First Rib Cook

[KenB]

Did my first rib cook on the WSM. Could only find spare ribs and trimmed St Louis style. Cook went surprisingly well but took 5 hours for a small rack. Cooked w/o water in the pan and held temp between 230 and 275. Also, did not wrap in foil and only seasoned with salt and pepper. Ribs came out a bit dry for my taste. Overall, happy with the ribs. Would attach photo but can't figure out how.

 

[Dwain Pannell]

Did my first rib cook on the WSM. Could only find spare ribs and trimmed St Louis style. Cook went surprisingly well but took 5 hours for a small rack. Cooked w/o water in the pan and held temp between 230 and 275. Also, did not wrap in foil and only seasoned with salt and pepper. Ribs came out a bit dry for my taste. Overall, happy with the ribs. Would attach photo but can't figure out how.

Congrats on your first rack. You'll get them the way you like them soon.

To post a photo, you have to have a photo hosting program like Photobucket or others. Copy the img code and paste it in the forum. Like this but with [ at the beginning and ] at the end of the img link:
IMG]http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii562/bamabbq/More-Bacon1_zps59df1f3e.jpg[/IMG

It will look like this:

 

[Jim Minion]

Ken Chances are the ribs may have been a little over cooked, but if it was just bit dry, then practice is what you need to produce outstanding product.

 

[THoey]

I do my SLC ribs in just under 4 hours. Trim the ribs and rub them down. We like our food a little spicy, so I found the following rub mixture:

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

While those set up, I get the WSM going. I use KBB and a little Apple or Cherry wood. She likes to run around 270* - 280*, so that works for me. Once she starts burning TBS, I throw the ribs on.

If I throw them on at 12, I don't touch the smoker again until 2. At that time, if I am going to wrap, I will grab them off, take them inside, wrap, and return them to the grill. At 3, I will grab them off, take them inside, unwrap, and throw them back on. I start checking for bendy around 3:30 - 3:45. They are usually done before 4.

If I am not going to wrap, it is pretty much the same, but I start checking them a little sooner. Either way makes great ribs, juicy, with a slight pull, but pulls clean off the bone.

 

[KenB]

Ken Chances are the ribs may have been a little over cooked, but if it was just bit dry, then practice is what you need to produce outstanding product.

I agree Jim, when I did the bend test the ribs snapped in half. The meatier ribs tasted ok but the smaller ribs were a bit dry and crunchy on the edges. I'll try again this weekend. Think I,'me better off cooking at 275 or stick with 225-250? Should I use water in the pan for more moisture?

 

[KenB]

Congrats on your first rack. You'll get them the way you like them soon.

To post a photo, you have to have a photo hosting program like Photobucket or others. Copy the img code and paste it in the forum. Like this but with [ at the beginning and ] at the end of the img link:
IMG]http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii562/bamabbq/More-Bacon1_zps59df1f3e.jpg[/IMG

It will look like this:

Thanks Dwain, I'll sign up for one of those programs .

 

[KenB]

THoey, I assume you are using the minion method. Are you allowing your wood to burn for awhile and the white heavy smoke to stop billowing before adding your ribs? When you wrap, do you add liquid in the foil wrap?

 

[Jim Minion]

I like cooking ribs at 250 to 275, moisture in product is from tissue breaking down leaving it's moisture behind, getting the ribs off the heat at the right time is the key. I always foil to get repeatable results, and add flavor prints.

 

[THoey]

I use the minion method, as in I fill my charcoal basket full of KBB and then point the flame thrower at it until a section of the coals are good and started. I then give it about 5 mins to get good and going before I assemble the WSM. I always wait until I get Thin Blue Smoke and then I add my first large chunk (fist sized) of whatever flavor of wood I am using. With ribs (really, all pork I smoke), I use cherry as I like the mahogany color it produces. Once it returns to TBS, I throw my ribs on and start my 4 hour routine described above. I usually add another fist sized chunk about an hour later.

I do not add anything to my ribs when I wrap them in foil. They produce enough juices that I don't think they need it. I also am not into the sweet / buttery competition ribs, so no, nothing but ribs and foil. Not that there is anything wrong with doing it that way, just not my preference. I don't even sauce my ribs. I do have sauce on the side in case someone wants it, but they are usually juicy, flavorful, and tender, so it's not needed.

The following link is my Mod's thread here. It does have a picture of my lighting my pit off with the flame thrower...

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?55072-THoey-s-WSM-Mod-Thread

 

[Robert McGee]

KenB;
First of all, those ribs look GREAT! We all have our personal preferences and a person needs to go with what pleases HIM/HER.

Having said that, I mostly foil my ribs and I want them just a bit more tender than competition ribs (not mushy, but TENDER!).

I experimented with a number of ways. Cooks Country's copy of Memphis Ribs really pleased me but my wife and guests thought they were a bit too spicy... Finally, I settled on Harry Soo's recipe complete with his recommended techniques for really excellent, repeatable, ribs.

For the record, ribs are my personal choice as the "King of BBQ". I do a wide assortment of meats and Walkerswood Jerk Wings run VERY close but ribs are "Da BOSS!"

Don't get me wrong, I like pretty much ALL BBQ...

FWIW
Keep on smokin',
Dale53

 

[KenB]

Dale,

I looked at Soo's recipe and it looks good. Are you using his minion method where he creates a donut with the unlit coals or are you just dumping the lit coals on top of the unlit coals?