A recent rib cook


 

K Kruger

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Recently I smoked two racks of spares using this rub and using a pineapple and tamarind juice blend for the foiling stage. Time was a bit short so I smoked them at 275 grate till they were very nicely colored (about the 3-hour mark in this case--at a lower cook temp this would have been much later), foiled them with the juice mix till almost tender (about an hour), then unfoiled and cooked about 7 min more to dry them. I then glazed with a very thin application of pineapple glaze and cooked a few minutes more. I don't normally glaze but felt like it.

I never apply sauce to ribs while they are cooking nor for serving. I much prefer the look of ribs without sauce and much prefer to offer sauce on the side. (I like applying sauce thinly to the cut side of the ribs so that I still feel the bark/caramelized meat texture when I bite.) As I've mentioned in several posts and noted in many recipes, I nearly always add elements of the meat to my sauces to boost flavor and to tie them to the meat better. This usually entails stirring in some of the juices the meat exudes during resting and/or trimming the meat, smoking the trimmings separately, then simmering the trimmings in the sauce to add meat, rub and smoke flavors. I highly recommend this approach. Another thing I periodically do is to take this one step further and puree some of the trimmings with the sauce. This adds wonderful flavor and body to a homemade sauce (but would work well and personalize a commercial sauce too).

That is what I did for this last rib cook. This is the sauce I made. It was delicious. My guests loved it. I've enjoyed warming the little bit that was left over and smearing it on bread.

Give this type of approach a try some time if it is new to you. Adding the flavors of caramelized/cooked rub, cooked meat, and smoke in this way is different from adding raw rub, no meat flavor and liquid smoke or smoked paprika or chipotle to sauces. See what you think.

Wet rib lovers: The timing of the sauce making works out so that if you prefer finishing your ribs with the sauce applied you can easily do so.
 
Kevin, Your spaare rib recipe sounds good, I will definitely give it a try. I'm always looking for a new recipe/method to dazzle family, friends, and co-workers...LOL. My wife is the only one that knows...the rest of the family, friends, and co-workers think I'm the mack-daddy bbq guru...LOL...if they only knew... shhhh.

Thanks,

S Whipple
 
Kevin,
I was looking at your sauce recipe. I've never had tamarind. Does it have a similar taste to any other fruit. Just trying to get a sense as to what it would be like, before I try to find one. While I got you...thanks for all the posts. You're a wealth of cooking knowledge.
 
Kevin-

When I read your post's I usualy find myself wondering where the chilis you mention can be found and what their taste is. Is there a website that will define the different types of chilis? I usually plant a big crop of peppers in the summer here in Illinois do you think I could grow some of these exotic chilis here?

Thanks
Rick
 
Yeah Rick, I was trying to figure what the heck "evoo" was, surely an ingredient which must be indigenious only to Florida. Then it struck me: Extra Vigin Olive Oil.

Tamarind is a sticky brown paste which is tart. It comes in a few forms such as raw in a pod or as a paste in foil. Living in Los Angeles, we have pretty good access to tamarind in Latin or Indian markets but some people may need a mail order resource.
 
A note on the above: I chose I higher heat for this cook because I was short on time. It is not required. I prefer a lower heat (230-240 grate) for ribs, usually, because I like a more relaxed cook and the lower temps give me a wider window--especially when the ribs are nearing done. Higher heat is quite possible though, you just have to be a bit more attentive. It does not take long for ribs to go from done to overdone when cooking at higher temps.

Rick--

Most peppers I use could be grown where you live. Aji amarillos, a favorite of mine and the pepper on Peru, grown in the jungles and up in the Andes; most peppers are like that, very adaptable.

There are many web sources of information and seeds. Not all are as descriptive as one would like so it might take a little digging and reading to get all the info you seek (some sites describe some peppers in detail but ignore others--that sort of thing). I buy most peppers (the 'typical' ones used in southwestern, Mexican, Central and South American cuisines) when I travel. Markets that cater to 'ethnic' clientele are usually the best sources. Some of the hard-to-find chilies can take some searching. Asian chilies I find, usually, at markets as well. All of these chilies are also available on line though most sources carry some and not others. African chilies, peri-peris from Portugal, Indian and Pakistani chilies and a few others I buy on line. Aleppo ( the chile I used for theses ribs and one of my favorites--I keep a jar of it on the table) is only available crushed--at least I've yet to find it any other way. It is native to Syria but grown in Lebanon and Turkey as well. It is very fruity with a pleasant sourness and little heat. (I would kill to find Aleppo seeds!) I get it from Penzey's.

Some sources of info:

Wikipedia

the database at g6csy.net

Gourmet Sleuth

Fiery-foods

Seed sources:

Pepper Gal--lots of hard-to-find chile seeds

Seed Savers Exchange
 
Erich--

Jake's right--look for tamarind in markets that cater to hispanics, in Indian markets, or in the 'Latin' or 'Asian' section of supermarkets. Tamarind pods are 6-10 inches long, cigar wrapper brown, and often come a half-dozen or so to a package. The pods and a bit of a description can be found here. The pods surround several large inedible seeds; surrounding the seeds is a very thick sticky pulp and it is the pulp that is used in cooking. Often you can find blocks of the pulp wrapped in plastic instead of whole pods. To use the paste you steep a hunk of it in boiling water (2 T, roughly, paste per 3/4 c water) for several minutes and then strain the pulp out and use the liquid. It has a lemony, sour sort of flavor. Sweetened, it makes a refreshing drink in the summer--we drink a lot of it here. It is a very common ingredient in Indian and southeast Asian cuisines and is a key ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.
 

 

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