Cuts of meat - rib types


 
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Hello,

This is my first post. I received my WSM a week ago, and I just finished cooking two whole chickens on it. I will try them in a few minutes after my wife finishes with the side dishes.

While I am waiting, I have a few million questions I would like to ask. Maybe I should just start with the first few...

I am very confused about ribs. What is a "baby back" rib? What is 3/down mean? I see other ribs in a sealed package called simply "pork spareribs". I have also seen one other cut that is called "St. Louis Style Back Ribs".

Can anyone clarify these cuts a bit for me?

Thanks,

-Rob
 
Welcome to the WSM world, Rob, I'm sure you are going to really enjoy it!

You can learn a lot about ribs from different sources on the Web, starting here, here, and here. A quick Web search will turn up lots of links. Sometimes, you can get specific questions answered that way and, sometimes, it's best to ask those on a forum like this one for their own advice & suggestions. It's all a learning experience, without end. That's what makes it so much fun and interesting!

Let us know how your chicken turned out!
 
Thanks, Chris! How did I miss that? /infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif I've spent hours and hours going over your site, it has so much to offer! But, I surely missed that whole section. Well, settle down, Ray, and get ready to burn a couple more hours at the best site on the Web for WSM support! Thanks, for such a great resource!
 
Thanks for the great links. I really apprecate it!

The chicken turned out pretty good. I used a brine for four hours before putting it on the grill. I used one cup of kosher salt and a half cup of brown sugar. It was in probably in about a gallon of water.

After 4 hours of sitting in the brine, I butterflied the chickens. I mixed some garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, black pepper, and some paprika and rubbed it over the skin.

I should have dried the skin I think. The mixture did not want to stick to it, but I did the best I could. Next time I will try drying it with a towel and adding olive oil, and then the spices.

It was 95 degrees today with about 800% humidity ;-) I probably could have put the WSM in the sun and let the chicken cook, but I would not have gotten any smoky flavor!

I filled the ring about 3/4 full, and waited until the coals were fully lit. I filled the pan with plain hot water. I put the larger bird on the top rack, and put the smaller on the bottom. I threw in three chunks of mesquite, but took one out after 15 minutes or so. It just seemed a little too smoky.

I wanted to put them both on the bottom, but then I realized that part of the bird would have to hang over the edge of the pan. Is that bad? I have not heard anyone say that you should avoid it.

So, anyway, they cooked for 4 hours. The WSM with the chicken started at 300, (measured with a therm in lid with clip) and went down to about 275 in the first half hour. The temp slowly worked its way down until 250 at the 4 hour mark. Basically I did nothing to it while it cooked.

For some reason I thought it would take 6 to 8 hours to cook, and so I was going to turn and baste at the 4 hour mark. One look though, and I knew they were done. My meat thermometer read over 160 in the breast. I took them off and let them sit in foil until we were ready to eat.

My wife really like the chicken. I thought it was good. The wings, legs and thigh had enough salt, but the breast could have used more. The wings, legs and thighs were moist as could be, and the breast was ok. I was hoping for more moisture and salt, but it was still good.

Next time I will use a small amount of some kind of salt on the skin. I like a salty, crispy skin. The skin was cooked, and not mushy as is sometimes described by folks when they brine. There were a few small spots that were soft and fatty, but most was thin and a very nice looking brown. I would not call it crusty which I think you folks may be calling bark.

I was glad I took out the third chunk of wood. I had plenty of smoke flavor. I want to try oak or apple next.

The most important thing is that I had a lot of fun, I can't wait 'til next time, and the family is ready for more!

Thanks again for the links,

-Rob
 
Good going, on the chicken, Rob. Trying different things is just one of the things that make this kind of cooking so much fun! Kosher salt is used in brines because it does not soak into the meat so much, making it too salty. I prefer to add salt after the cook because, if added before, will tend to make the meat turn out too dry and salty. Yes, drying the skin with some paper towels and applying a light coat of olive oil is exactly what I do to chicken and turkey.

Depending on what hangs over the edge of the water pan, you may get some overcooking, burning or drying out - that's where the heat is rising and is concentrated. I always try not to do it but some others may have different experiences.

You were smart to take out the extra piece of wood, it doesn't take very much to provide a good smoked flavor and appearance. I posted the following on a different forum and it may be of some help to you -

"Smoking a whole chicken can be as basic or as complex as you desire, they will both turn out a great tasting product. For the basics, plan on a cooking temperature of about 225? to 250?. Cook it until the breast temperature is 165? to 170? and the temperature of the inside thigh is 180? to 185?. It should take about 4 hours for the chicken to be ready. For an entertaining twist, you might consider doing a Beer Butt Chicken. It will turn out one of the best, most moist chickens you have ever had! For recipes and suggestions, you can start here or here and/or just do a Web search for 'Beer Butt Chicken'. Don't over smoke the chicken, making it bitter. It actually takes much less smoke than a lot of people realize to get a good flavor and color.

BTW, while I don't suggest it, some people do stuff chickens and turkeys they cook on their smokers. If you do, make SURE the temperature at the center of the stuffing gets to at least 170?. Salmonella poisoning is not a fun way to end an otherwise good day."

I prefer apple, cherry, or hickory with poultry.

It was 76? with a few light showers, today, in The Great Northwest! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Bark - bark is what you will get on the surface of briskets and pork, not chicken. It is the dark, dry, crust that forms from being exposed to dry heat & smoke for an extended period of time. Mixed in with the rest of the meat, it adds a whole new dimension to its flavor!

Glad you had fun and I'm sure you are in for more!
 
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