Smoking pork ribs help needed.

[buckytom]

i'm going to fire up the smoker tomorrow and try my first attempt at pork ribs.

i tried babybacks in the smoker a while ago employing the 3-2-1 method, and they were terrible. tough, no smoke ring, chewy, etc..

so, this time i bought 2 untrimmed whole racks of ribs hoping i'll do better this time.

my plan is to wrap them with a rub of brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme and parsley, cumin, and dry mustard tonight and into the fridge they'll await their fate.

so, now what do i do? should i trim them first? are there any good pics or video on the web on how to do this?

at what temp should they be cooked? i'll be using a mix of hickory and apple woods for the smoke.

should i baste them while cooking? how often? i was thinking of using apple juice in a spray bottle.

near completion, i'm going to slather one rack in kraft bbq sauce, and one in sweet baby rays to see which one we prefer.

any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Andy M.]

BT, when I'm trying to decide how to do something related to BBQ I think about what they do in the competitions on TV. All I ever see for ribs is to rub them and toss them in the smoker. No wrapping/unwrapping.

The normal temp for ribs is usually around 225F. If they're in the smoker long enough, they should be tender and FOTB.

 

[Wyogal]

how to smoke pork ribs - Google Search
http://www.google.com/images?q=how ...x-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

 

[buckytom]

what's this google thing you did, wyogal? that's amazing!


lol, j/k.

i actually used your search and went to the "how to heroes" videos. i watched 2 videos and within the first 2 segments they had conflicting info. so you have to wade though a lot.

i'm off to search the database here, and hope for tnt experiences and more exact info.

and thanks andy. i think my first step will be what you suggested, just to rub the meat and put on the smoker, and let 'em go. no gimmickery.

 

[Chef Munky]

Sounds like you have things well in hand already. Save me a bite!
Here's a great site. Have tried a few of the rubs. They were fantastic
The Smoke Ring- All you need to know about barbecue

This one I try and stay away from. Every time I have a look it makes me hungry.
Indirect Grilling Barbecue Recipes for Hot Smoking Chicken Turkey Pork Lamb Beef and Fish Love the poultry recipes they have graciously provided. I'm trying the " Highway Chicken" tonight. Should be pretty good.

Munky.

 

[buckytom]

thanks, munky. i'll go to the smoke ring now.

great username, btw.

you know, when i saw their cookbook, it reminded me that i should go check my own books at home. i guess i'm so used to searching everything on the internet that i forgot i have actual referneces in book form, lol.

 

[buckytom]

ok, now i'm confused. i've read that ribs should be smoked at 220 to 230 degrees, but other sites say 300 to 325...

 

[Andy M.]

I've neve heard of any smoked item being done at a temp as high as 300F.

 

[buckytom]

this recipe that i was thinking of making: Honey Mustard Spareribs Barbecue Recipe by Hot Smoke BBQ

says 300 to 350 for 2.5 hours.

 

[Uncle Bob]

What are you cooking on BT?

 

[FrankZ]

Ok.. so we went to Costco and because of a certain thread I now have some ribs for tomorrow.

I'll either thank you or THANK you tomorrow.

 

[bakechef]

Well for what it is worth, this is how I do it.

I remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and rub them down. I smoke them at 250 degrees for an hour and a half or two hours, then don't add any more smoking chips, I have made ribs that I thought were too smoky. I continue cooking them at 250 basting them with a bbq sauce (I do this to keep them from drying out after smoking) for another 3 hours or so until the meat starts to shrink away from the bone, when this happens, they should be tender.

Since I smoke on a grill (indirect cooking) after they are tender, I crank up the heat and let the sauce bubble and turn into a glaze.

This is from the last batch that I cooked.

 

[Mimizkitchen]

Ok so i'm really curious about this smoking thing, don't get me wrong i've seen it on the FN, but I don't get it... How do I learn how to do it, and what do I need??? Any manly men out there to give a gal some help...

 

[Chef Munky]

Ok so i'm really curious about this smoking thing, don't get me wrong i've seen it on the FN, but I don't get it... How do I learn how to do it, and what do I need??? Any manly men out there to give a gal some help...

Hey hey hey!!! Women ( Me ) smoke..
You need a weber, or a smoker, Few others are available to.. yeah they got some great ones on the market.. One in particular I want..But nooo...
Wood chips. Imagination. It's a lot of fun easy to learn how to do. Great stuff about it in the grilling section.

Munky.

 

[Mimizkitchen]

Oh Munky me so sorry (tail between legs) I didn't know you were a smokin gal... So a regular weber grill or weber smoker thingamajiggy???

 

[bakechef]

I smoke on a gas grill, a Char Griller to be exact. I have 3 burners running front to back. I only use one burner, the one to the far right (or left, if that's your thing).

I make a "smoke bomb" by soaking wood chips (found in the grill section of Lowe's and Home Depot) in water for 30 minutes, just a couple big handfuls. I drain the wood chips and wrap them up in foil, don't have to get fancy about it. Poke a couple holes in the foil and place over the one lit burner (I remove the grate from this part of the grill to get them right on top of the flame), place the ribs on the grill away from the burner and adjust the flame on the lit burner to maintain 250 degrees inside the grill. Close the lid and let 'em smoke! I move the ribs around once or twice because the ones closer to the flame side of the grill will cook quicker, but otherwise, just leave them alone.

This method can be adapted to charcoal grill, just takes a bit more finesse! Great thing is, if you have a gas grill or a weber no special equipment needed!

 

[Mimizkitchen]

Great thing is, if you have a gas grill or a weber no special equipment needed!

What do you mean by that BC???

 

[Chef Munky]

ROFL!!!! No worries. Was messin with ya
Seriously though.. I have 2 smokers. A Weber and a big daddy propane grill.
Love them all.
I think you would be happy with a Weber. Weber is a great product, they are easy to find, versatile, tough grills. It's up to you to decide on what one would suit your needs best. Weber Grills and Accessories

Have fun..

Munky.

 

[Andy M.]

What do you mean by that BC???

I do the same thing bakechef does. I think he means you don't have to buy a smoker. You can use gas grill. Most recently I did the ABTs (stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon) this way.

 

[bakechef]

What do you mean by that BC???

I do the same thing bakechef does. I think he means you don't have to buy a smoker. You can use gas grill. Most recently I did the ABTs (stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon) this way.

Yup, what he said!

I would love to have a smoker some day, but a regular grill can be adapted to work just fine.