PICS - Johnny Trigg's Rib Technique

quote:

MaxQue - used the wrap in foil with the brown sugar method you created. got the best ribs ever. thanks man - mentorjustin

Glad you enjoyed them but I didn't create the method. Thank Johnny Trigg, who's been using this technique for 20 years and taking to the bank ever since.

quote:

I was wondering if someone could share feedback on the Texas BBQ Championship Rub. Want to use a rub that is comparable to it but not sure about its flavor profile.

TX Champ is a somewhat spicy, bold rub. Similar rubs that come to mind are Cookshack Brisket rub, Bovine Bold and Smokin Guns (hot or mild)or Cimmoron Docs.

The idea is to build flavor layers using the bold & sweet rubs to offset each other. I tend to go a bit lighter on the savory vs sweet. I'll also re-season with both towards the end of the cook.

Hope that helps.

My first ribs a few years ago were done using the similar technique I found in Dr BBQ's excellent Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook. I've never had any reason to vary that recipe ... till now. I'm curious to see how the peach would taste instead of the honey

quote:

I was wondering if someone could share feedback on the Texas BBQ Championship Rub. Want to use a rub that is comparable to it but not sure about its flavor profile. Is there any sweetness to it, or is it all savory? Any feedback would be great.

Hi Steve....Didn't want to tell you but but since you are asking about the TX BBQ rub your sauce and rub package is scheduled to be delivered to you r home tomorrow (Monday). It has some TX BBQ rub included in it. I use a combination of the Championship rub and the original rub. I absolutely them!! Hope you enjoy!! They are a little spicy but after smoking it mellows out. I also use the Tribb method with brown sugar and they are fantastic ribs!! Just did 3 racks yesterday and always a big hit. I never sauce them during the smoking process as I like them dry to enjoy the true smoke and rub flavor.

Well Mr. Magoo here, see the post below, sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by BigMikeinNJ:
Boy fellas I've been awful quiet here lately - doing the right thing any newbie should be doing, reading threads, working on my technique and making sure no of my adult beverages go stale... Did up part of some (what Sams calls in Jersey) pork brisket ribs. Rubbed and soaked in a little Coke and fresh squeezed Tara Tara Oranges (look for them at Sams they are FINE) overnight. Then dried and reapplied my rub. Went in room temp to 225 for two hours, one small hunk of cherry wood, one of apple wood, flipped and sprayed with apple juice and cooked another 90 minutes. Then foiled with a little of my sauce mixed with honey (about 60/40) sealed them up meat side DOWN in that concoction for one hour at 250, then opened them up and cooked meat side UP at 250 another hour (got jawing with my Ma on the phone). Hoo weeee - or as someone here says Pigs Soooooo Wheeeeee... Got them wrapped in foil and a towel until Momma gets home. Got my mac salad and KFC Copy cole slaw made, made mac and cheese last night, all I gotta do is make some buttermilk biscuits and pour my adult beverage...

Thanks for all the hints and tips. It's a blast doing this.

Well. I had 3 St. Louis style rib racks to smoke today(on sale...buy one get one free), and I fully intended to do the Rib Dog version with peach preserves. My taste buds were all set, and when I went into the fridge to get the jar of peach preserves, I discovered my grand daughter had used it all on her toast the past week. So I went with the flow and did the MaxQue version.

I lightly sprinkled the ribs with Lawry's Seasoned salt and rubbed with Rib Tickler BBQ Rub. Into the smoker at 275* for 3 hrs. Used the Johnny Trigg recipe described by MaxQue (foiled them meat down with 4 oz margarine, 4 oz brown sugar, 2 oz pure maple syrup, spritz with Tiger Sauce. Squirted fairly heavily on the ribs. Put them into the smoker for another hour, foiled. Once unfoiled, I used RibDogs glaze (heated mixture of 4 parts barbecue sauce, 1 part honey, and no cayenne cause the Eagle Rub Hot Barbecue Sauce sent in the last rub/sauce exchange by Ismoke had enough heat...good stuff). I let them sit in the smoker unfoiled for another 15 minutes to set the glaze. Took them out and lightly covered them with foil for 20 minutes.

Absolutely scrumptous. A little overcooked cause they were falling off the bone. Left the house and got back to them a little late. However, they were moist and tasty. First Q in a month. Good to be back.

The fat was virtually totally rendered smoking the ribs at 275* all the way...also trimmed a lot of fat before cooking them. Best spare ribs to date. Total cook time was 4 hrs and 15 minutes. Apple wood.

Welcome back Pags!

Sometimes I wonder if Johnny Trigg lurks the CS forum, sees this thread and says, "Dang...them boys is gettin pretty darn close."

Pags,
I've found that at 275 I foil @ 3 to 3&1/2 hours ala Trigg & rest them in a cooler. When ready to eat I finish off on my gas grill on high to crisp up and caramelize the sauce. Just be careful not to spill juices all over the place or burn them up on the grill.
Welcome back!
Joe M

Hello I am new here but in no way new to charcoal cooking. I tried the Trigg method discussed in this thread and didn't get the results that I though I should have. Followed the one method which was started with rib tickler rub and two hours on grill then one hour foil with parkay,brown sugar,honey & tiger sauce and then about 30 minutes back on grill. I am in the process of acquiring a better quality smoker but am using a char-grillers barrel now. I had a bit of trouble keeping temp constant and I am pretty sure that's what my problem was. Ribs were falling off of the bone and almost mushy. The temp gauge never got above 300 but I managed to keep it around 250-275 according to the gauge. Ribs were good but no where as good as "best ever". If any more time would have been used they would have been terrible. End result was overcooked I'm sure. I am looking to buy a good quality smoker but live in a rural area and no one around sells a high quality one.

Regarding smokers, FedEx will deliver your order from Cookshack.

Regarding foiling ribs, with temps over 225, you boil the liquid and steam the ribs. That's why they fall off of the bone.

Joe M thanks for the tip. I noticed on that with Trigg's ribs they don't appear to be falling off the bone and when bit into they don't pull apart real easy. I will be getting a good quality smoker soon. Keeping the temp constant and low is key to doing great ribs.

It's not the recipe. If the ribs don't pull clean then they are undercooked. Use Smokin's toothpick test to determine doneness. If the toothpick slides through the meat easily with no resistance, then the ribs are done. If not, cook another 20-30 minutes and retest.

CraigM - I have a 6-7 year old Char-Griller hidden in my back yard...I couldn't give it away. Worst smoker I've ever used. It just won't hold smoke or heat due to the poor designm construction, etc. Great for grilling a dozen or so rib-eyes at @ time tho

You're correct, good ribs (or any BBQ) requires a constant temp. "Low" is a matter of opinion. I smoke ribs at 275 on my FEC100 and 250 on my Amerique. IMHO the higher heats helpt render fat better.

Get yourself a reliable Cookshack...read Smokin's Ribs 101 and have at a few cooks. Once you've nailed the basics go back to the Trigg method and compare.

A perfectly cooked rib bite will come away from the bone cleanly, leaving an exposed, shiny looking bone behind.

PS Craig, welcome to the forum and check your private messages.

quote:

Originally posted by CraigM:
Joe M thanks for the tip. I noticed on that with Trigg's ribs they don't appear to be falling off the bone and when bit into they don't pull apart real easy. I will be getting a good quality smoker soon. Keeping the temp constant and low is key to doing great ribs.

Thanks for the reply, That seems easy enough to test for doneness. I'm sure my problem was too high on the temp due to the grill. Any more time would have ruined the meat for sure. But practice is fun in this endeavor. I have been reading all the great post here and decided to join.Thanks again for the help.

quote:

Originally posted by CraigM:
The temp gauge never got above 300 but I managed to keep it around 250-275 according to the gauge.

It doesn't matter what a temp gauge said! I was taught by a fine rib cook that a Pitmaster has to know the temps at the grate where he is cooking his ribs. That was solid advice, just like all the other advice I've ever gotten from Smokin'.

Thanks for the help. I'm sure my temp was much too hot.

This is the greatest thread. I'm trying these out on Saturday. It's only the misses and me however, and she's a light eater. I'm trying to decide if I should smoke all 4 racks and freeze the leftovers, or freeze two racks as is.

I have a vacuum sealer. What is the trick to keeping smoked ribs moist and juicy when freezing? How do you heat them up?

I am no expert, but this has worked well for me. When the ribs come out of the foil cook them until they are no longer wet on the outside. I then take them off the smoker , and let them cool for 10 min. then vacuum pack and freeze while still warm. If you let them sit until they are completely cool they will be dry. When I am ready to use them I thaw them and put on a grill to finish. Just put a little sauce of choice on them, and let them cook until caramelized and they will be good. I have cooked 50 racks of ribs (St.Lois Cut) and had very good results. I hate to cook 1 or 2 racks at a time.
Good Luck
Gary

New to the forum here, but not new to smoking...inspired here to try Trigg's recipe after seeing it on BBQ Pitmasters. Got all the right stuff with the exception of the rub (not enough time to order the rubs, and here in NJ, their idea of a good rub is...well...Delilah's Den in Atlantic City). Using some other sweet and savory rubs, in addition to Lowry's, first and will see how that goes. Thanks for all the great discussion! Will let you know how it goes.

Welcome BB,

Do we call you Big or Bully for short

Rubs can be whatever you want. If you want to make one of your own, there are tons of good ones out there, just so many options.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

I have a Fast Eddy PG1000 pellet grill, am trying this rib recipe today for the first time. I just picked up a thermometer to put on the grill to test temps. The lowest the grill's setting is 170, but the temp on the grill is 220 - 225.
Anyone else able to get lower temps on this grill?

quote:

Originally posted by BigBully215:
New to the forum here, but not new to smoking...inspired here to try Trigg's recipe after seeing it on BBQ Pitmasters. Got all the right stuff with the exception of the rub (not enough time to order the rubs, and here in NJ, their idea of a good rub is...well...Delilah's Den in Atlantic City). Using some other sweet and savory rubs, in addition to Lowry's, first and will see how that goes. Thanks for all the great discussion! Will let you know how it goes.

Welcome BigBully215! Sounds like you need to sign up for the next Sauce and Rub Exchange. Next one is in the fall. In the meantime, there are a lot of good resources for rubs on the net and in BBQ cookbooks. If you Google FAST EDDY you'll find a recipe that he posted that won a championship. Have Fun!

PS VickiB is in NJ. Maybe she could point you in the right direction for some local stuff.

Been using the 3-2-1 method for a couple years and was wondering with this method that you are talking about do you put the meat side down in the foil or is meat side up? Also do you not put any liquid into the foil? Thanks in advance going to smoke 4 racks on Saturday and I am dying to try out the peach perserve on these.

Meat side down. This is what I put into the foil...4 oz margarine, 4 oz brown sugar, 2 oz maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of Tiger Sauce. I actually use more but maintain the proper ratios.

When you say:

"Foiled them with 4 oz margarine, 4 oz brown sugar, 2 oz maple syrup and a tbsp of Tiger Sauce. Cooked 'em meat side down for 45 minutes. Removed them from foil, painted them with home brewed Que sauce and gave them 15 more minutes."

Is that for each rack or is that for three racks.

thanks

So the ribs, according to three of the people at the party, were "the best they ever had." I couldn't believe how perfect they were, and we're having the leftovers tonight. I used a mixture of sweet and savory rubs I doctored up on my own, and in the Trigg Wrap, I put in honey, onion powder, Parkay, and the Tiger Sauce. I thought they would be too sweet, especially with the glaze I made, but they came out perfect.

Definitely looking into entering a competition here in Jersey because I want to know how I stack up. I love watching people eat all my barbecue, so I'm going to see if I can make this my true calling.

As for what to call me, Bully is best, but I'm a nice guy. I had a bulldog for 13 years, and I just love the breed. New one coming soon!

Thanks for everything. Nancy, if you can point me to some good stuff here in the nation's armpit, I'd greatly appreciate it!!!

Bully out!

Rhoot,

I LOVE this method. I have switched from loin backs to St. Louis trimmed spares using this method. I have cooked the Trigg/MaxQ/Pags Rib method for over 2 dozens cooks. I use Parkay squeeze margarine and I go equal parts of magarine/Brown sugar/Maple syrup and I add enough Tiger sauce to give it the Zing Im looking for. I then put the mixed glaze back into the empty Parkay bottles (I keep 3 or so marked "Rib Glaze"). When I foil, I just squirt enough on each side to coat. I put 1 rack to each foiling. If I dont use all the glaze, I just put it in the fridge until the next cook. I then pour the "Old glaze" into the container with the fresh batch and then back into the squirt bottles...... My neighbors now make appearances whenever I fire the smoker up...

Each racks receives its portion of the "sauce". The proportions shown above should handle 3 racks. I use a little heavier, but make enough to cook 9 or 10 racks and save it in squirt bottles.

Very first time cooking ribs-ever. A friend gave me 3 slabs of baby backs. Used a variation of the techniques in this thread. Didn't have Rib Tickler so used a rub from a local gourmet market. Found a BBQ sauce that I'd never heard of and it was quite excellent- Funny Bones original. Followed most of the rest of the directions.

I was a bit concerned with the margarine based sauce as my grocer didn't have Parkay, but some fancy weird margarine. Turned out good anyway.

Bottom line: it was outstanding! Wife said it was as good if not better than the ribs she had in Memphis, and that says something.

My thanks to Rib Dog, MaxQ,Pags, and Johnny Trigg! for their recipes and time to put it on this thread for us to follow. Here's a pic of the final product. It's after 11pm, so we'll have to really tear into them tomorrow!

Glad you liked them Victor. Johnny Trigg didn't contribute. We were just trying to copy his method.

How much did those racks originally weigh?

How long did you smoke them before foiling and at what temp?

How long in foil?

Reason I ask...they look overdone. Photos can deceive so I thought I'd ask.

I know, but I thought I'd give some credit anyway!

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
Glad you liked them Victor. Johnny Trigg didn't contribute. We were just trying to copy his method.

I don't know what they weighed, sorry. I didn't buy them and didn't weigh them. They touched both sides of the smoker when sitting on the shelf. In smoke 1 hour @180, 2 hrs @275, then in foil for 1 hr @275. Sprayed every hour w/ apple juice (except when in foil).

They were definitely not overdone or dry. Very tender and juicy.

quote:

Originally posted by MaxQ:
How much did those racks originally weigh?

How long did you smoke them before foiling and at what temp?

How long in foil?

Reason I ask...they look overdone. Photos can deceive so I thought I'd ask.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by easy victor:
They touched both sides of the smoker when sitting on the shelf.

A tip I learned from Smokin's video is to scrunch the ribs together on the shelf. This helps them to cook more evenly.

There wasn't much room between the strips! Maybe 1/4 inch. But I'll mash 'em next time!

Just so there's no confusion, leave space between each rack to allow air circulation. Grab both ends and push together so they are not stretched out.

In that case, I think they were just fine. It wasn't a matter of being stretched out- they were just too long for the width of my AQ!

quote:

Originally posted by Joe M:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by easy victor:
They touched both sides of the smoker when sitting on the shelf.

A tip I learned from Smokin's video is to scrunch the ribs together on the shelf. This helps them to cook more evenly.

I started doing that after watching Smokin's video too! Makes for thick, moist ribs. When judging comps, I note that most comp cooks seem to do this also.

In a pickle, and have a question.

Doing ribs tomorrow, and I won't have time to go out and get margarine. Will butter work as a substitute?

Thanks.