Pork Ribs -- Baby Back and Spare

[ronnie_suburban]

What's everyone's rib cut choice here?

I tend to lean to the loin back ribs.

woodburner

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That's my fave too and what I'll be using this time around.

=R=

[woodburner]

I'd love to join in this Sunday, but to no avail... due to circumstances beyond my control etc..

I'm no proclaimed expert but I do like to apply rubs at different stages of the cooking cycle as well as prior to the smoke.

Another tip I like is when using brown sugars in my rubs, because of moisture content in the sugar it tends to clump when applying to any meats in general, ribs in particuliar. This problem is easily eliminated by placing brown sugar in the top half of a double boiler pan with slowly simmering water in the bottom pan on top of the stove. Stir periodically so the sugar does not burn and the moisture is released. Allowing in the end the brown sugar to become granular and very easy to apply in rubs without clumping and mixing with other dry spices.

woodburner

[Marlene]

I'll brine 3 full slabs in a gallon of water and 2/3 C of Kosher salt for about 12 hours in the fridge -- and I remove the membranes from the backs of the slabs before the brining.  After the brining, I rinse the slabs, dry them and let them sit on a rack in the fridge so they can dry a bit further.

I, like many others, have a rub recipe that I really like (basically consists of sweet Hungarian paprika, Ancho powder, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, ground oregano, etc.).  Regardlesss of which rub you use, I think the main issue is to cut back the salt in the rub if you're brining.

=R=

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No sugar Ronnie? I've got ribs. 2 racks of spareribs and one rack of surprisingly meaty baby backs. So I'll do all three. Brine for a couple of hours, rinse, let dry and rub. Let the rub sit overnight? Ive got sumac thanks to a very kind friend. No mop?

I'm ready to smoke!

[ronnie_suburban]

I'll brine 3 full slabs in a gallon of water and 2/3 C of Kosher salt for about 12 hours in the fridge -- and I remove the membranes from the backs of the slabs before the brining.  After the brining, I rinse the slabs, dry them and let them sit on a rack in the fridge so they can dry a bit further.

I, like many others, have a rub recipe that I really like (basically consists of sweet Hungarian paprika, Ancho powder, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, ground oregano, etc.).  Regardlesss of which rub you use, I think the main issue is to cut back the salt in the rub if you're brining.

=R=

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No sugar Ronnie? I've got ribs. 2 racks of spareribs and one rack of surprisingly meaty baby backs. So I'll do all three. Brine for a couple of hours, rinse, let dry and rub. Let the rub sit overnight? Ive got sumac thanks to a very kind friend. No mop?

I'm ready to smoke!

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No white sugar, generally just brown sugar but it depends (so, sometimes yes). I don't mop because I like a slightly crusty exterior on the ribs. I also find that constantly opening the smoker to mop does more harm than good because you tend to lose temperature by doing so.

If you only brine for a few hours, I'd up the salt to 1 C per gallon of water but I'd not let them brine longer than 4-5 hours in that case. Letting the ribs dry before you smoke them will help the the smoke ahere to the surface of the meat. As for when to apply the rub, I'd hold off until the last minute because as long as you're brining, it shouldn't make much of a difference and they'll dry better un-rubbed (especially if the rub contains sugar).

=R=

[Marlene]

Good morning fellow smokers! I haven't brined yet. How long do ribs take on the smoker so I can get my timing down for today?

[snowangel]

Good morning fellow smokers!  I haven't brined yet.  How long do ribs take on the smoker so I can get my timing down for today?

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I'd better scan through this topic since I can't remember. I do know that I often remove mine, wrap them in foil and put them in a warm oven.

Wish me luck. I don't have any ribs, yet, but will get some after I teach Sunday school. Between volleyball and the stops (yes, plural) at the auto parts store, I didn't have a spare minute yesterday.

[snowangel]

Just read uptopic. (Remind me to always put times when I post about smoking), but I think you'll want 5-6 hours for the spare ribs and about 4 for the baby backs.

If they don't have especially nice fat caps, there's nothing wrong with wrapping them in foil for the last hour or two.

[Marlene]

Ok. I've just put them into the brine. I'll take them out in a couple of hours and let them dry and rub them. I figure we'll fire up the smoker around 2 or so. I'm figuring baked potatoes and broccoli for sides.

[lancastermike]

Furnace is fixed. Dishwasher is installed and working without any swearing from me. Ribs and chicken are out of the brine and I just started a chimney of charcoal. Things are going on shortly and will have ribs and chicken for dinner. Chicken on the bottom rack ribs in my rib racks on top. Some hickory and a piece of applewood for smoke. Will report back later. Susan, good luck with your rib hunt. Marlene sounds like you are ready. 4 to 5 hours for the ribs, and don't be afraid to foil. Lots of money has been won at smoking competitions using foil

Looking for the digital camera now

[Marlene]

Please explain "foil". Do you mean wrap them in foil for the last couple of hours? I'm going to use mesquite wood chips this time. I figure mesquite's gotta be good for ribs.

[Marlene]

One more question. Klink's rub calls for dried garlic. Does that mean the dried garlic flakes or garlic powder?

[ronnie_suburban]

Regarding foil, it's not necessary to the process but sometimes it can be helpful. The meat is released from the bone more easily if steam is used. Wrapping the slabs in foil for an hour or 2 at the end of the process will create steam and accelerate this process. You have to be careful, however, because if you cook them for too long while they're wrapped the meat will become totally FOB (falling off the bone) and that's usually not preferred with ribs. FWIW, the cooking which takes place while the meat is wrapped can be done in a regular oven at about 225 F.

In either case, if you do foil-wrap them, I'd suggest, crisping them up on the grill (or under the broiler) for a few moments after you unwrap them. This will aid the crusting of the meat's exterior and mitigate some of the moisture created by the steaming. And if you must use sauce, I'd apply it at the very end of the cooking or even better, after the cooking is entirely completed.

I've also taken ribs successfully to the 'almost-FOB' point without any wrapping at all but in my experience, that takes closer to 7 hours to happen and a very even temperature must be maintained in the smoker. I think this would be more difficult to acheive with air temps in the typical winter range and easier in the warmer months.

As for the dried garlic, knowing Klink, he probably meant to use fresh, dried garlic. I think you can substitute garlic powder but I wouldn't do so unless I was certain I had some fresh, high-quality garlic powder on hand. In lieu of dried-fresh, or high-quality powder, I'd simply omit it entirely.

My ribs have been smoking for about 90 minutes over a mixture of hickory and cherry wood. The smoker temperature is about 210 F, so I do anticipate a 'foil phase' in my routine today. The air temp isn't too cold here but since my smoker is on the north side of my house, it won't see any direct sunlight at all today. I'd have to take the water pan out of the smoker to really drive the cooking temperature up today and that would require far more frequent checking than I feel like doing.

Ultimately, the meat stops taking on smoke when it reaches 140 F, so the cooking method after that point isn't quite as important as the earlier stages.

=R=

[lancastermike]

Ribs on for about 2 and a half hours with a ways to go. Holding at about 225. It is in the 40's here today. Thats OK, but the damn wind won't let up. The wind is the enemy of temperture control. The brined chicken I had on the bottom rack is done and smoky and wonderful, I also had some hot sausage on the bottomand they just came off.

Marlene, I don't like mesquite at all. However, if you are going to use it ribs are better than other things. I see foil and maybe even the ove for me later. Damn wind.

Also I need a new camera as the batteries are shot again. Maybe I'll get one before my next smoke

[Marlene]

It's windy here today too. So far with all the vents closed, we're maintaining about 225. It's as low as I can get it today. We are using the mesquite since my husband really wanted to try it.

[lancastermike]

Just got back from a walk with Maggie and the dogs. Looked at the ribs and I have another hour at least. The wind and cold are taking my temperture down. Going to sit and have a drink and then will probably finish in foil in the oven. My back hurts as a result of the dishwasher install and I am not going to feed the Weber any mor charcoal today. Hope everyone is going along well. Ribs,mmmmm.

[Marlene]

We've got a ways to go yet. My remote thermometer says 300, but I honestly don't think it's that hot. One minute it reads 290 and the next minute, 305. Go figure. Still pretty windy here and cold.

Susan has not been heard from since she left to teach Sunday school. I wonder if the children kidnapped her? Either that, or she was unsucessful in her hunt for ribs!

[lancastermike]

I was wondering about her as well. She said something about the auto parts store this morning. Maybe car trouble?

[Marlene]

They've been working on one of their cars for a while now. Here's a question. The ribs have been on for 3 hours now, but they don't seem to be browning up at all, yet the smoker temp insists it's at 300. How come?

[snowangel]

I was wondering about her as well. She said something about the auto parts store this morning.  Maybe car trouble?

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This weekend has just effing sucked. More later. (Marlene is right about the car. I enter week three in a suburban wasteland without a car.) I'm having a cocktail.

[lancastermike]

They've been working on one of their cars for a while now.  Here's a question.  The ribs have been on for 3 hours now, but they don't seem to be browning up at all, yet the smoker temp insists it's at 300.  How come?

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If your at 300 they should, give them some more time. If you like them real brown and crunchy a few minutes under the broiler will do it. I often give them a minute or two on the gas grill after they comeoff the smoker for the same reason

Going out now to take alook

[Marlene]

Something has gone horribly wrong. We've just pulled the ribs and put them foil wrapped into a 250 oven. The ribs, when I pulled them off the smoker were barely warm, I could take them off with my bare hands. Yet, below, the coals were giving off a lot of heat, and the smoker probe read 280-300. The ribs are definately nowhere near done. We'll try the oven for an hour then crisp them up on the grill.

[lancastermike]

We just got done eating and mine were perfect. Were the ribs on top or bottom? Did you have water in the pan? How long were they on? Did you brine them? Not sure what happended to yours. We had French 75 cocktails before dinner and a nice Zinfandel with the ribs. The Zin liked the smoke. Brown rice with onion, tomato, olive and poblano pepper relish I cooked up.

Very nice, very nice. I am sitting here full of lovely smoked pork, and as Susan would say I smell like smoke, my clothes smell like smoke.

MMMM, smoked pork. Perhaps my all time favorite food

Edited March 20, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[Marlene]

The ribs were brined. They were on the smoker from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. They were on the bottom rack. Lots of water in the pan. The only thing I can think of is that there were too many ribs on the grill and not enough room for circulation. I don't get it.

[Marlene]

By the way, just as an aside, our next smoking project will be turkeys on Easter Sunday.

[lancastermike]

The ribs were brined.  They were on the smoker from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  They were on the bottom rack.  Lots of water in the pan.  The only thing I can think of is that there were too many ribs on the grill and not enough room for circulation.  I don't get it.

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5 hours is not a long time for ribs, did you say two racks of spares and one of back ribs? If they were all on the bottom rack they may have been too much. I use rib racks to give more space. However, I am merely guessing. One of the things I like about smoking is that every time you fire it a total disaster is a possibility.