Rib Master's, come forth.......

Plasticman,
I think they all work together.
Every aspect of smoking foods is equally as important as the other, so its very hard for me to say which is most important
I am also glad that there are variables in the process.
Some people may want the same exact ribs every single time but I kinda like using a cajun rub now and then or maybe a Peach/Jalepeno sauce or a diffrent type of wood .
I know what you are saying though, afraid I'm not able to single anything out . Good Luck with becoming a "Rib Master" however.
I hope you use your powers for Good and not Evil.

P.S. as far as the beer?
that would have to be an ice cold Budweiser(the ones with the Arkansas rice in them) ha ha
....I also like Rolling Rock from Latrobe, PA

cookin-n-arkansas

quote:

I am curious what you all think is the most important aspect that influences the end result: rub, quality of meat, cook time, smoke, sauce, etc.

Plastic Man.......glad you asked. I was out in the country just yesterday, and learned something you'll want to hear. I came upon Big Jim preparing about 10 slabs of spares. Big Jim, you might recall, is the driver of a 7-foot tall Southern Pride, gas-powered, carousel pit, and burns about one log of blackjack oak per session. He was dusting the ribs, and I asked him if that was his secret rub.

"Hell no, it ain't," Big Jim said. "I don't use rubs. All those herbs and spices....just get in the way of the pork flavor. This here's nothing but kosher salt and cracked pepper corns."

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. No rub? What about the Forum? What about Jamison and Jamison? Dang!

Big Jim dropped his knife and came storming over.

"Here! Take these," he said, and tossed me 35 sampler packs of Chef Paul Prudhomme's Barbecue Magic. "I don't use that stuff!"

That's about it. Thought you should know. And, make no mistake, his pork, brisket and chicken is fantastic.
By the way, he uses cheap off-the-shelf BBQ sauce purchased at Sam's, and made by (of all things)Sonny's Fat Boy Barbecue Restaurant.

I'll take a different spin because each one of the points you brought up can be a long discussion.

Rub? I make great ribs with or without, they're just different.

Meat? bad meat equals bad ribs. Different cuts of ribs = different types of different people.

Cooktime? Depends on your smoker, the meat, the effect, etc.

Smoke? Hey, if you don't want smoke, grill 'em. Type of wood, too subjective, depends on the person.

Sauce? Now we're talking war, No sauce in Memphis, Sauce in KC.

What are you doing? Where do you think you are on this journey to the perfect rib? What's working for you and what's not?

It's a little easier to make suggestions from my perspective if I know where you're at.

There's tons of tips and recipes, just go to the rib archive and start reading so it's hard to just give a simple answer.

Smokin'

I2 et al,

I am definitely going to make that trip to Micanopy FL to visit Big Jim's place.

Big Jim's at Pearl's...

Micanopy also has some antique stores and is a lovely small town. Good diving nearby in all the springs...the water is 72 F year round..

I went recently to of all places House Of Blues at Disney in Orlando and had some pretty darn good ribs. I expected tourist trap kinda flavor and all and they were excellent. Little pricey at $19 but I was full with the sides...I think they used salt and pepper and maybe one other spice.

I also have heard about Jim Overton at Jim's Rib Haven and his ribs looked great. I would like to try them sometime. It looks like he uses minimal rub.

I too am yearning to make the nirvana of ribs. All my friends say each batch I make is fantastic. I always taste and think I can do better. When I get there...I will open a ribshack.

Regards,
PrestonD

IMHO, the perfect ribs should retain a hint of the rub flavor, pull easily but should have a crispness on the outside. Therefore, I always fire up my hottest grill and char them a little tiny bit. Maybe not even a couple of minutes on each side. I never mop 'em and I serve the sauce warmed on the side.

How you like them is the best way to prepare them.

I do that too...I use my Taylor digital thermometer to measure the internal meat temperature between the biggest bones on the ribs. When the temp gets to 180 F I take them off and crisp them on a very hot grill for just a few minutes (maybe 5-6 total) but I baste for the last 2 minutes. I like the flavor of the sauce carmelizing on the ribs.

I never foil any of my bbq anymore...I did that for a while and everything just seemed to get soggy or mushy...I also smoke at higher temps now (at 275 F) and it seems to come out better for me (as long as the cut of meat is good).

Stogie (Kevin Taylor) who has won quite a few contests does foil his ribs...he's got quite a bit more experience than I thats for sure.

Regards,
PrestonD

Well, I have to say that I appreciate all the input and can agree with each points made. I guess when I think about what I like in the final product I infuse what my tastebuds have experienced: When I was a kid my Dad took me to a hole-in-the-wall diner and had ribs. This was my first experience and it was memorable. Whenever I eat out I look for ribs on the menu first; I am ever searching for something unique that I can copy.

I think I am ready to try ribs with no rub, smoke for sure, and too me they have to have sauce. Of course, I always try to obtain the best quality meat.

Yes there are many variables at work here, and perhaps that is what will continue to hold my interest.

Well, everyone have a Merry Christmas and keep the Cookshack's cookin.

Plasticman.