Who doesn’t love the finger-lickin’ juicy, tender, and delicious ribs!
This is one of my favorite dishes to eat in any given time, either lunch or dinner.
Yes, I know, all of you would turn up your nose when it comes to eating cold and dry ribs.
Nobody would like that. Isn’t it?
Last time when I was planning to cook these ribs ahead of time for the Christmas party, I wanted it to be warm at the time of serving too.
But one question which was wandering in my mind; how to keep ribs warm?
So, I was eagerly searching for means to keep ribs warm for longer. I got to know several methods to do.
If you are looking for ways to keep ribs warm for extended hours, you shall get your answers right here.
What Temperature is Needed to Keep Ribs Warm?
If you want to keep the ribs warm, primarily you should know what temperature is need to be set.
Ribs need 145°F temperature to stay warm. If the temperature drops below 145°F, bacterial growth can start.
So, you should maintain the 145°F temperature for keeping the ribs warm.
Everything will be fine above this temperature but take caution that the temperature shall not fall.
How to Keep Ribs Warm?
Use Ice Chest Cooler
If you are looking to keep ribs warm for at least 5 hours, keeping it in the ice chest is the solution for you.
I have personally had a rib cooked too fast overnight and the dinner still has 5 hours left to serve.
So at that time, I preserved my delightful dinner for about 3 long hours using an ice chest.
Let’s get to know how to use an ice chest cooler for keeping ribs warm:
1.Set the double layers of a towel at the bottom of the ice chest cooler.
2. Pull the ribs and double wrap it in High-Density Aluminum Foil (HDAF).
3. Keep the ribs that were just wrapped in HDAF into an ice chest cooler on top of the towels.
4. Cover the ribs with few more towels.
5. Close the lid and don’t open until the time of serving.
It helps to keep the ribs warm for at least 5 hours.
This method works for keeping ribs warm in an ice chest cooler on different occasions from 30 minutes to 5 hours.
Even after 5 hours also you can find the ribs still perfectly delicious!
Want to keep the pulled pork warm and moist? Then here’s how to do it.
Oven Method
You can use the oven to keep ribs warm until it serves on the table. It is the best way to placing ribs in the oven right after cooking so that it keeps warm and moist for longer.
For this, you need to set the oven temperature at low. You can set it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit till the time of serving.
1.Let the rib rest for 30 minutes in a pan after cooking so that the juices will redistribute throughout the meat.
2. Heat up the oven to between 170- and 200-degrees F. temperature.
3. Cover the rib in the pan with aluminum foil.
4. Keep the pan in the oven till the serving time.
In this way, you keep the ribs warm until the time of serving.
Wrapping in Blanket
If you want to keep the process simpler one you can use the blanket to keep the ribs warm. It stays warm for at least 3 hours.
For this,
1.You need to wrap the ribs in HD aluminum foil. Keep the foil seam at the top of the ribs. So that juices will not leak out into the blanket and the blanket stays safe.
2.Then wrap tightly in a heavy blanket. Leave on the counter as it is.
3.It helps to keep the ribs hot and moist for at least 3 hours. It might stay for 4 to 5 hours too.
Keep warm with Insulated food pan carrier
Using an Insulated food carrier pan is a great way to keep ribs warm. It can keep your food hot or cold for longer.
You can use this Carlisle Insulated Food Pan Carrier for keeping the ribs warm for at least 6 hours.
It has a large holding capacity as it can hold 5 full-size food pans in a different arrangement as per your need.
It uses commercial-grade polyurethane insulation that helps to maximize temperature retention.
It is one of the best accessories to keep the food warm for hours. You can enjoy ribs just pulled it from a smoker.
Warming ribs in a slow cooker
If you want to keep the ribs warm without losing its moisture, you can keep them in a slow cooker.
You can warm the ribs with juicy perfection with its rich flavor by using a slow cooker.
For warming up the ribs, you need to pour the water to cover the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the ribs in a slow cooker.
Set the slow cooker in a warm setting. If you don’t have a ‘warm’ setting, set the slow cooker at a ‘low’ setting. It is usually 145F to 150 F.
You can hold them in unless you are not going to serve them from the same container.
Conclusion
Now you know how to keep ribs warm for extended period of time.
If you have an oven at home, you can keep them warm in the oven easily.
If you don’t, you can use an ice chest or insulated food pan carrier for keeping them warm.
If you want to go with something simpler, you can use a blanket for wrapping them for keeping it warm.
The slow cooker is also the best method to warm up ribs, as you won’t lose the moisture and flavor of the rib after warming.
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