First time beef back ribs and Mac n cheese

[ChristopherC]

Should be fun. Trying 2 new cooks today in tandem.

1) Beef Back Ribs

2) Smoked Mac N Cheese

Setting up a modified snake method on the WSM 18 with Weber briquettes. Using water in a pan and a foil lined drip pan on the lower rack. Aiming at a temp of 200-225 for 3-5 hours. Then going to braise the ribs in the oven covered with foil for about 1-1.5 hours. Hoping to get them super tender and rendered and make a sauce out of the braising liquid. Following Malcolm Reed’s Smoked Short Ribs recipe to finish off.

Here are some early pics:

Beef Back Ribs (individual) from Costco.



Seasoned with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.



New water pan partially filled with warm water.





Food pan that fits in the water pan - using it foiled with air gap as a drip pan to catch drippings on the lower rack.







Modified snake method setup.

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

Going to be good. Interesting modified snake.

 

[ChristopherC]

Oh, using alternating Pecan and Hickory chunks. Not super large just medium chunks.

Having trouble getting up to temp...so opened the door a bit. Was at 160d...now climbing...will see what I can get up to. Put the 5 thicker ribs on, gonna wait 1 hour to add the thinner ribs.

 

[ChristopherC]

Here is my bbq area setup.

 

[ChristopherC]

So, of course ran into a bit of a snag that I explained here:

Learning That SOMETHING ALWAYS Comes Up

So, doing a beef back ribs cook today and of course I open up to look (luckily this time) and notice black flakes on some of my ribs... https://tvwbb.com/threads/first-time-beef-back-ribs-and-mac-n-cheese.84168/ Of course the lid is peeling the creosete/smoke buildup around the vent and...

tvwbb.com

Now I am good to go and running around 200-215d.

Of course this forced me to drink a beer....

 

[Darryl - swazies]

Looks good bud, can’t wait to see the results, that reduced braising liquid is the boss.

 

[ChristopherC]

Well, mixed feelings about the results of this cook. Let’s break it down in point form...

• the WSM again behaved like a champ...once I dialed in the temp it sat at around 215 for almost 4 hours.
• I wasn’t thrilled with the combination of the beef back ribs and the Mac n cheese. It was just too rich together and a bit too much overall smoke. This meal definitely needed a fresh green aspect like a garden salad or a fruit bowl.
• Separately, each dish had some great aspects. The ribs had some nice tender spots and the overall flavor was good. Seasoning and smoke flavor was nice.
• I found the ribs pretty greasy. Obviously the amount of fat was high and I guess the rendering made the ribs exude a lot of grease both into the braising liquid and the surface of the meat.
• The flavor of the Mac n cheese was good but there were some technical issues. The Panko absorbed a lot of smoke, and I applied a bit too much Panko topping forcing us to scrape a bit off. The bacon was excellent though. As a stand-alone, very nice, but not a great combo with the ribs. Also I guess 45 mins at 350 was too much as a lot of the Mac stuck to the sides and bottom of the aluminum pan. I wish I had made more cheese sauce as the Mac absorbed a lot of it.

Overall I give the Mac 8/10 and the ribs 7/10.

Here are the final pics...

 

[Rich G]

Super great cook, Chris, and some good takeaways for your next attempt at both of these! Knowing how rich the beef ribs were that I did a few days ago, I can see how the ribs and mac/cheese would be rich on rich on rich! You've got some good ideas on the mac/cheese (more sauce, maybe cover or move to oven after a shorter time in smoke, etc. This is how I learn stuff.....try something that looks good, if it doesn't come off the way I hoped, figure out how to make it better (assuming you think it's worth repeating....)

I really like the smoke then braise technique that you did with the ribs, and think that has some interesting potential!

Nice work, sir!

R

 

[Rich Dahl]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the cook. Barb and I like a small amount of smoke flavor and I have made the same mistakes that you mentioned. Some foods just absorb a whole lot more smoke flavor than others. Also I have never smoked beef ribs so your observation of the richness of the ribs will help me when picking the sides when I do my first beef ribs.
Overall I think you did great on that cook.

 

[ChristopherC]

No doubt is wasn't a bad cook overall. The Mac N Cheese got a little overcooked (temp got a bit too high I think at 375 near the end) because I was dealing with the braise of the ribs and reducing the sauce. I didn't even think the Mac N Cheese would stick to the bottom of the aluminum tray! Also just a matter of putting way too much Panko on top and it really absorbed the Apple wood smoke I added.

Lots of things I learned though....

1) Weber briquettes (1st time using) are pretty awesome in terms of ash and consistent heat.
2) Beef ribs are very fatty and greasy. It seems to be a different sort of fat than pork in my opinion.
3) I prefer pork ribs and the sweetness of the bbq sauce that seems to mask the fattiness of the cut...I guess that is why I like burnt ends too.
4) Bacon on the Mac N Cheese was a nice addition...will definitely be doing that again.
5) Panko is a bit "blah" as a topping in my opinion...even after absorbing bacon fat and butter. Next time I might try Italian Breadcrumbs or Corn Flakes.
6) I need to pay closer attention to things. I should check my WSM before the cook to make sure there is no flaking on the lid and that everything else is up to par. I also need to monitor things like side dishes on the smoker...it is different than being in the oven in my opinion.
7) I love my Le Creuset Braiser. I need to use that thing more. I love the size, shape and how it performs.
8) I am getting a handle on meat in the WSM. Basically the best strategy is to cook until the temp hits 160-170 then remove and either wrap or cover in some way and into the oven until 203-207. This strategy really works for me.

Anyways, I could go on and on... Every cook is a great experience builder. Leftovers today and then will move back to the Performer for some wings and sausages on Monday and Tuesday.