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Re-Heating Smoked Ribs


sasquatch

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I'm planning to buy a smoker, probably a Traeger or a Fast Eddy for my restaurant. What should I do with the unsold smoked ribs at the end of the day?

I'll probably quick-cool them and store in the chiller after service. What do I do the next day? Smoke them again?

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I'm planning to buy a smoker, probably a Traeger or a Fast Eddy for my restaurant.  What should I do with the unsold smoked ribs at the end of the day?

I'll probably quick-cool them and store in the chiller after service.  What do I do the next day?  Smoke them again?

I wrap mine in foil and reheat in a 300F oven. Its not on a large scale by any means though. Just be careful to not overcook on the reheat.

That's the thing about opposum inerds, they's just as tasty the next day.

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If you have to re-heat I'd do it in a pan with a liquid and foil cover at 225*f. I think it would be better to cook a little less than you think you'll sell. It will do two things, preserve the quality of the ribs (re-heated ribs are just not the same) and create buzz about your ribs. "Sorry we're sold out" will get people coming in earlier to get them and get them talking about your ribs to their friends.

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Another option, approaching the problem from a different angle, is to not try to resell them as barbecued ribs, but rather turn them into a new dish. For example, my wife adores "burnt ends" to the point where there is no conceivable scenario where I could end up with enough of them just smoking as usual: I have to deliberately overcook some of the pork shoulder to wind up with enough. Maybe you could do something similar with your leftovers? Yank the meat off the ribs, re-smoke it, slather it in sauce, and sell it as an appetizer?

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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I really like the reutilizing idea. Shred the meat, make a salad or make them into: taquitos, emapanads, eggrolls, spanikopita, samosas, croquettes, corndogs, gougeres, etc.; basically, anything in a wrapper, fried or not, makes them go a long way, is a great way to utilize the meat, stretch it and help out the food cost.

On the reheating aspect, I have done the oven, liquid in a pan and place them on a cool spot on the grill for fifteen minutes. The liquid, to me, is the best. But with any of the methods, keep the moisture in by basting them in BBQ sauce, if that's your thing. I make a very loose BBQ sauce for this reason, and the sugars will glaze nicely on the ribs as you reheat them.

BTW, I don't have a smoker at my restaurant. My smoking method is a 6" hotel pan and a 4" perforated hotel pan. Place the wood chips in the deep pan, your item to be smoked in the 4", and cover in foil. Place on the stove over low heat and let it go until its done. I've had smokers in restaurants, but feel this method is as good for the most part, but I'm also not running a BBQ joint and smoke in small batches. also, I can't cold smoke this way.

Ryan Jaronik

Executive Chef

Monkey Town

NYC

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I'm planning to buy a smoker, probably a Traeger or a Fast Eddy for my restaurant.  What should I do with the unsold smoked ribs at the end of the day?

I'll probably quick-cool them and store in the chiller after service.  What do I do the next day?  Smoke them again?

Brunswick stew.

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It probably won't help your reputation as a restaurant to resell them the next day as if they were "new" ribs. But I agree that reusing can yield a pretty good product. I love rib meat, which can be used in a variety of dishes, including a pretty good hash. It is also a great addition to beans, chili, etc.

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I'm planning to buy a smoker, probably a Traeger or a Fast Eddy for my restaurant.  What should I do with the unsold smoked ribs at the end of the day?

I'll probably quick-cool them and store in the chiller after service.  What do I do the next day?  Smoke them again?

The way I've seen it done is that the ribs are cooked overnight and then stored in trays in the walk-in. They are then heated to order on a grill. No attempt is made to hold the ribs at serving temperature. Since the ribs are finished to order, there are no leftovers.

Jim

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It is also a great addition to beans, chili, etc.

Ding Ding.

The pintos, or baked beans go to a whole new level here.

It is so very easy to tell when a rib has been reheated, and a huge turn off to me- I really would not do it.

I saw on BBQ America where one restaurant makes their leftovers into "fried ribs" the next day. Straight out of the fridge cut into 2 bone portions, dunked in batter then fried.

Jeff

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Here in the south, I would try to reheat on the grill and serve as a bone-in rib sandwich. I've done it before and made money to boot.

-Jimmy

The burnt end idea is also a money maker !

Also, you could do a chopped rib sandwich.

Or a burnt end chopped rib sandwich.

Brunswick stew is a great idea !!!

Edited by JimmyWu (log)

Typos are Copyrighted @

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It is so very easy to tell when a rib has been reheated, and a huge turn off to me- I really would not do it.

I saw on BBQ America where one restaurant makes their leftovers into "fried ribs" the next day. Straight out of the fridge cut into 2 bone portions, dunked in batter then fried.

Jeff

In a restaurant business there are trade offs. Four or six hours on a steam table does far more damage to quality than a ten minute reheat on a grill.

Jim

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Great info, guys! Thank you!

It is so very easy to tell when a rib has been reheated, and a huge turn off to me- I really would not do it.

I saw on BBQ America where one restaurant makes their leftovers into "fried ribs" the next day. Straight out of the fridge cut into 2 bone portions, dunked in batter then fried.

Jeff

In a restaurant business there are trade offs. Four or six hours on a steam table does far more damage to quality than a ten minute reheat on a grill.

Jim

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