Cooking Ribs for a Group of Friends. Could use some advice.


 
jeffsipes

jeffsipes

TVWBB Member
I am going on a Father/Kid campout in a couple of weeks and volunteered to cook Saturday night dinner. Looks like we will have 10 adults and 15 or so kids 10 and under.

I am going to take my 22" WSM with me and cook moink balls for the kids along with some hot dogs and corn-on-the-cob. I may also put together some ABTs. For the main course, I plan to cook ribs. I have cooked spares several times but am not an expert. I could use a little advice on a couple of basic points.

-I was going to cook six or eight racks of ribs. I have a good rib rack so am not capacity constrained on the WSM. I can use the park grill to cook corn on the cob, etc. Got the quantity right?

-Should I trim them St. Louis or just cook them untrimmed? I normally trim mine St. Louis at home but if I cook a half dozen racks or more I may not fool with it. If I leave them untrimmed (I will remove the membrane), do I still just cut them between the bones to serve them?

-I have tried several rib methods and this time planned to smoke them about 250 (a temp my WSM holds very well). I have read a good bit about foil vs. no-foil. I have tried it both ways. Since I have a good number of racks, I was going to go no-foil. Since I have a moderate amount of experience with no-foil, any tips?

-I am planning to glaze a couple of racks just for comparison. I use Texas Pepper Jelly when I glaze - anybody got a good recipe for rib glaze?

I know these are basic questions but I would like to do a good job. I don't mind experimenting on myself and my family but I need to produce a 'wow' product for this bunch of scoundrels.

Thanks for any help.
 
6-8 racks sounds about right. I would trim to St. Louis, leaving them whole will add nothing except added cook time. 250 is a great temp, I very seldom foil and they turn out great! For a glaze I would use this:

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...0069052/m/2870053653

We like to modify like this:

1 cup ketchup
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice/ cider or pinnapple, mango juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon rub

The great thing about this sauce is you can adjust to your liking!

Good luck and have fun!
 
The only time I have foiled is when I was doing a big cook like that and I pulled them off, foiled and put in a cooler for about 20mins. Then took them out, cut and served.
 
Keep in mind that most kids might like fall off the bone better than what most of us like. Myself I usually use foil for a more consistant cook. It also helps to make sure your food is done when you want it ready. Just a thought. Vince
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Glenn W:
6-8 racks sounds about right. I would trim to St. Louis, leaving them whole will add nothing except added cook time. 250 is a great temp, I very seldom foil and they turn out great! For a glaze I would use this:

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...0069052/m/2870053653

We like to modify like this:

1 cup ketchup
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice/ cider or pinnapple, mango juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon rub

The great thing about this sauce is you can adjust to your liking!

Good luck and have fun! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I would agree. I also like the number 5 sauce but the kids might like something thicker and sweeter like Sweet Baby Ray's as a glaze.
 
Good luck. I got talked into cooking for my son's entire Cub Pack on Saturday night's campout... 70 PEOPLE!!! I'm cooking two briskets, two pork loin roasts and a bunch of hot link sausage.
 
I used to foil ribs, but have since converted to unfoiled. If you want them to stay really tender, but cook ufoiled turn the chamber temp down to about 210-220. After 6 hrs. they will come off the bone cleanly with just a slight tug. They are sooo good I just put sauce on the side for people that want it, but most folks just skip the sauce entirely.... lol.

A super easy and really, really tastey sauce for ribs and chicken:
2 part Sweet Baby Rays Original
1/2 part cider vinegar
1/2 part apple juice
brown sugar to taste
optional: 1 or 2 teaspoons of red chili flakes

My family is addicted to this sauce and it makes a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays go a looong way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top