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16 replies

Contest Rib Practice Today

D davidquallsMember
I worked on my Contest Ribs Today.

I used a pack of Sam's Club Ribs which is usually pot luck on quality and consistnent size as most on here already know.

I wanted to try some different rubs with my (Trigg) Method of Parkay Brown Sugar foil 3-2-1

FEC 225 using Absolute Wood Pellets (Which are 50/50 Hickory & Oak),for 3 hours on top rack Then pulled and topped with the individual toppings below and foiled and returned to top rack and heat kicked up to 250 for two more hours. Then remove from foil, back on FEC to finish then sauce and back on to set the sauce and then off of FEC to rest then cut and serve..

Ribs Finished Great. Good Bite and Overall I was very Pleased.

The Tale of The Tape:
All ribs were around 2 1/2 lbs after trimming (estimated)

Sauce Used on all slabs was equal Parts of Blues Hog Original and Blues Hog Smoky Mountain Sauce.

Slab #1
Initial Rub
Butchers Honey BBQ
Topping
Tiger Sauce
Parkay
Brown Sugar
Foiled in Apple Juice Approx 1/2 Cup

Slab #2
Initial Rub
Plowboys Yardbird
Topping
Peach Preserves
Parkay
Brown Sugar
Sprinkle coat of more Yardbird
Foiled in Apple Juice Approx 1/2 Cup

Slab #3
Initial Rub
Butchers Honey BBQ
Topping
Smokin Gun's Sweet Heat
Parkay
Brown Sugar
Sprinkle Coat of more Sweet Heat
Foiled in Apple Juice Approx 1/2 Cup

I invited five of my friends to come and eat the ribs. I gave them 1 rib from each slab one at a time and asked them to make notes on what they tasted and what the liked and to pick which one they liked the best. NOTE: All I asked them to judge was taste as they aren't KCBS Judges or anything like that. I know all had the KCBS Bite for doneness. I did'nt put them in a box no no appearance judging only Taste.
I did not tell them what was on each slab and asked them not to talk between themselves about their experience and which one they liked overall.

While all of them said they really liked all three samples, they each had one that stood out above the rest.

And the unanimous winner was.........SLAB #2 by a large margain from the other two slabs.
It was interesting that There were three females and two were males (I didn't take part) that came to this individual but unanimous decision of Slab #2.

Here are a couple of the pictures.



Credit my Wife for the Pictures since she actually captured the smoke around the slab while I was brushing on the Blues Hog.







After I started my cook, UPS delivered my Simply Marvelous Cherry Rub which I still want to try along with a mixture of Plowboy's and Butcher's Honey Rub and still use the peach preserves.
Original Post

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M maxqMember
Nice looking ribs David. Food for thought...while I used to always foil my ribs a la Trigg, (and still do now and again) I noticed the flavor of the pork itself became lost in the "candied bark" produced by the foiling process.

At this stage of the game, I'll use a glaze, similar to what I pouch with, only apply it at the last 15 muntes of the cook, dropping the temp down to 200 o IMHO this process allows the flavor of the pork to shine through.

Try #2 again using 1 slab pouched and 1 slab with the pouch glaze as I described. Invite the lucky tasting crew back and see what the results are.
P pagsMember
quote:
Originally posted by MaxQ:
...while I used to always foil my ribs a la Trigg, (and still do now and again) I noticed the flavor of the pork itself became lost in the "candied bark" produced by the foiling process.

At this stage of the game, I'll use a glaze, similar to what I pouch with, only apply it at the last 15 muntes of the cook, dropping the temp down to 200 o IMHO this process allows the flavor of the pork to shine through.


Bingo! I'm doing the same thing as MaxQ for the same reason. Seems I like the bark better this way also. Still do the "a la Trigg" method on occasion, but primarily simplify the process (which also isn't a bad thing).
Last edited by pags
D davidquallsMember
quote:


At this stage of the game, I'll use a glaze, similar to what I pouch with, only apply it at the last 15 muntes of the cook, dropping the temp down to 200 o IMHO this process allows the flavor of the pork to shine through.

Try #2 again using 1 slab pouched and 1 slab with the pouch glaze as I described. Invite the lucky tasting crew back and see what the results are.


Are you still going 3 hours at 250, then step back to 200 for the remaining time, then "Trig Slather" for 15 more minutes? Or 250 till done then "Trig Slather" and then set sauce?

I like this method.
D davidquallsMember
Lightning may be striking twice.

I did three more racks today.


Back two racks are same as Slab 2 above "Plowboy and Peach Perserves, Parkay, and Brown Sugar just as described.

Front Rack is Simply Marvelous Cherry Rub then Parkay, Light Coat of Brown Sugar and another light coat of Simply Marvelous Cherry.

This picture is when I removed the foil and am placing back for about another hour then sauce and hold.

Max Q- I will try the no foil approach next time I cook.



I'll post finished Product.
D davidquallsMember
Ok, Here they are all sauced and ready to go. I still like The Slab #2 Description as did 4 different friends taste this one and the one with Simply Marvelous Cherry Rub.

The verdict on the SM Cherry Rub was that it was sweet and cherry flavored but no heat. I might try it with a little Yard Bird mixed.. so far I'm pleased with what I'm coming up with.

As for the Hot & Fast Brisket....Failure three times in a row. I think I'll stay low and slow until I can find some heavily marbled choice briskets because these Sam's Club ones aren't getting it for me and my FEC.

This is the three finished racks. the two together are the Slab #2 Description and the one in front is the Simply Marvelous Cherry Rub.


A Sample of What a Yard Bird Rib


Thanks for looking and your comments!
M maxqMember
The sliced ribs above look very, very good. I'd give them an 8 if not 9 on appearance, based on what the photo presents.

Hot n fast brisket...keep in mind, Myron uses 15 lb up Wagyu packers. The extra marbling will stand up to the higher temps. He also uses profuse amounts of steam in his cooker. Those folks I know who've tasted Myrons brisket compare the flavor more towards pot roast, which may or may not be a good thing if you're judging it at a comp.
FM Former Member
Great Job David, which I had taste o vision.

Hard to give an appearance score, an 8 possible 9 (would have to see it in a box). One thing for me, the rack at the bottom is almost all "red". It doesnt show any black, definition. It's a visual thing. All one color to me doesn't present as well as some with multiple color/definition.

And I won a LOT of rib money with Sam's ribs, but you have to be picky, chosey. More than once I had them open cases in the back for me to select from.

Question. 2.5 after trimming is good, so what was the overall weight of the cryovac? Next time, look for heavier packs. The ribs look great, but you can get a little bigger. When I competed, I used 3+ weight typically for St. Louis Spares

I would look for heavier three packs. Look for overall weight and go heavy then trim. Thicker ribs will give you a better, moister product.

One last thing. 3-2-1 method I don't like the full foil method, tends to come out with that washed out rub look. Keep an eye on that. A LOT of ribs come across the table looking the same, you want to come up with a visual that stands out from the others.
D davidquallsMember
MaxQ, I think you're right. I thinking that there's no real use for me to concentrate so much on Hot & fast Brisket when I don't want to do my pork that way.

The main concern to me on comps is being able to cook all four categories in one FEC. Chicken seems to be the deal breaker so I'm thinking maybe some type of charcoal cooker to finish chicken on and maybe set sauce on ribs.

I can still put ribs on while Pork and Brisket are still finishing. and I can put chicken in after they are done with the ribs. But I just get my timing and quality down by holding ribs in a cambro.

I need to start a new thread on Cooking all four categories for a KCBS Contest.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by AZScott:
... Crispy skin after being sauced and in a hot box is a myth in my opinion.


I'd even call it an Urban legend.

Here's how to prove it. Take your contest chicken, do a contest box just like you would. Let it sit 10 to 15 min IN the closed box, then test it.

Bite through skin is the stupidest concept for grading Chicken tenderness I ever heard of.
T tomMember
Like Smokin' says,as usual.I know his ribs and they are moneymakers.He cooks with and against the top cooks,so he knows of what he speaks. Smiler

About Sam's,you might be shocked how many top teams go there for the IBP spares and buy the heaviest 3 pack slabs.11-12 lbs is about the heaviest, off a young market hog.Usually ,they'll have plenty of spares out in the cases,but if they know you're a cook,they have no problem wheeling out a cart with a few more cases on it.

If you come over in the South,most judges seem to have a sweet tooth and the ribs are like a sauce contest.Somtimes its hard to get a rib out of the box. Eeker

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