Hanging Ribs

You mean Woodburner?

First, I don't believe the smallest smokintex is larger than the smokette, thus not making it possible to hang ribs unless you move up to a bigger size.

Second, there was just another thread about cookshack service and customer support, which is unmatched, far as we'all can tell. between the two, I don't think there's a contest.

Third, yeah, I have talked about preferring ribs and chicken on the weber kettle, and briskets and butts on the smokette. but I haven't tried that hard to get the ribs right on the CS, mainly cause I like doing em on the weber. I have, more recently, got good results with ribs in the CS by opening the door a couple of times during the cook, to release some moisture (ain't that amazin... too much moisture for me in the CS sometimes!). when I do that, and add a little sauce near the end as a glaze, I have gotten good results.

With chicken, my smokette only goes to 250 degrees, and I just prefer the chicken to get cooked at 300-325 with smoke. I like the crispy skin.

So there you have it.

Answered your questions, or just caused more confusion?

Thanks Woodburner, this is from j_newsom@cookshack.com, it may help anyone else looking at both units.

"The Smokin Tex is considerably smaller than our Model 55, however it is slightly bigger than the Smokette. Several things to note about the Smokin Tex: first it is made in China which may have a bearing on the quality of construction. The unit weighs 93 pounds which is only 5 pounds more than our Smokette. This tells me that it is made of lighter weight materials. Smokin Tex only gives a 6 month warranty on their heating elements whereas all of our parts are guaranteed for two years. Additionally we have a one year warranty on labor. Cookshack has been in business for 40 years right here in Ponca City, OK. Smokin Tex was founded by a former Cookshack salesman and has only been in business for about 2 years. The Smokette comes with a cookbook, spices and bbq sauce. Smokin Tex has none. Cookshack is well known for the quality of our Customer Service and technical support."

Everyone on the forum confirms the quality of the Cookshack and their outstanding customer support, not to mention made in the USA, so it's become a no brainer.

Still waiting to hear from others about devising a way to hang ribs in a Smokette or using rib racks.

johnapu

Howdy,johnapu.

I agree with woodsmoker, about the high temps on a kettle finishing the skin on a yardbird.

Have done that for many years.


If you are a big skin eater, than a kettle or even gas grill will be handy.

A Smokin'Tex will not address this issue,anyway.

Many competition cookteams will carry a kettle,if they don't have a hot spot in their offset, to finish the skin on chicken just before turn in.

Sometimes I do this ,to keep in practice.
Mostly our group peels the skin anyway,so I don't bother.

I'm not sure who the "many feel that hung ribs are superior" would be.

We are at cookoffs any weekend that we can reach one and I can't tell you the last time I saw someone hang a slab.

I know some vendors, that have uprights, hang the slabs because they are cooking and selling high volume.

Other than that,I think I hear woodburner sayin' "its the cook that knows his cooker that produces the quality product".

He has perfected cookin' on his kettles, over the years, and produces quality without a lot of effort.

I know lots of folks that will never get a good slab off a kettle.

I don't think I hear him sayin' he'd go out back next Feb. and throw some bronto spares on that kettle,when he has his Cookshack settin' there.



Just my $0.02

I've had many smokers and hung ribs before and I'm not a fan of that method, regardless of smoker. I don't like how the fat renders and the ribs just cooked "different". Hard to quantify, so I'll just state it as my preference. I don't like hangin' ribs.

As for smokers, yup, some out there don't like certain things cooked certain ways and they're right. others cook everything in a CS and love it. I've know a rare one or two that tried a CS and then returned it.

You can't guarantee success. But there's plenty of information for you in this forum to get a perspective on what the majority believe.

I've got several smokers, use them all for different reasons and occassions.

Do a search on Smokin' Tex and you'll see plenty of opinions, not just the recent post. They're not mean spirited posts, we don't do that in this forum normally, they just point out the obvious differences.

If what you HAVE to do is Hang ribs, don't buy the Smokette, buy the larger version. If it's too much money, there are plenty of options, including cheap offsets, that you can get at Home Depot.

See, no easy answers, are there?

Smokin'

Are you laying those ribs on the grills or using rib racks?

johnapu

johnapu:
What is the quantity of ribs you are planning to cook at a time. Everyone I know says that the reibs from my cookshack are some of the best they have ever had. I had to move up from my 009 to a model 55 because of the demand from friends, family and co-workers. With a cookshack you will find yourself expanding your BBQ menu to include Brisket and Pork Shoulder due to the ease of cooking them.

I will admit thought that I prefer chicken from the grill not the smoker. The higher heat does make a difference.

I never really knew about hangin ribs until I started seeing it on the food channel. I have had my smokette about two weeks now and my family loves the ribs that it produces. One of the problems is that "good ribs" must be found in the store to start with other wise, cook something else that is a quality meat. So far the guys at my work don't know the quality of food the smokette puts out, as I have managed to eat my lunch not in their presence, (I used to grill steak and fry fish for the co workers as a pot luck) I fear it is only a matter of time till I have to get something that will cook more than the smokette will hold. I did check out the smokin tex, after I placed my order for the cs and based on what I saw, they have the rib hangers, with only a inch or so difference in size, I would order the larger size, from cs due to the level of customer service I have already received. I am thinking of asking if the nice people at cs would trade me up to a larger oven. I also run a webber kettle for the foods I want to cook at higher heat or different methods. The smokette is great for the "load it, wait, and eat" type of barbaquein. Good luck with your decision.

The Food channel is fun and it gives exposure,sometimes even good.

Booby Flay even showed folks how to grill a brisket on a WSM.

I even seen ol' Emeril boilin' up some in crab boil.

I think the Food Channel showed Paul Kirk hanging ribs for high volume catering.

They also showed Grillin'Al[Today show weatherman] Roker with a Willingham turbo pellet cooker with an upright, that can hang sausage or ribs and be used as a warmer for your butts and briskets.

Willingham runs a volume restaurant and catering business,and this gets away from the rotisserie in a horizontal cooker.

I certainly can't fault this and if he were to present me with one,absent the $8,000 opening price point,I'd be thrilled to haul it home.

Cookshack will usally work with you when you find the need to expand.

Remember,the unconditional 30 day return policy.

I can't remember anyone coming on here to say they used it,though.

I have a MOdel 55 and smoked ribs hanging and laying. I can't tell the difference. Both methods make some mighty tasty ribs

Sorry, I'm new to my Smokette...When you say hanging the ribs, you are not talking about a rib rack, right? I have a rib rack I have used for my weber, and was wondering if anyone has used this in the Smokette. Any advantages or disadvantages?

Grumpster

You can hang ribs in a Smokette. Cookshack manufactures rib hooks, you do have to cut the slabs in half to get them to fit.
I have not tried hanging ribs in a SmokinTex, but I think you would have to cut the slabs in order to get them to fit in there as well.

Rib Hook
Hang slabs of ribs in your smoker. (Not suitable for Smokette.) ?????

Rib hooks will work fine in a Smokette. They don't really give you much more volume than you get when lay ribs on the grills; however some think that hanging ribs gives them a better flavor.

Just purchasing a couple of weber rib racks, has anyone here tried sitting your ribs ib the racks and smoking them that way.

I have some old weber racks somewhere and I have used them occasionally in the CS.

They don't mean a lot to me ,although in other applications they can be very useful.

Do you smoke with the meat side up or down?
I have always used rib racks in my old Brinkman water smoker.

I always smoke with the meat side up this way everything drains properly, cause if you turn the meat side down, you get these puddles in the ribs

Purely a personal preference.

I start with the meat side down, wanting to get as much smoke as possible as it rises out of the smoke box. And I think it might help a little for that grease that pools to help keep it moist. But I do flip them over about 1/2 way through the smoke and finish meat side up.

I usually smoke with the meat side up but I have done it both ways. They seem to turn out about the same. I guess I think of it as brisket; I just like the idea of the grease coating and penetrating the ribs instead of immediately dripping off. Sounds healthy, huh?

I think a lot like Smokin' and Floyd.
Pork drippin's/soppin's is a good thing.

You can always dry anything out, later-if ya got a hankerin'.

Especially if it's dripping into a pan of beans. Thanks guys.