Minion method best for ribs?


 
G

Gary Donaldson

New member
I know that the BRITU recipe recommends a "standard" method for firing up the smoker, but waiting an hour for the cooker to come down in temp and stabilize seems like a waste. It also seems to me that by waiting that long, it loses the majority of the smoke from the initial burn of the wood. I was wondering if using the Minion method would be a better use of time, and would introduce a better smoke flavor?
 
Gary,

Like Bryan said - I always use the Minion method for ribs - in fact, I will be cooking 4 racks tomorrow that I just got on sale for $2.99 per pound.

Ray
 
BRITU encompasses many aspects of its originator's BBQ "philosophy", if you will. That's why it's so specific about each part of the process-- how much (or little) rub, firing the cooker, the sauce, etc. There is a belief by some that there is a "purity" of flavor that can only be achieved if the coals and smokewood are fully ignited and burning well before introducing the meat. The only way for you to judge if this is true for you personally and worth the extra effort, is to try it both ways.
 
wow! 15 minutes and multiple responses already! God, I love this website :) Thanks guys for the input. I will try Minion for my ribs tomorrow. I will let you know how it turns out...
 
I tend to use the minion method for my long cooks, but either a reduced minion, (if you want to call it that), in 1/3 of a ring full of charcoal to start, or with a small pile in the centre and two full starters lit added, if I am only looking for a 5 - 6 hour burn.

This way the fuel pretty much is enough for the full cook but I am not loosing much if I have to add a little extra lit charcoal for the last hour.
 
I like to use the standard method but I also like slightly higher temps for ribs (around 275). I prefer the Minion with lump for long butt and brisket cooks.
 
I find with minion (a good amount in the pan + 40-50 lit with chimney + closed vents + full water bowl) = 240F at the lid. If I'm not around or too busy to worry about getting the temps up to 280F+ at the lid for the last hour, I'll just cook the ribs longer and they seem to get more tender. I still get somewhat inconsistent results, since I approach the entire cooking process kind of haphazardly.. I'm not too worried about the details, since I'm still highly expirimental with ribs. My best ribs are the ribs that stay on the smoker the longest.
 
I always ues the minion method for ribs. There is no bestter way. Just put 3 rolled loinbacks on about an hour ago.
 
well, I went with the minion method...one layer of unlit briquets, some smoke wood, another layer of briquets, some more smoke wood, then ~30 fully lit briquets on top. The fuel bin was full. I let the wood catch fire, then assembled the cooker (about 15-20 minutes). I put two rolled racks on the bottom, and two rolled racks on the top. The temp came up to 225 within 15 minutes, and it was a snap to keep it around 235 for the entire cook. I turned the ribs at 3 hours, then checked them at 4 hours, and then they were done at 5 hours. My dinner guests "raved" about them. They were fall-off-the-bone and smoked all the way through the meat! Awesome! I will use this method from now on for ribs.
 
Gary,

Yesterday I also did 4 racks using the Minion method. Came out great. I cooked at 225 degrees for 3 hours, foiled for 2 hours at 275 degrees(after spraying with a 50/50 mixture of apple juice and pineapple juice - thanks to Kruger for this suggestion). Then cooked another 45 minutes unfoiled. Awesome ribs. Gave some to my neighbor and he called later to rave about them.

This was the first time I was able to get all 4 racks on the top grate. I cut them in halves and placed them in my Weber rib rack. It was a bit too large to fit under the top dome so I had to bend the corner pieces in a bit.

Ray
 
I pretty much use the minion method for everything. When I build a fire that yeilds the proper amount of heat when fully ignited I find that I have to use less coals and it will usually burn out early causing me to add coals to keep it alive long enough for the meat to get done. If I start with a larger amount of coals, the fire gets too hot and I spend a lot of time "chasing" the correct temperature, I kinda get a yoyo effect with the heat as I throttle the air. With the minion method I just toss 10 or 15 hot coals on a stack of unlit coals, it may take 15 or 20 minutes to get the heat to stabilize then walk away. Once the meat is done I shut the air down and the coals go out. I reuse the remaining coals on the next BBQ so there is very little waste
 
I did my first minion cook for ribs last week in the cold of Denver and it was the best fire I have had - used to light up and bring down the temp, but this was so much easier, six hours, very little maintenance of the fire.

Peace,
 
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