first time spareribs tomorrow

Couple of thoughts.

1. Don't rub overnight. Sometimes, too much salt can affect taste. Just rub them an hour before hand

2. How much do they weigh? I've NEVER had SR done in 3 hours. Small ones in 4 or 5 and larger ones over 6

Like Smokin' says,the rub can start them curing and give them a "hammy" taste.

Keep in mind that there is not much meat to bone ratio,so huge quanities of rub can give a salty product.

As Smokin says,putting rub on an hr ahead,they will be plenty moist.

Thus,unless your goal is to empty an old mustard bottle,can't figure out why anyone would want to make the mess.

Just my $0.02

smokin im at work so i dont know the weight. i will check when i get home

tom i read that mustard will help the rub stay on

Well,I'm no expert,but I do cook with a few.

If it don't stick,put some mustard on.

The upside is,it don't really hurt it too much.

Kinda like ,I heard you could put Elmers' school house paste on a stamp,and it might stick.

Them folks is probably? right.

' course ,where I come from ,in southern ,rural appalachia,we all stick things with duct tape.

Smokin' would probably say try a slab each way,take notes and do what works for you.

Then,report back in to the forum.

Now,down south,100 yrs ago,we figured out it went well on a light bread and bologna sandwich.

I'd say,next time we talk,you'll giggle,too.

quote:

Originally posted by Luisfc1972:

anything i should do differently?

Yes. Use the "shift" key that makes i turn into I.

Don't leave rub on overnight on ribs. Don't use mustard either. 1 hour on the rub is fine. Just a heavy sprinkle is what I'd suggest, not the mounding handfuls like you see on TV.

I wouldn't remove membrane, but most people do. I actually like eating it. It's my favorite part of the rib. Seriously.

Cook ribs at 250* Don't check for 4.5 hours (but I know you will, I've read your other posts). Remove when they "crack" when picked up from the end with tongs. The Costco ribs I cooked a couple of week ago took about 5.5 hours at 250*. Knowing when they're done is the most important part of the process and you didn't have a plan. Shame on you!

When you're finishing the ribs, be sure to brush sauce on inline with the bones, as going against the bone will cause a slight variation in the thickness of the sauce which may effect flavor.

Document everything! Air temp. Wind speed and direction relative to smoker. Ozone level. Pollen count if possible. Prep time. Cook start time. Cooker temp at 5 minute intervals. Finish time. Sauce used. The more you document, the more you'll have to reflect upon prior to future cooks.

Be sure to punch hole in foil liner on bottom. I would suggest exactly 1.2 cm in diameter as being the optimum size for proper drainage and airflow, but I frequently go with 1 cm as this is the approximate size of my finger.

Ideally you want to position smoker so that wind is coming from the smokers left rear quadrant, like 10 o'clock on the dial. This places maximum insulation towards the wind and also allows for a cleansing wind to blow smoke away from you when you're removing the ribs from the cooker.

Don't use duct tape to affix stamps. Liquid nails is better and the Post Office returned my letter when I used tape. They acted like I was stoopid.

ok "I" checked the weight. 2 slabs 8.79lbs

I will make sure to write everything down.

I will put them in meat side up. I was thinking of just saucing them after they are done.

I will check after 4.5 hours, seriously. I want them to come out good. but does this 4.5 hours include putting meat in and then turning it on and heating up to 250?

thanks fellas

quote:

Originally posted by Todd G.:
Document everything! Air temp. Wind speed and direction relative to smoker. Ozone level. Pollen count if possible. Prep time. Cook start time. Cooker temp at 5 minute intervals. Finish time. Sauce used. The more you document, the more you'll have to reflect upon prior to future cooks.

You failed to mention moisture content of the wood and the outdoor realtive humidity! It can't hurt to document Barometric pressure either.

Sometime I preheat the smoker, sometimes not. It won't take more than about 30 minutes for the smoker to come up to temp, so it's not real critical. The size of your ribs will likely add more variation to the cooking time than preheating the smoker.

And ribs aren't like a cake in that they're done and have to come out right now or else. So if they are still stiff, letting them go a full hour before rechecking won't kill them. But you might want to check every 30 minutes this time so you can see the change, if any, from one period to the next.

I would suggest saucing the ribs on the grill or under the broiler. The extra heat will give them a nice glaze. I usually stick mine under the broiler as close to the flame as possible, then pull when the sauce starts to bubble all over.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd G.:
Document everything! Air temp. Wind speed and direction relative to smoker. Ozone level. Pollen count if possible. Prep time. Cook start time. Cooker temp at 5 minute intervals. Finish time. Sauce used. The more you document, the more you'll have to reflect upon prior to future cooks.

This entire conversation is very upsetting. Don't you all think there needs to be a federal law requiring that people first obtain a federal permit to smoke meat, then a government agent should have to come to your house and perform a thorough analysis of the equipment and cooking supplies, and finally a federal meat inspector come back after the meat has cooked (but prior to being eaten) and check your document cooking procedure as outlined by Todd G., and then and only then can you actually eat the meat....provided that you have paid the appropriate tax.
I'm writing my Congressman.

A couple of weeks ago before swine flu became all the rage, there was a news story about the global warming caused by particulate matter in smoke, mostly from smoke from fires used to heat and cook with in third world countries.

The suggestion was for more developed countries (I don't know why that is written as a plural, because they say "countries", they always mean the U.S.) to furnish everyone with cooking stoves and fuel to cut down on global warming.

Taxing BBQ smokers can't be that far behind. Where I live there has been a rain tax for years that taxes the water that runs off your roof. No joke.

Seriously? A rain tax? Is there a minimum amount of rain before the tax kicks in? A light misting doesn't cost as much as day of heavy thunderstorms?
I made a weak attempt at humor only to find out that the truth is worse than my joke....

Colorado has pending legislation that will prohibit the collection of rain water. They say the water belongs "down stream" and by collecting it you disturbe the natural order of things. Frigging wackos!

Hey. With the downstream demand for Colorado River water, you probably aren't too far off. It's LA. They want our Northern California water too.

They can have our water. I'll drink beer, but if they start to tax my smoker, then I'll really be pissed.

Well,Todd,as you know,us folks down in the rural southern mountains don't really mind if they tax bbq,along with anything else.

'course we shoot folks that come to collect it.

well i did just one slab yesterday because i am learning

spareribs, almost 4 pounds

225 for about 4 hours, one chunk of hickory. i think i took them out too early because i was just getting too hungry.

they came out pretty good though there was some fat on the bones. kinda turned me off (meat tasted good). maybe the fat would render off if i let them cook longer.

didnt spritz or anything, just took them out after 4 hours.

i used a bbq sauce recipe i found online, Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce. this one

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/B...BQ-Sauce/Detail.aspx

this recipe ROCKS? the guy should bottle it.

anyway i am currently cooking another 4lbs spareribs slab at the moment. one small chunk of hickory and apple. this time though, like recommended, i will check them at the 4.5 hour mark. got 45 more minutes to go to for the 4.5 mark

oh and both times im using the rib rub that came with the cookshack

quote:

Originally posted by Todd G.:
I wouldn't remove membrane, but most people do. I actually like eating it. It's my favorite part of the rib. Seriously.

You know, SOMEONE is going to read your thread and take it serious. You've got to start them with a comedy line like... I was in the BBQ joint one time... and...

I'm serious! I've never had a problem eating it. I like peeling it off the bones with my teeth. It's good.

We had left over brisket and ribs tonight. I was eating the membrane, and giving the dog some too. We were both happy. The dog also liked lemon squares and strawberry shortcake too though.

something tells me people are being sarcastic and not taking this thread seriously.

i was only asking for help. never bbqd in my life.

anyway,

ribs were tender and juicy. it helped cooking them longer than 4 hours.

i will take pictures of my next cook next weekend. im doing a fatty and pulled pork.

you folks with the "sarcastic vibe" dont bother to post on this thread again. thanks

Well now,some folks may address the humor at each other,but I think you'll find some good info in the replies.

Unlike some other forums,where new folks can be brutally roasted,Smokin' assures that this one is done with politeness and good intention.

Yes,at times ,folks could just say read the archives and best of.

Take good notes,and change one item at a time.

When you've done enough slabs,and you can narrow down your question to something specific,that cooking experience doesn't provide you,the forum will try to answer that specific.

In the meantime,welcome to the forum,and keep cooking.

quote:

Originally posted by Luisfc1972:
something tells me people are being sarcastic and not taking this thread seriously.

ribs were tender and juicy. it helped cooking them longer than 4 hours.

No BBQ is NOT serious. Sure people did take it off topic, but I don't think the intention was to confuse you, when you see those just ignore them, don't respond.

If anyone ever has an issue with a post, just contact me or the originator direct, we don't take the issues to the forum.

It IS about the fun

So, any questions you have before your next smoke? How were the results, what you wanted?

There's a good chance that Todd wasn't kidding. Some people like to chew on it like a smokey, rub infused version of jerky or chewing gum.

At least I know I do when I eat ribs that still have the membrane on. I take it off mine to get as much rub directly on the meat as I can and the women folk generally don't like the extra work and looking un-ladylike tearing it off while eating.

Be careful asking the sarcastic folks not to post. You'll quickly find that some of the absolute best cooks on here are sarcastic to the core.

im just kidding fellas. i enjoy the humor

it is 8am now, eating reheated ribs right now at work

hehehe

For the third time, I WAS NOT kidding! I would not, have not, and would never tell someone to do something that would cause their food to be less that it should be.

I thought I made it very clear that most people pull the membrane off. I usually do not. I do not find the texture objectionable in any way, and while some people say it limits the absorption of smoke, getting too much smoke on ribs is IMO likely to be a greater problem. Also, I usually finish my ribs on the grill or under the broiler. This may affect the membrane some, but the membrane on ribs isn't like the silver skin on a beef tenderloin. It is edible.

And while my first post WAS somewhat sarcastic(as many of mine are), it was not mean spirited and the more bizarre suggestions should have been obvious, and a clue that cooking ribs, butts, or whatever is not brain surgery.

This isn't a "put them into an oven that has been preheated for 27 minutes to a cooking temp of 263*, and cook for exactly 342 minutes before spritzing with 14cc of organic, granny smith apple juice atomized to a droplet size no greater than .5mm to maximize trans dermal penetration" kind of process. Cooking BBQ, especially in a Cookshack, should not be like pre-flight briefing for the space shuttle.

You proved it yourself when after being instructed to cook for 4.5 hours before checking the ribs in anticipation of a 5-6 hour cook (and there are dozens if not hundreds of other similar posts from other posters if you doubt my suggestion), you pull yours at 4 hours because you're getting too hungry!? And you're surprised they're fatty? But they were still okay. Something to build on, but okay. You learned more there than by reading 1000 posts, but if I had told you to pull them and eat after 4 hours as a learning experience, people would have freaked out.

I taught myself how to trade options in the early '90's. I figure that the books and losses that formed the bulk of that education cost me $100K. Here, if you lose a rack of ribs or a 7# butt, you're out maybe $15 at most but your dog will love you forever! It just isn't worth getting all tied up in knots over.

Yes the fat will render more as they cook longer. I hope your next batch was better.

quote:

Originally posted by cronyism sucks:
There's a good chance that Todd wasn't kidding. Some people like to chew on it like a smokey, rub infused version of jerky or chewing gum.

Thank you!

I don't know where folks get their ribs, but I've never had ribs where the membrane was much more than an almost paper like film that pretty much dissolved when I ate it.

But as I write this it occurs to me that the membrane on baby backs seems to be more substantial than on the spares I usually cook. I do pull the membrane from BB's since I only cook those for customers, but it's been a while since I ate a rack of BB myself. But I've been doing a bunch of spares lately and sometimes I pull it off and sometime I don't, but I haven't seen much, if any difference.

Well gees. I used to eat the membrane all the time off my ribs, but stopped doing it cause all the experienced people told me (years ago) to pull the membrane before rubbing those puppies and throwing them on the grill. I like to munch on the end of the bones also. Wife and daughter shiver at the thought of that. When I'm done the bones look like they've been through the dishwasher. Same with chicken wings.

Besides providing great info and tips like some of the other experienced folks on this forum, Todd is hilarious. I always look for his posts both for Qing and the humor. Like Dr. Dan says, he should take his stuff to cable television. I'd watch it. I must admit though, I didn't believe he ate the membrane until he said it the second time.