Joe Haynes
TVWBB Member
I have been hard at work improving my ribs. Here are some spares I did over the weekend. They were flavorful and tender.
Getting flavor into rib meat
- Thread starter Joe Haynes
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Joe Haynes
TVWBB Member
Thanks, Earnie D.
TravisH, yep, those were the best looking ones. I had a couple of shiners because I trimmed a lot of fat off of some of the ribs.
I was actually saving the rack of ribs for the next day's dinner. We were serving chicken to our guests and I had the ribs resting on our stove top before I wrapped them up and put them in the fridge. We sit down to eat and I noticed that one of the guests had about 5 ribs on his plate. He took that whole end of the slab and ate it right in front of me.
But, the others were good too.
TravisH, yep, those were the best looking ones. I had a couple of shiners because I trimmed a lot of fat off of some of the ribs.
I was actually saving the rack of ribs for the next day's dinner. We were serving chicken to our guests and I had the ribs resting on our stove top before I wrapped them up and put them in the fridge. We sit down to eat and I noticed that one of the guests had about 5 ribs on his plate. He took that whole end of the slab and ate it right in front of me.
But, the others were good too.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Me, I never sauce ribs while they're cooking. Ever. Occasionally I glaze - but this goes on in a very thin veneer; it's transparent, and thin enough to see and feel the meat and rub texture through it.
I'm a sauce fan but always serve it on the side. I prefer to apply just a little sauce to the cut sides of the ribs, not the surfaces where the rub is. Best of both worlds as the rub flavor and texture is not lost, and the bit of sauce complements the meat, smoke, rub and surface texture.
I'm a sauce fan but always serve it on the side. I prefer to apply just a little sauce to the cut sides of the ribs, not the surfaces where the rub is. Best of both worlds as the rub flavor and texture is not lost, and the bit of sauce complements the meat, smoke, rub and surface texture.
Joe Haynes
TVWBB Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Wolgast:
Joe u dont put any sauce on the ribs while in the smoker?
I have to break some habbits couse i always sauce but i think i wont next time just to let the rub alone speak for itself.
And great looking ribs btw
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I glaze them with sauce every once in a while but not all the time. When I do glaze them, I add the sauce about 20-30 minutes before I remove them from the smoker.
I prefer ribs without sauce but my wife prefers them with sauce. So, many times, I cook two racks of ribs: one rack of ribs with a glaze at the end and one without.
The ribs in the pic were foiled for about 45 minutes meat side down. I put a little butter and about 1/2 a cup of Blues Hog TN Red in the foil.
Joe u dont put any sauce on the ribs while in the smoker?
I have to break some habbits couse i always sauce but i think i wont next time just to let the rub alone speak for itself.
And great looking ribs btw
I glaze them with sauce every once in a while but not all the time. When I do glaze them, I add the sauce about 20-30 minutes before I remove them from the smoker.
I prefer ribs without sauce but my wife prefers them with sauce. So, many times, I cook two racks of ribs: one rack of ribs with a glaze at the end and one without.
The ribs in the pic were foiled for about 45 minutes meat side down. I put a little butter and about 1/2 a cup of Blues Hog TN Red in the foil.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Joe, beautiful ribs!
Let me ask you something. Have you or do you know anyone who has dared smear a little regular Blues Hog onto the ribs when wrapping them? I love that stuff on ribs, and wonder if there's a way you could get that flavor to permeate without messing up the texture.
Let me ask you something. Have you or do you know anyone who has dared smear a little regular Blues Hog onto the ribs when wrapping them? I love that stuff on ribs, and wonder if there's a way you could get that flavor to permeate without messing up the texture.
Joe Haynes
TVWBB Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Joe, beautiful ribs!
Let me ask you something. Have you or do you know anyone who has dared smear a little regular Blues Hog onto the ribs when wrapping them? I love that stuff on ribs, and wonder if there's a way you could get that flavor to permeate without messing up the texture. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I bet you could. Just use it like you would honey in the foil with some butter and keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
I've never tried foiling with BH Original, but I've used honey on several occasions and it shouldn't be much difference.
I have tried glazing with BH Original. Here is a pic. My wife liked them but they were too sweet for me.
Joe, beautiful ribs!
Let me ask you something. Have you or do you know anyone who has dared smear a little regular Blues Hog onto the ribs when wrapping them? I love that stuff on ribs, and wonder if there's a way you could get that flavor to permeate without messing up the texture. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I bet you could. Just use it like you would honey in the foil with some butter and keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
I've never tried foiling with BH Original, but I've used honey on several occasions and it shouldn't be much difference.
I have tried glazing with BH Original. Here is a pic. My wife liked them but they were too sweet for me.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Thanks, Joe. I think the stuff is sweet, too, but folks really like it on ribs and chicken. I done et and I'm hungry again thanks to your pic!
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mk evenson:
Kevin, when you glaze, are you using a very thin sauce or more of a sugar water mix? I glazed/sauced thighs the other day and the color was too dark. I thought about a clear sugar water mix which should glaze nicely, I think. Don't really need the sweet taste tho.
Mark </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I make a glaze - transparent or nearly so - not a sauce. Which I make (if any, I don't always glaze) depends on the rub I made (I don't make rubs in bulk and pretty much never make the same one twice, though they share similarities) so I look for complements and contrasts and go from there.
Glazes need a sweetener to be glazes but numerous things are possible, as are combinations thereof. I might take some fruit juice and/or strained pulp concentrate and/or jam and maybe some stock plus, say, a vinegar, maybe a touch of butter, and reduce them till thick but still paintable. I apply the glaze once near the end of cooking and, maybe, once more just moments before I pull them (at the temps I cook glazes seize very quickly). The application (with a pastry brush) is so thin that the texture of the rub and meat surface is not marred. I get the shine from the glaze and the flavor layer I seek.
I don't use much sugar in rib rubs, especially if I am going to glaze. Generally, my rubs run 10-12% sugar by volume, occasionally ~15%. From time to time I might go as high as 20% but this would not be a rub I would glaze over. (If you are familiar with my rub recipes recall that I never put salt in rubs; I salt separately first. So I'm saying I use 10-12% sugar by volume of the saltless mix - just ~25% of the sugar found in many commercial mixes and recipes like the BRITU one.) Low sugar in the rub means one can afford a thin veneer of glaze without a cloying finish - it still won't taste like meat candy, thankfully.)
Wolfgast-- No I don't mist. I don't really see the point. Misting does not 'add moisture to the meat' as is often erroneously stated. Nor is it an effective way of adding flavor. There are better ways if that is the aim.
[Quite likely I am the only one here who absolutely cannot stand BH!]
Kevin, when you glaze, are you using a very thin sauce or more of a sugar water mix? I glazed/sauced thighs the other day and the color was too dark. I thought about a clear sugar water mix which should glaze nicely, I think. Don't really need the sweet taste tho.
Mark </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I make a glaze - transparent or nearly so - not a sauce. Which I make (if any, I don't always glaze) depends on the rub I made (I don't make rubs in bulk and pretty much never make the same one twice, though they share similarities) so I look for complements and contrasts and go from there.
Glazes need a sweetener to be glazes but numerous things are possible, as are combinations thereof. I might take some fruit juice and/or strained pulp concentrate and/or jam and maybe some stock plus, say, a vinegar, maybe a touch of butter, and reduce them till thick but still paintable. I apply the glaze once near the end of cooking and, maybe, once more just moments before I pull them (at the temps I cook glazes seize very quickly). The application (with a pastry brush) is so thin that the texture of the rub and meat surface is not marred. I get the shine from the glaze and the flavor layer I seek.
I don't use much sugar in rib rubs, especially if I am going to glaze. Generally, my rubs run 10-12% sugar by volume, occasionally ~15%. From time to time I might go as high as 20% but this would not be a rub I would glaze over. (If you are familiar with my rub recipes recall that I never put salt in rubs; I salt separately first. So I'm saying I use 10-12% sugar by volume of the saltless mix - just ~25% of the sugar found in many commercial mixes and recipes like the BRITU one.) Low sugar in the rub means one can afford a thin veneer of glaze without a cloying finish - it still won't taste like meat candy, thankfully.)
Wolfgast-- No I don't mist. I don't really see the point. Misting does not 'add moisture to the meat' as is often erroneously stated. Nor is it an effective way of adding flavor. There are better ways if that is the aim.
[Quite likely I am the only one here who absolutely cannot stand BH!]
MKEvenson
TVWBB Wizard
Thanks, Kevin, for that explanation. Fun stuff tryin new things. Funny how we / I get caught up in new methods and interests. I have been cooking for most of my 50 yrs and only recently found the interest in real BBQ as a cooking style. What I am now beginning to realize is that my cooking methods for meat in the past were simple and pretty good to my taste. I am heading back to that simplicity and am going to add a bit here and there if I feel that it will benefit the final product, instead of just adding ingredients because someone else is. To me it's gotta make sense. I appreciate your approach and classical influences.
Mark
Mark
Wolgast
TVWBB Olympian
Kevin thx for the response.
I often make 1 dish and when it tastes good(dont mean perfected by any means)ill stick to that.
Next time ribs(i have a medium suggar halt in my rub)i will try not to glaze or spray/mist and compare to se if its spot on with my beer-drinking-pallet.
Great info and interesting ideas in this post.
Bless//Me
I often make 1 dish and when it tastes good(dont mean perfected by any means)ill stick to that.
Next time ribs(i have a medium suggar halt in my rub)i will try not to glaze or spray/mist and compare to se if its spot on with my beer-drinking-pallet.
Great info and interesting ideas in this post.
Bless//Me
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Mark-- Yes, to me it's gotta make sense, too. What that means in actuality is subjective. My philosophy on this, pertaining to barbecue especially, is elucidated in my posts in this thread and also here.
Wolfgast-- By all means, try different approaches. Then you will discover what you like best.
Wolfgast-- By all means, try different approaches. Then you will discover what you like best.