Converted a rack of spare ribs to to St. Louis style.
Positives:
Easy to light and stabilize temps using minion method.
Ribs were eatable even though I did everything in my power to F them up.
Negatives:
Human Errors
KCBS Grade:
Appearance - 4
Taste - 5
Tenderness - 5
Comments:
I really out thought myself today. Went over board on everything. I could have used half as many coals, wrong wood (mesquite) that I had lying around and overcooked (215f @ 5 hrs.). There is an old bowling saying, "trust is a must or your game is a bust", and I used that today. It was amazing how I could keep the temp in the 215-225 range with a simple tweak of a damper every hour.
I had a slab of spare ribs so I converted them to St. Louis via the video on this site. Boy, do I need my knives sharpened! I cut it in half for my rib rack as I read the outsides cook more quickly. I did not have any apple or pecan so I used two good size chunks of mesquite. Everything I have read said cook for 5-6 hours and do not lift the lid as it will add 15 minutes to the cooking time. So like a good little newbie I did just that. I checked them five hours in and they were an hour overdone. Pretty black (I am thinking from the mesquite) and really did not look very appetizing. I brushed on some sweet sauce (Sweet Baby Rays) and let them go another fifteen minutes. Although not very appealing in appearance they were still surprisingly moist and not bad tasting. There are no leftovers as I have two Basset Hounds that will take care of any unwanted portions.
Overview:
A more watchful eye (lifting the lid) and the right wood would have made for a much better opening act. I think cutting the slab in half also shortened the cooking time. I consider this a mild success as it didn't end up in the trash. I have a pork butt ready to put on Saturday night for the Packer game and I hope to use some of the things I learned today.
Any other tips would be appreciated.
Positives:
Easy to light and stabilize temps using minion method.
Ribs were eatable even though I did everything in my power to F them up.
Negatives:
Human Errors
KCBS Grade:
Appearance - 4
Taste - 5
Tenderness - 5
Comments:
I really out thought myself today. Went over board on everything. I could have used half as many coals, wrong wood (mesquite) that I had lying around and overcooked (215f @ 5 hrs.). There is an old bowling saying, "trust is a must or your game is a bust", and I used that today. It was amazing how I could keep the temp in the 215-225 range with a simple tweak of a damper every hour.
I had a slab of spare ribs so I converted them to St. Louis via the video on this site. Boy, do I need my knives sharpened! I cut it in half for my rib rack as I read the outsides cook more quickly. I did not have any apple or pecan so I used two good size chunks of mesquite. Everything I have read said cook for 5-6 hours and do not lift the lid as it will add 15 minutes to the cooking time. So like a good little newbie I did just that. I checked them five hours in and they were an hour overdone. Pretty black (I am thinking from the mesquite) and really did not look very appetizing. I brushed on some sweet sauce (Sweet Baby Rays) and let them go another fifteen minutes. Although not very appealing in appearance they were still surprisingly moist and not bad tasting. There are no leftovers as I have two Basset Hounds that will take care of any unwanted portions.
Overview:
A more watchful eye (lifting the lid) and the right wood would have made for a much better opening act. I think cutting the slab in half also shortened the cooking time. I consider this a mild success as it didn't end up in the trash. I have a pork butt ready to put on Saturday night for the Packer game and I hope to use some of the things I learned today.
Any other tips would be appreciated.
