Jeff Kolodziejski
TVWBB All-Star
Hello all.
Thought I would share my first experience with a longer low temp cook on my older red performer. I am new to this whole slow cooking with low temps. I must thank all of you that have had past posts with the minion and firebrick method, and also talks about country style pork ribs. I got many good ideas and felt confident enough with what I read to start with something smaller.
I started with 2.3 lbs of country style pork ribs with bone in. I first used a grill mate rub for pork and added some brown sugar to it with some garlic salt too.
The grill was prepped with 2 firebricks and about 40 briquettes (regular kingsford) behind them. I also threw in 3 chunks of hickory wood. I used the minion method with 5 coals that were added to the unlit pile. I also put a water pan (13" X 9") filled with 1" of water in it. I put this under the meat on the charcoal grate next to the firebricks. The following is what I did with times and temps.
415 Put 5 lit briquettes on the unlit pile
430 Put meat on, grill temp at 170, bottom
vent 75% closed, top wide open.
435 temp @ 180
440 temp @ 190
455 temp @ 250, moved top vent to 50% closed
500 temp @ 250
505 temp @ 245
510 temp @ 245
512 moved top vent to 75% closed
520 temp @ 237
525 temp @ 230
530 temp @ 232
535 temp @ 230
545 temp @ 230
610 temp @ 225
612 opened to check meat.
617 temp @ 242
618 take off meat, pork a touch pink in center
wrapped meat in foil.
620 put meat back on, coals still 50% life
left in them. Temp @ 240
621 temp @ 252
626 temp @ 240
640 temp @ 225. Did a sweep of one touch to
make sure spent coal weren't covering
the vents.
645 temp @ 245
650 temp @ 220, opened top vents to 50% closed
from 75% closed
700 temp @ 215. Open top vents all the way
710 temp @ 228, took meat out of foil, no more
pink in center
715 temp @ 240
717 temp @ 242, close top vents back to 50%
720 temp @ 230
723 temp @ 220
730 took meat off, temp was at 210.
So the final result was that the meat had no pink left, was VERY tender and tasted excellent. While I've never tasted smoked meat before, it did have was smelled like and tasted like a smoked taste, although I have never used any type of a rub either, so that may have played a factor. The coals looked to have at least 30-40% left in them after 3 hours time. I feel it was pretty successful for my first time trying it. I would love to hear if anyone would have done anything differently or have any other suggestions. Hopefully this can be used as some sort of a guideline for someone else too!
Thought I would share my first experience with a longer low temp cook on my older red performer. I am new to this whole slow cooking with low temps. I must thank all of you that have had past posts with the minion and firebrick method, and also talks about country style pork ribs. I got many good ideas and felt confident enough with what I read to start with something smaller.
I started with 2.3 lbs of country style pork ribs with bone in. I first used a grill mate rub for pork and added some brown sugar to it with some garlic salt too.
The grill was prepped with 2 firebricks and about 40 briquettes (regular kingsford) behind them. I also threw in 3 chunks of hickory wood. I used the minion method with 5 coals that were added to the unlit pile. I also put a water pan (13" X 9") filled with 1" of water in it. I put this under the meat on the charcoal grate next to the firebricks. The following is what I did with times and temps.
415 Put 5 lit briquettes on the unlit pile
430 Put meat on, grill temp at 170, bottom
vent 75% closed, top wide open.
435 temp @ 180
440 temp @ 190
455 temp @ 250, moved top vent to 50% closed
500 temp @ 250
505 temp @ 245
510 temp @ 245
512 moved top vent to 75% closed
520 temp @ 237
525 temp @ 230
530 temp @ 232
535 temp @ 230
545 temp @ 230
610 temp @ 225
612 opened to check meat.
617 temp @ 242
618 take off meat, pork a touch pink in center
wrapped meat in foil.
620 put meat back on, coals still 50% life
left in them. Temp @ 240
621 temp @ 252
626 temp @ 240
640 temp @ 225. Did a sweep of one touch to
make sure spent coal weren't covering
the vents.
645 temp @ 245
650 temp @ 220, opened top vents to 50% closed
from 75% closed
700 temp @ 215. Open top vents all the way
710 temp @ 228, took meat out of foil, no more
pink in center
715 temp @ 240
717 temp @ 242, close top vents back to 50%
720 temp @ 230
723 temp @ 220
730 took meat off, temp was at 210.
So the final result was that the meat had no pink left, was VERY tender and tasted excellent. While I've never tasted smoked meat before, it did have was smelled like and tasted like a smoked taste, although I have never used any type of a rub either, so that may have played a factor. The coals looked to have at least 30-40% left in them after 3 hours time. I feel it was pretty successful for my first time trying it. I would love to hear if anyone would have done anything differently or have any other suggestions. Hopefully this can be used as some sort of a guideline for someone else too!
