Harry Smith
New member
The purpose of this question is to find a way to cook more products, i.e. butts and ribs, at the same time without sacrificing the finished look. Today, I use 2 WSM to do 2 butts and 4 ribs.
When cooking competitively, I pay special attention to the finished appearance of the rib?s surface. Although painting a finishing sauce tends to cover-up any blemishes, I don?t think the sauce performs its ?camouflage? job that well (I don?t like a splotchy or wet look). I normally cook 4 racks of St. Louis cut spare ribs in 1 WSM. I cut 1 rib bone off each end of each rack so that 2 racks can fit flat (horizontally) on a grate. On the lower grate I put a very loose foil cover over the ribs to try to protect them from the drippings from the food on the top rack. On the top rack I trim the same but no foil of course.
As I?ve stated, I am concerned about the "look" of the ribs, so I would like your opinion about the effect of the finished look when using a stand-up rib rack. It has been my observation of ribs cooked in a rib rack that they tend to have a burnt top edge. Equally, it always seems more difficult to remove the racks without accidentally scraping off some of the rub from the surface, leaving the surface with that splotchy look.
How many of you cook, competitively, using a stand-up rack?
Do you believe ribs cooked flat will more consistently provide a better surface appearance vs. ribs cooked in a stand-up rack?
When cooking competitively, I pay special attention to the finished appearance of the rib?s surface. Although painting a finishing sauce tends to cover-up any blemishes, I don?t think the sauce performs its ?camouflage? job that well (I don?t like a splotchy or wet look). I normally cook 4 racks of St. Louis cut spare ribs in 1 WSM. I cut 1 rib bone off each end of each rack so that 2 racks can fit flat (horizontally) on a grate. On the lower grate I put a very loose foil cover over the ribs to try to protect them from the drippings from the food on the top rack. On the top rack I trim the same but no foil of course.
As I?ve stated, I am concerned about the "look" of the ribs, so I would like your opinion about the effect of the finished look when using a stand-up rib rack. It has been my observation of ribs cooked in a rib rack that they tend to have a burnt top edge. Equally, it always seems more difficult to remove the racks without accidentally scraping off some of the rub from the surface, leaving the surface with that splotchy look.
How many of you cook, competitively, using a stand-up rack?
Do you believe ribs cooked flat will more consistently provide a better surface appearance vs. ribs cooked in a stand-up rack?