Smoked Baby Back Ribs...To Wrap or Not To Wrap, that is the question...

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Sounds simple enough, if you want to haul out the welder.

So are these two grills (one charcoal, one gas), a single grill/combo, or what?

a reply to: Liquesence

Yeah

cdn.shopify.com...

You can also buy the smoke box for the outside if you want. I never did though. I ended up buying an acorn.

But i need more space for holidays and whatnot (a turkey and ham are a lot of meat for a smoker).

My son is the welder...so it'd be him doing the work

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Cool, that's what I was thinking. That actually looks like it would be fun to use as a smoker, if the two chambers were connected like you mentioned.

When you smoke a ham/turkey or other large cut of meat, you actually attend it the whole time, 8-12+ plus hours? Sure, some people use electric smokers...

So how does the Akorn or Egg smoke? It doesn't look like there's much of a way to cook indirectly, since I'm not familiar with it.

a reply to: Liquesence

I manage the smoker when meats on. But i dont babysit it. I just have to be sure the heat is constant.

I love my acorn. I smoke and grill on it. The hardest is cold smoking (like bacon) because the heat is in the bottom. Keeping the temp below 200 requires some effort.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

That's the thing, though, I guess: keeping constant heat if unattended. I think I average around 230-240, which changes when I have to add more wood around every 45 mins.

So you smoke pork belly under 200? Interesting. Never tried bacon.

a reply to: Liquesence

175 for 90 mins is the target for bacon. But you have to really tend it....cured meat can still grow bacteria.

You can smoke it till fully cooked at a higher temp. It just gets less crispy when frying.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Pretty much anything will grow bacteria, eventually. Tend it insofar as what? Is there a final target temp?

I was at Home Depot today and looked at a few of their smoker grills, mostly Kingsford (including an akorn), and Chargriller. So pretty.

a reply to: Liquesence

I read your OP and read a few replies until I crossed "boiling ribs" and I recoiled.

My method for smoking ribs is to remove the back membrane, dry rub for 24 hours and then smoke unwrapped. I do incorporate a pan of soy sauce/water while smoking. I don't like the use of "liquid smoke". EW! If they are properly smoked, they won't need to be wrapped. Moreover, wrapping them negates the smoking process, imo.

BB ribs should not be 'fall off the bone' tender. Nope. That's often a sign of *shudder* boiling. They should have good "toothfeel". Nice to the bite, flavorful, natural smokey flavor, but tender.

a reply to: argentus

I also recoiled at boiled ribs.

Thank you.

It sounds like your method is close to what I did, with a *few* differences: membrane removed, rubbed for 24 hours, and smoked unwrapped with a water pan while also periodically spritzing. I did end up wrapping mine for a couple of hours, mostly to extend the cook time since they felt they were getting more done in a shorter amount of time, and they still turned out pretty awesome, IMO.

I used "liquid smoke" years ago but now would never even consider it.

See, I grew up that meat should "fall off the bone," but now I know better. They should be tender but with a nice meaty chew.

Now I want to smoke some more.

So, entirely unwrapped, what's your general time frame?

a reply to: Liquesence

A loaded question due to the myriad of variables. assuming 225 degrees or so, and baby back ribs, and no rain and etcetc, I usually allow for 4 hours, but sometimes it takes 3. I think a probe thermometer is near useless for ribs so I go with the bend test. If you pick up a slab from the end, and they crack like they're going to break in half, they're ready.

I'll make another distinction from my great friend Argentus's direction. I salt the meat (Kosher) up to 24 hours in advance and usually not that far. Maybe first thing in the morning and the ribs go on 4 hours or so before I intend to serve them. The rub goes on just before they hit the grill. The rub I use I put together myself and it has no salt in it.

Rub ingredients (other than salt) won't penetrate meat and if you use a rub with salt, the other ingredients will impede the salt penetration.

It's all a fine line. You'll get good results with a thousand different methods especially with a forgiving cut like pork ribs (or shoulder), so pick the one that works for you. Some people use mops or spritz with something like apple juice during cooking. I've tried all the methods, and simple works best for me. I'd prefer to not open the lid any more than I have to and on a 3-4 hour cook, that's virtually never. If you do have to open the lid on a grill like a Weber, do it as vertically as possible as quickly as possible. The heat will retain under the dome lid surprisingly well.

Some people retrofit a lid hinge on a Weber, but I prefer not to, primarily for that reason.

a reply to: Liquesence

I've gotten amazing results with my meagre foray into the smoking arena by following the instructions of online chefs and experts.
Plus they have pictures of shiny glistening slabs of baby back ribs and that will get me every time. You eat with your eyes first.
You already have the experience with fire cooking.

amazingribs.com...

This site has taught me a lot.
Their pastrami recipe is to die for.

Good luck!

a reply to: StallionDuck

I agree. But finish naked to get that chew outside at the end.

I've done cheap-o pork picnic roasts in the smoker for fourteen hours after which they walk onto your plate and say eat me. Lol. That football skin turns into an airy crunch.
I keep that covered for twelve hours then uncover it and turn up the heat for a couple more.

I'll be doing this again following this method, since it worked well enough, but maybe try to knock it down to four hours.

I'll also add some chicken quarters the last 2-2.5 hours.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks.

I smoked them yesterday. Once I began, I just had to adapt the method, but they turned out pretty awesome. Tender but with a good chew, good bark, using a small can of water on the top rack. Ended up using a variety of wood: chunks of cherry, and then an apple/hickory 1:1.

I smoked them about 240 for 4.5 hours or so. For the first 2.5-3 they were unwrapped, spritzed frequently after the first hour, flipped twice. After feeling them, I decided to wrap. Not too tightly, but a good wrap, and went another hour. At that point was getting to the point of dinner, so I unwrapped, spritzed and went another hour-ish with the temp knocked down to like 225 or so, adding a BBQ glaze the last half hour.

Pretty good.

a reply to: Sillyolme

I've gotten amazing results with my meagre foray into the smoking arena by following the instructions of online chefs and experts.

That pretty much where I did my homework before coming here.

I love threads I've already posted in a year or more ago. This one right on a year ago.

I did brats on the grill on Sunday. The sous vide cooker is perfect for that. You can get one for $60 on Amazon that works fine for me. No blue tooth or smart phone app, but I have no need for that anyway.

The trick is to not use a vacuum sealer that squishes the sausage. Throw the brats in a zip lock bag with some salt and about a third cup of beer, use water displacement to get the air out of the bags, and toss 'em in the circulator at 160 for an hour, up to 4 hours. Take 'em out, dry 'em off and throw on the grill to brown. They're completely cooked, so all you need to do is put a little color on 'em.

Brat on a bun with raw diced onions and brown mustard, and I'm ever so good.

My kamado broke....so i didn't have a smoker for a few weeks. Got an electric for less than $100 and its worked great. Tonight i am smoking 3 slabs of bacon. I have a pancetta hanging that will be smoked next week when its ready (i like the round cuts for bacon cheeseburgers).

I've smoked a 10lb butt in it and it was great. A rack of ribs was great. My chicken quarters had rubbery skin, but beyond that they were divine. I also smoked about a pound of salt to mix into various rubs i make.

a reply to: yeahright

I've never heard of that method of cooking before, but it sounds interesting, especially using beer as the liquid. Have you ever tired it with Guinness?

I'm always for a good brat, too, and whereas I used to simply grill them, the last few times I've smoked them, and they turned out amazing.

I usually don't put them in hot dog buns, but rather hoagie/sub rolls so I can add more fixin's, of which I like sauteed mushrooms and onions, also with spicy/horseradish mustard and a little bit of horseradish sauce and sometimes some cheese. OMG.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I've considered the electric smoker just for ease, just haven't gotten one. It's much easier when you have a large cut of meat and don't have to attend to it for how many hours it takes.

Then again, for smaller cuts I like the ritual of maintaining the temp and adding wood while having cocktails and listening to music, but an electric might be a good investment for reasons stated.

The skin on mine was somewhat rubbery, too, which is a given I guess, but the meat is tender and moist at 165.

Interesting about smoking the salt. Never thought of that.

a reply to: Liquesence

You need very little liquid inside the cooking bag, since you're getting virtually all of the air out of it. I haven't tried it with Guinness, because I don't buy the can or bottle version. I use whatever's in the fridge, and it doesn't take a full beer for 10 brats. I use two quart size zip locks with about a third of a cup of beer and a couple of tablespoons of salt in each one. I also use Ballpark brat buns, which indeed are larger than hotdog buns.



Sous vide is a world changer, at least it was for me. Here's my favorite cooking site (indoor division) weighing in-

How to Get Started with Sous Vide Cooking.

a reply to: Liquesence

Ill buy some mangos and apples to peel, slice, and dehydrate. The mangos usually end up in a rub that is dried mango, dried jalapeno, garlic, etc, etc. The apples go into a pork rub I make for tenderloin.

I figure the smoked salt will allow me to use the above rubs indoors without losing the outdoor flavor.