My first cook this weekend doing multiple items - advice needed


 
R

Richard F

TVWBB Member
I have cooked chicken, ribs, pork butts and corn on the cob on my WSM. Each was not perfect, but still very good. This weekend I would like to do two pork butts, 3 racks of ribs and some corn on the cob on the same cook.
My ribs are 3-4 pounds each, the pork butts about 5 pounds each and corn is corn. Here is my plan of action, please critique.

I was going to load up the Kingsford charcoal and start with the Minion method. I planned on starting with the two pork butts on the top rack and cook for 3 hours to start. Then put the ribs on the bottom rack. After another two hours put my corn on buttered and foiled.
Finally, start taking internal temps starting an hour and a half later.

Is this too "hopeful" or unrealistic? Is this roughly how the more experienced cooks would do it. I don't have any of the remote thermometers or such yet. So, I just wanted to lay it out and get the opinion of the board.

Thanks.
 
Couple of thoughts: your plan sounds ok to me, but it's not how I'd do it

If it were me I'd cook and pull the butts ahead of time so I could focus on the ribs.

If you are foiling the corn you could do so in the oven or on a gasser to get the same results, again with idea to focus on the ribs.
 
I've done ribs and butts together a few times, I always put the butts on the bottom and the ribs on top-the corn could go up there too. If you want it all done at the same time, at least you could be quick by putting the ribs on top, less chance of messing up the temperature equilibrium. The butts need a lot less attention than the ribs anyway, they just lay there until they're done. I've never minded my ribs being done before the butts, they are a great appetizer.
 
A couple of questions, are you planning on foiling your ribs? Are the ribs spares or Baby backs?

If you're not foiling I think your plan seems pretty good. If you're foiling I'd probably move the butts down to the bottom grate when you add the ribs, for me it's just one less movement during the cook. How long are you thinking your cook will take? Based on what you've laid out here I'd guess you're planning on 8 to 10 hours, which is probably safe, especially if you're moving the butts to the bottom rack and you're running lid at 250.

I've only done corn once on my WSM and I did it around 300 for about 30 minutes, it was done enough for me.

Hope this helped, sounds like a fun cook.
 
For me, it is too much of a hassle to remove the top rack to add and subtract food to the bottom rack in the middle of a cook. So I always try to set it up if at all possible so I am not going to have to lift the top grate more than once throughout the cook. Without a remote thermometer, the problem is compounded significantly, since you won't be able to monitor the bottom grate without removing the top grate. Without a remote thermometer, I would do the pork butt first, then pull and chill. I wouldn't start the ribs until the pork butt was finished. Reheating the pork butt would be far easier than taking the loaded top grate off and on and off and on and off and on.
 
The ribs are Spares and I was putting the butts on the top because I thought that after a few hours they wouldn't be dripping any fat. But if I put the ribs on the top, they would drip on the butts.

I was guessing the cook would take about 8 hours+ to do this way. If I do the butts first and then the ribs, it would be 8 plus 5 or 6 wouldn't it?

Also to add, I am not saucing the butts or ribs. I use Texas BBQ rub on the ribs, Texas #2 on the butts and then when I pull them we add a vinegar finishing sauce as we make the sandwich.
 
I'm with Shawn here. Do the Butts the day or two before and reheat for the cookout. Then just worry about the ribs the day of and grill the corn. I did a grad party for 40+ last Sat and cooked the butts the week before, vac sealed and froze. I just reheated the sealed bags at the party in my turkey fry pot and water and got rave reviews by all. HTH
 
i did this exact cook 2 weeks ago for my son's 1st birthday. only my second cook overall, and it came out great! did the ribs first, then added a pre-lit chimney, let the temps come up, and put 4 whole butterflied chickens on. they took 1.5 hours. used the BRITU recipe and the Basic BBQ Chicken recipe. i posted earlier and asked about saucing before coolering the ribs. i wound up saucing them, then putting in the cooler, and they were really good!
 
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