Baby Back Rib Bark Question

Mornin',

I'm not all that big on releasing humidity,but I do like to flip mine about the three hour mark.

I usually do spray with apple juice or cider and maybe a shot of Jack for luck.

Maybe it keeps them a little moist and the natural sugar in the spray might carmelize a little.

About 30-45 mins before you remove them,some folks like to glaze with a sweet sauce,or maybe even a little honey.

Some might just add a little rub and a little brown sugar.

You don't want to oversalt.

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks Tom. I'll keep that in mind.

You have to think about what's creating the bark. On baby backs, there's just not much meat, at least what I've seen the last 4 or 5 years.

So add some sugars to carmelize is one method. The trick is when. Contest cooks use a lot of honey. Some add brown sugar in their rubs and add them later.

I wouldn't add honey before the 1 hour to finish point. Brown sugar, maybe 2 hours but not more than that, it will burn. there is a Granular Brown Sugar (comes in a shaker bottle) that I like to sprinkle on about 2 hours prior.

So just think about what you need to create the bark. If it's a difference between your Brinkman, then it's the humidity difference, but remember the brinkman even has a water pan.

You're headed the right direction, so let us know how it goes and eventually you'll have the success. And certainly lots of people have the same goal.

If you have a digitial camera, take photos and send them to me.

Smokin'

Well, the ribs were decent. A bunch better than my first batch. But ya know, company always shows up at the wrong time! I just wasn't able to experiment like I wanted to But I'll report what I can.

I used the Bone Suckin sauce on both racks. Personally, I perfer my own blend. I did open the door ar the 3-hour mark just to release humidity. Don't know if I'd do that again or not. They were just a tad (not much) on the dry side, but fallin-off-the-bone tender.

Now, I did try sprinkling brown sugar on half a rack about 1 hour before pulling them off. WAY too sweet for me. The brown sugar was just a dusting and did create a bark but "no thanks, I'll pass."

I didn't care for the Bone Suckin sauce either (I'm really not a hard guy to please!). Funny, it tasted ok straight from the jar. But once on the ribs and glazed, I just didn't like it.

So, as usual, this is another learning experience, and so it goes with Q'ing.

It rained most of the day here in Arkansas. We have the fake Smokette just under the eve so no water could get in the top hole.

Anyway, all is well, all was good, all is gone and I am looking forward to cooking up something else soon!

Fake smokette??? Please explain!

the "fake" might be the Smokin Tex.

Ah Smokin, nothing gets by you, the guru of Q. Yes, I confess (and have before) I have the Asian version of the Smokette, the SmokinTex. Forgive me!!! Forgive me!!!

who makes the SmokinTex? Man, it looks just like the smokette.

I did see that it has 4 casters, this is needed in the smokette for ease of movement.

OK...something fishy is going on here! Does cookshack sell a few smokers to other enterprises that put their name on them and resell? I just went to that smokin tex website and they are identical! The price is pretty much the same also. Also, Cabela's has one too.

Cookshack used to make a green?? model for S.Tex to sell under their name.

I guess S.T.found a chinese prison,etc. to make a look- a -like, they could sell cheap, and Cookshack is no longer involved.

Cabela has carried Cookshack in their stores and catalogs for a number of years.

I believe Smokin' or Stuart mentioned that there is another company that they make an actual Cookshack for.

Wheelz, it's okay, we've got a number of ST owners here, it was your comment about a 'clone' that outted you.

At one point, CS made them for Smokin Tex, but I believe, don't quote me, that stopped at some point and Smokin Tex has their made overseas, basing it on the CS design.

Thanks Smokin. I didn't want to trouble any waters on the CS forum. I love the forum and didn't want to catch H.E. Double Toothpicks from management or anyone. I've never seen a Smokette so I can't honestly say which is the better unit. If I would have seen the CS first I may have purchased it cause it's made in the USA. But... knowing that my ST has 4 decent casters, who knows.

Enough of this! On to the Q.

you were going fine until that swipe about the caster

But think of this, when someone had problems with the casters, CS offered to send out a new smoker...how's THAT for customer service?

ST doesn't have any CS to speak of, at least based on comments presented here.

Umm, let's lock this thread before I get in trouble!!!

Going back to the original question about "bark"-doesn't anyone use brining any more?

Well, I'm still nursing a little "after effect" from the Sooners big win yesterday, so I'm not sure about your reference Phatboy?

Well the original question was about bark on ribs, so I'm not sure what you mean about brining. Brining really doesn't help the bark, unless you mean the sugars in the brine that stick to the outside. But I don't hear a lot of reference to brining ribs. Is that what you're asking?

Yes-I meant the old way of preparing meats to smoke using plain (not iodized) salt and brown suger (dark for pork, light for chicken). If you ain't brining your meat your not smoking it to it's fullest.

1/3 cup of plain salt
2# brown sugar
1 gallon of water
1 uncooked egg in the shell
Use the egg to test the water before adding the brown sugar to ensure your salt content is appropriate to the water your using (ie-don't use softened water for this as the salt in this type of water will "over salt" your meats) good ol' fashion well water is the best to use, hard water takes a few trial runs until you get the amounts correct. Use this as a guide, and if you don't know what the egg test is you place the egg (in it's shell) in the salt water mixture-if the egg does not float-remove it and add more salt and put the egg back in-repeat this until the egg floats-then add your brown sugar, meat and cover with ice-leave sit at least 24 hours-three days is best, then take the meat out-rinse it off and place in plain water and cover with ice for just 24 hours. It may seem like a lot of trouble and work, but I do this with hundreds of pounds of meat in regular beer coolers. I have had chickens in 350� heat for over three hours and the juice still ran out of them-The dark brown sugar makes a perfect "bark" on ribs, and does not burn like a sauce containing sugars does. I am not an expert, but just some one who has turned a hobby into a very profitable part time business. Take it for what is worth to you.........

i truly am amazed.. them ribs, i can taste them now. i will have to try that brine! have you ever used it for turkeys? do you rub them ribs after all that? what do you suggest for smoke flavor?

Phattboy, thanks for the brining info, actually we're all familiar with the concept here.

But you didn't detail if you do your ribs this way, do you? How long do you brine?

I have even created a web page for just brining:

Brining 101

Well now,that brinin' approach for ribs is a little different.

I have brined some wild boars for moisture,but they never had much ribs to speak of.

I guess some sausage sows,stags,or boars that run 700-1000 lbs.might have enough meat on the ribs to justify a brinin' operation.

I have had some of those 5-6 lb. slabs take over 8 hours.

Although them ol' sausage hawgs are mighty tough,they are still a mite fatty.

Some folks over in southern Missouri like to use a vinegar marinade to tenderize tough old ribs.

I try to stick with loinbacks or 3 and downs with some fat,so I didn't see the need for that extra step on ribs.

Be interested to see someone's results in a CS.

As I tried to say in other replies-I do around 200 to 400 pounds at a time-this type of brine works on meat-all types of meat, I don't care if it is ribs,chicken,fish,venison-I do use a rub-that is the third secret to brining. Use pepper,garlic powder,onion powder and anything you want to-but no type of salt-the brine does not taste salty, but any type of salt will bring the brining salt out and be overpowering. Remember-24 hours is good-three days is best-and let set in clear water for at least 24 hours-may sound like a lot of work, but try the three methods when making ribs-boil them-steam them-brine them-you'll never boil or steam again. Cooking even for hours will never replace brining-not an expert, just some one who has tried them all, and found the secret-ask me about smoked eggs sometime, or tell me when you had them before.........

Well,I never knew that boilin' or steamin'was methods of rib cookin',but I am known to smokeup peeled hardboiled eggs for deviled eggs.

How many people did you just slam with that remark-there are a lot of people that boil or steam-I was trying to show them an alternate method. I guess we need lessons from an expert-that is why I used to come to this site, to learn and pass on

why oh why would anybody boil or steam ribs???? i just cant figure it out. maybe if they are from a wild animal and ya want to remove a wild flavor? brining sounds intresting but alot of work. i too, smoke tons a ribs a week. key word, smoke. people can go to tony romas or outback or them other big chains if they want boiled meat. they come to me when they want real meat flavor. however, i have a following of toothless folks who require ribs you can eat with a straw. happy to say, i have obliged them also. i know some folks like them ribs with more texture, but when you pick up one and all you are holding is the bone cause the meat just fell off, thats good right?
hey, there are a ton of ways to do everything. whatever sells in your neck of the woods, go for it!

Well now,

I certainly don't profess to be no expert and

I wish to apologize to those folks that are boilin' or steamin' their ribs and feel "slammed" by my professin' ignorance of their rib cookin' methods.

I for one ,am always lookin' for a better method and welcome all shared info.

guys, guys, keep it nice!

Let's not get into that, as you know our forum isn't like that, there are certainly enough forums out there that are.

Just because you boil it and cover it with sauce, doesn't make it barbecue, but it also doesn't make them wrong. Just someone who hasn't a preference for real barbecue.

We've discussed boiling and steaming before and just chaulk it up to those that haven't experienced the REAL method of doin' ribs.

Let move on to a non-steamin' non-boilin' discussion.

Your right-I apologize, it just seems that no matter where you turn there is someone who doesn't know what the rest of the world is doing. When I first started I was "boiling" my ribs, but I didn't have enough background to know the difference-then someone mentioned "steaming". To this day I am grateful for what I have learned, and in turn want to provide as much as I can-be it wrong or right-learn from your mistakes, listen to what the people are asking for and make the best ribs you can-even if it is a rib sandwich with the bones in it-if it ain't smoked it ain't food....

In fact-I have #200 of ribs in brine since yesterday afternoon, looks like they are in rootbeer from the brine. I will take pictures of the "bark" on them if I get time for anyone who wants to see them....

Sure, send me the photo (you can get my email from my "profile") and I can get it posted in here for you.

I've not heard of a lot of success brining ribs, but you certainly are the exception. And since I'm considered an "expert" by some on brining, that's saying something.

You'll also need to tell us how you cook them, times, temp, etc.