls" off the bone-it’s been overcooked. Rib meat should be tender, no doubt about that. In order to accomplish this feat, the ribs must be bathed in a consistent, constant heat, which allows the meat fibers to break down or tenderize. Rib meat should not be
overly chewy. Nor should it be mushy. You should be able to pull the meat off the rib bone in one piece equal to the length of the rib bone.

I don’t know who started this fallacy. All I know is that it is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG information. If you’re cooking ribs in a competition setting, I can guarantee you that Certified Judges will give you LOW SCORES if your rib meat falls off the bone. It should easily dislodge from the rib bone with a gentle tug of the teeth. That’s the sign of a properly cooked rib.