Whole hog in the Carolina's is done a few ways, one is to chop the meat of hog with meat cleavers. Some instead of chopping they run the Q through a grinder. Serving with a vinegar sauce is very traditional in North Carolina.
Beef can handle Oak and apple or cherry.
Alder is very mild works well on fish or poultry.
Hickory, pecan or fruitwoods for pork work well.
Grape vine on lamb is a good choice.
Mesquite when grilling beef.
When I came up with the method I was using a WSM which gives you a lot more control than the Brinkman's version. A briquette charcoal like Kingsford or DuraFlame work much better than your last choice. You are going to have to use fire size for pit temp control.
Ribs can be cooked hotter, say...
I don't know what you are cooking on but I do know the charcoal you used and it is filled with fillers not good stuff. I would choose your wood choice for ribs and there is no need to soak the wood.
Cowboy charcoal is cutoff wood pieces and burns quickly leaving no coal base, don't like it...
The covers are vinyl and without ultra voilet protection the sun will cause fading in a very short period. What customer service is saying they make a cheap cover and you will have better luck an after market cover.
Tough cuts have connective tissue that as it breaks down and releases it's moisture keep the cut moist during the long slow cook. When you are talking a steak, a tender cut, that connective tissue is not present to break down and supply the moisture to the steak. As the steak cooks slowly it...
Uncle Bob
I have not used Charwood lump product but have used mesquite lump do the same thing. I find the air flow threw the pit has a lot to do with the sparking, less air flow, less sparking.
Jim
The Minion Method thing I'm sure had everything to do with it. I also have competed with Chris Lilly, Kingsford's spokesman (we won the WA state championship a few years ago).
Kingsford is coming out with a new product, Charwood competition charcoal. The ingredient list is wood char, starch and borax (borax is a natural occuring non-toxic material that is a fraction of a percent of the makeup of the briquet). The starch is cornstarch to hold the woodchar together...
As a gift it would be fine. As a way to buy meat over priced for the value, local purchase where you can see what you are getting is a much better way to go.
Jim
I cook ribs in the 275 range all the time, if they come out dry it was because they were over done.
I don't use time as much for the guide during the cook. First phase I look for color and meat pull back on the bones. I want good color and about 1/2" or more pull back. The second phase (in...
I have used sirloin tip's catering wedding party's. I normally smoke them at 275 to 300 degrees and use a mop recipe that I apply about once and hour. Cook to about 130 internal, comes out tender and tasty.
Jim
Harold McGee, noted food science writer states, that there is some disagreement on the value basting which does interrupt and slow down the cooking process. His contention is that for lean cuts that will add flavor but for cuts like brisket or pork butt the internal fat and connective tissue...
Now look what you have done. LOL
Rib cooking techniques that is for pork spare ribs, 3 hours in smoke, two hours in foil and one hour back on the cooker out of the foil. Rather generic number, have to adjust to pit temp get desired results.
back in 1999 I started posting about cooking brisket fat side down. It was to lower the drying effects of the heat from the cooker I was using (WSM) that was coming from below the grates. I found that the margin for error was less than cooking fat side up. I was cooking in competitions and you...
I smoke at higher pit temps using fruitwoods. With a small knife I make a number of slits in the skin to allow the fat run out (duck has a lot) so the skin will chrisp up.
Jim
You need to get pork, ribs, butt, whatever over 144 internal. At this point you can take off the cooker and cool quickly, to do that if you leave them wrapped in foil it will increase the time it takes to cool them down. So open the foil and allow the ribs to cool some then go into frig to...
No matter what you decide to do I would take them to at least 145 to 150 internal before pulling off the cool. The other thing is cool then wrap in hd foil for storage.
BabyBacks in foil for two hours like you I would find them way to tender, 45 mins to 1 hour depending pit temp.
Hickory is a stronger flavored smoke than apple but I find it a sweeter flavor I enjoy.
The bottom grate will run 25 degrees or more cooler than the top grate.